[Stelios Tzetzias]
A redesigned gateway to Dionysiou Areopagitou Street will be unveiled next month, the result of a project led by the Onassis Foundation.
At its junction with Amalias Avenue, near the Onassis Library and the restored Mandra Theater of 1909, a bronze bench-sculpture honoring the poet C.P. Cavafy will be installed, alongside a setting for the marble bust of Melina Mercouri.
The project aims to create an accessible, contemplative public space at one of the city’s busiest entry points for visitors heading to the Acropolis. Architect Giorgos Parmenidis envisioned an “open, approachable experience” that encourages pause and reflection.
Improvements include new marble ramps, seating areas, greenery, and measures to deter illegal parking. Visitors will also experience a new lighting scheme by Eleftheria Deko, which is expected to be extended along the street in phases, in collaboration with the City of Athens.
The restored Mandra Theater, however, remains without a clearly defined future use, despite its rare status as a surviving example of Belle Époque open-air performance architecture.
