The Excelsior Hotel on Panepistimiou Street, Athens

The four-story building occupying the corner of Panepistimiou Street and Omonia Square was constructed between 1910 and 1914. It is a characteristic example of eclectic historicist architecture, while also preserving elements of late Athenian neoclassicism, even if it is on a grand scale, as it spans three façades: along Omonia Square (15 meters), Panepistimiou Street (41 meters), and Patission Street (28 meters). For a significant period, the building operated as a hotel, initially under the name "Victoria" (1912–1926), but it was best known as the “Excelsior” from 1929 onwards. It was one of the most prominent hotels in Athens, featuring 100 rooms and a ground-floor café-pastry shop and beer hall. In the postwar years, the hotel declined in popularity but continued to operate into the 1950s. Gradually, the upper floors were abandoned and the ground floor was taken over by commercial shops. During this phase, the façades and interior underwent major alterations. The building later came under the ownership of the National Bank of Greece. In 1979, the Ministry of Culture designated its façades as protected landmarks. Between 1979 and 1981, the building was completely renovated inside and its exterior restored based on designs by architect G. Tsiveriotis. Pictured: A tram in front of the Excelsior Hotel, at the corner of Panepistimiou Street and Omonia Square. ©Municipal Photography Museum of Kalamaria ‘Christos Kalemkeris’.