The Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, inaugurated the fully renovated building of the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki after the completion of its maintenance and restoration works.

It is an iconic building in the historic district of Fragomachala, in the city center, whose original shell was built in the 19th century. The building is an eclectic example of neo-baroque, neoclassical, and many elements of French architecture. Initially, in 1840, it was used as the residence of Jake Abbott. From 1863, it was used as a branch of the Ottoman Bank in Thessaloniki. It was redesigned in 1890 by engineers Baruch and Amar. The garden is adorned with statues of Economy and Banking Credit.

The Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, inaugurating the Conservatory, stated: “The restoration of the building of the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki was a priority that we set when we took over the Ministry of Culture in 2019. With €5,500,000 in funding from the Recovery and Resilience Fund, the building has been fully restored. It is part of the Ministry of Culture’s strategic plan to restore and promote historic buildings and monuments in the urban fabric of cities, owned or operated by the Ministry of Culture and its supervised organizations, with new uses where necessary and their integration into the cultural life of local communities. This is an extremely important monument of the city, which was saved from the fire of 1917 and is an integral part of the historical and cultural identity of Thessaloniki. The State Conservatory of Thessaloniki celebrates 111 years of uninterrupted operation and contribution to the contemporary musical culture of our country. Today, we are handing it over fully renovated, modern, functional, and universally accessible. The State Conservatory is truly returning home. Students and their teachers are returning to a fully functional, modern, and accessible space that will perfectly support the educational process and serve as a vibrant hub of musical creativity for the city of Thessaloniki. A restored historic building, when linked to knowledge, creativity, and culture, takes on a new life and contributes significantly to the cultural and social dynamics of Thessaloniki. This is what we expect from the only State Conservatory in Greece.

The State Conservatory of Thessaloniki has been housed in the building since 1987, following a decision by the Ministry of Culture. The project was implemented by the Service of Modern Monuments and Technical Works of Central Macedonia, of the Ministry of Culture, with funds from the Recovery and Resilience Fund.

The building has been declared a monument since 1977. The maintenance and restoration work upgraded its energy efficiency and reinforced it against earthquakes, in accordance with the provisions and regulations in force, and also addressed all structural and operational issues with new electrical and mechanical installations, fire safety and firefighting systems. Due to its special use, acoustic and lighting installations were implemented. A high-standard recording studio was created, equipped with the latest technology. The classrooms were rearranged to meet all the needs of a modern educational institution. At the same time, maintenance work was carried out on the building’s structural elements. Finally, accessibility issues, both external and internal, were resolved with the installation of a lift and elevator covering all levels of the building.

The inauguration was attended by, among others, His Eminence Metropolitan Philotheos of Thessaloniki, Mayor of Thessaloniki Stelios Angeloudis, and Deputy Regional Governor for Culture Christos Mittas.