Under the title Re-think Athens: Urban challenges 2014-15, a discussion will be held at the Onassis Cultural Centre on January 27, on the Athenian apartment building (polykatoikia). In Athens, the apartment building, built on land given to the developer in exchange for a flat (or flats) in the finished structure (the "antiparochi" system) has undoubtedly dominated the housing market for decades. It evolved rapidly following the institution of a favorable tax and legal regime which made of “antiparochi” the unique mode of production for apartment buildings.

The discussion will focus on the processes which shaped the post-war reconstruction of Athens and the impact the domination of the apartment block has had on Athenian society and the urban landscape. It will also examine the extent to which the singularities of Athens’ built environment - the absence of a clear morphological articulation, the mixing of private and public uses - are a consequence of the "antiparochi" model, as well as the impact this mode of urban development has had on the city’s social geography. The event will be live-streamed on sgt.gr on January 27, in English and Greek.