The renovated building housing the Athens Eye Clinic was inaugurated on Friday by the Greek minister of health Adonis Georgiadis.
The building, which is located on the corner of Panepistimiou and Sina Streets in the center of Athens, Greece, was heavily damaged by the 1999 magnitude six earthquake, and has been undergoing restoration for the past 14 years.
“I think that everyone looking at this building realizes that here we have something important. In a country where everyone is used to blaming the National Health System and constantly talking about its failures, we realize that here we have a success story,” said the minister.
Georgiadis pointed out that the new organizational structure for the Greek ophthalmology center will provide patients with some of the best eye care to be found anywhere in Europe. The center caters for around 200 patients a day.
The building of the Athens Eye Clinic was constructed in 1948 and was designed by Danish architect Hans Christian Hansen. Later, the architect Lyssandros Kaftatzoglou carried out some revisions, such as the entrance of the building which was previously covered by a two-column arcade.
The building, which is a rare example of the Romantic Byzantine style, has been declared a “work of art” by ministerial decree. With its unique architecture, wonderful roof paintings and museum-like interior, the clinic is considered one of the most significant architectural gems of Greece, one of a trio in this part of the city center, along with the National Library and the Athens University and Academy of Athens.
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