This paper attempts to comprehend the multiple aspects of the mechanism of antiparochi[1], from its inter-war roots to the extreme version of its application during the post-war reconstruction of Athens:

the first years of post-war period met Athens fragmented into small blocks, which were later on divided into even smaller plots, while the majority of urban land belonged to private individuals. At the same time, waves of internal migration were abandoning the province for a better life in the city. The intense urbanization created housing problems for the growing population. The state chose not to get directly involved with the issue of housing, hence the burden of reconstruction was administered to the private sector. In the periphery of the city, the needs for habitation were met through self-housing, while in the center through the implementation of the mechanism of antiparochi. The solutions that were created during the inter-war period only got further executed during post-war. The phenomena of the crucial demand in housing in combination with the citizens’ asset management, the government policy of not giving out loans made worst the already low financial liquidity, the national building regulations, the implementation of “horizontal ownership” law of 29’ and the state’s lack of involvement, encouraged construction by the private sector, with methodologies that until then had not been sufficiently utilized. In this frame the mechanism of antiparochi was usedextensively, as it created common space between developers and families that owned urban land. The speed with which the cityscape changed, created an urgent need for developers that relied in finding architectural solutions based on ready-made "recipes". The building stock of a bygone era was converted into polykatikies[2] within a few years. Landowners, capital holders-developers, builders, each served their own purpose within the complex of building apartment buildings. Previous stereotypes were redefined under the influences of international modernism, creating a new urban everyday life. Under the impact of urban renewal, the apartment got connected with modernization, thus antiparochi emerged as the "invisible" protagonist of city’s alteration/transformation.