Filenews 5 May 2025 - by Vasos Vassiliou
A real gem for the old town are the listed buildings of the Archdiocese, which were demolished during the reign of the late Archbishop Chrysostomos II and have been renovated.
The listed buildings were demolished on February 1, 2021 and it took more than four years and three months to reconstruct them, while there is still work to be done that could last another month. Of course, as the former director of Urban Planning Mrs. Athena Aristotelous and coordinator of the project pointed out to Filenews, in addition to the planning (which required some time), a year was lost until mainly internal conversions were approved, which, of course, also concerned the change of use of the buildings.
The former Archbishop had attributed the collapse to the age of the buildings and the rains that preceded it. The explanation was not accepted, and the most suspicious had argued that the presence of the buildings obstructed the view of the new cathedral, so it was chosen to demolish them in a way that looked like a collapse. Of course, the Archbishop did not accept this version, but under pressure from society, he pledged to renovate the buildings.
As Mrs. Aristotelous said, Archbishop George, after assuming his duties, gave instructions for the full implementation of the legislation and for all actions and works to be carried out, so that, along with the constructions, the image of the area would also be improved.
In the buildings, which are located on Patriarchou Grigoriou and Isocrates streets, there will be a small synod for coffee and rest for the guests after the Divine Liturgy in the cathedral as well as a library.
Mrs. Aristotelous, when asked about this, said that there are some works left such as the floors, the completion of the painting in various places as well as some external works. The contractor told us that the project is being completed and I believe that this will be done in about a month, she said.
She also believes that a good job has been done, even if with a little delay. What matters is that everything was done as it should have been, she added.
We noticed that when we visited the site, we found that even before the project was delivered, there was moisture and the walls were peeling. Mrs. Aristotelous said that the problem has been identified and the contractor attributes it to the sidewalks, through which water enters the external walls. She also mentioned that while the building was insulated, the sidewalks remained the same and the fact that they are not insulated, obviously affects the buildings as well. She also said that the project has not yet been received, which will be done when everything is perfect. As for the sidewalks, the imposed works must be carried out so that they do not create a moisture problem.
It is noted that the reconstruction works were expected to be completed at the beginning of last December, so that the buildings would be used for the first time at Christmas 2024. However, this was not possible but now the work has entered the final stretch.
As for the cost of the restoration, the technical advisor of the Archdiocese, Mr. Stelios Georgiou, estimated that it will exceed €1 million.
Finally, it should be noted that the reaction of public opinion and ETEK contributed greatly to the reconstruction of the buildings.
