Uploaded on 2015-06-15 by joannasotiriou

Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece and one of its largest seaports. As with any other city with a port, it used to be a crossroad of financial and cultural exchange in the Balkans. The building on the right was built in the 1891 and it was one of the most glorious ambassador of the Architecture of Eclecticism, serving the chandlers and the explorers of the city as a Hann (cheap motel). The construction consists of timber, stone and brick. Right across the street, on the left side of the picture, we can see a concrete block of modern office spaces, elevated somewhen in 1960. After the great earthquake of the 1917 most of the surrounding buildings were demolished and blocks as such took their sites. While in Greece's construction market steel and concrete were not popular materials, in the 1960's most of the country's beautiful architecture was demolished and high blocks were created instead, following the global paradigm of modernity. Because of this, the whole mentality of the people changed - even some customs as well- with the citizens (mostly from the rural parts of the country) moving to "fancy apartments" and "modern blocks" as they were highly promoted. [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14343808505930637.jpg