The Colombo Gallery is one of the iconic buildings of the modern history of Thessaloniki, as part of a group of monumental commercial buildings which expressed the spirit of urbanity and Europeanization of the beginnings of twentieth century. The building is located in the center of Thessaloniki, on Egnatia St. The centre of Thessaloniki and its surrounding area were re-designed by the French architect Ernest Hebrard, after the 1917 fire, by the French architect Ernest Hebrard.
The Colombo Gallery erected in 1931, designed by the architect-engineer Jacques Mosse. The characteristic typology has references in European samples corresponding buildings erected in many cities over the past decades. The morphology of the building is also typical for the era and among the general context of the eclectic architecture. The structure of the building follows the technology and habits of the interwar period, applying the new techniques of reinforced concrete with accuracy and efficiency.
The earthquake of Thessaloniki in 1978 will not affect the building, but the coming years will be a series of changes, involving mainly the ground floor shops with combinations and changes in use, to accommodate dining and entertainment. In addition, the building today was identified with several changes made without the approval of the relevant services. The building displays natural damages, mainly due to lack of maintenance, but without significantly destroying the building.
The main target of the project is to restore the gallery, in order to recover the authentic form and typology (eliminating incompatible interventions). In addition, the purpose is to record the pathology for the conservation proposal. Apart from the conservation and restoration work, a critical factor for the future of the gallery is the reuse study and consideration of alternative scenarios for the revival.
Keywords
- Restoration
- Authenticity
- Modern monument
- Interwar architecture
- Galleries of Thessaloniki