The study concerns the warehouse Harakoglou, located at 73 Pireos-Athinon Avenue. It consists of historical documentation of the building, pathology, building phases and a proposal for its conservation and reuse. The history of Pireos Avenue is connected with the history of Athens since the ancient times. The industrialization of the avenue begins at the end of the 19th century. Nowadays, the Ministry of Environment, Planning and Public Works, having recognized the importance for the protection to the industrial heritage, has listed as historic buildings many factories at the avenue, among them the Harakoglou warehouse.
The edifice was built at the beginning of the 20th century, as the Barbaresou Brothers Winery. In 1935 it was purchased by Evgenios Agapiou Evgenidis and since then has remained at the property of the Evgenidio Foundation. The rear section of the complex was demolished in 1965 and in 1972 the remaining structure was rented as a warehouse to Nikolaos Harakoglou. The architecture of the warehouse is in line with the general morphology of the industrial buildings of the period. Its characteristics are the functionalism of the internal space, the flexibility of the ground plan to later adaptations for production purposes, the severity and conformity to a rectangular grid and the rhythmical arrangement of columns and openings. The one or two-storied buildings were developed around a central courtyard at a symmetric way, which was strengthened by a blast furnace. The walls are of stone masonry. Demolitions and the requirements of the new uses led to off-hand completions and reconstructions which spoiled the initial character of the building. The problems at the existing building are due to the destructions which occurred during the Second World War, the human interventions and natural causes. Intense problems of dampness were recorded, while the stonework is further decayed by later rebuilding and cutting of new openings. Moreover, the roof and the upper floor of the central part were all demolished.
The proposal for the conservation and reuse of the building includes bringing back the existing building to its initial form, according to detailed documentation, and its completion at the demolished part with a modern building, in harmony with the old one. The design of the new building is based on certain characteristics of the existing, such as general axes and symmetry. Concerning new uses, in the old building a museum of cognac is proposed, while in the new one, recreation uses are suggested, like a café-theater, a musical stage and a restaurant, together with a center of alternative medicine and trade facilities, like a beverages shop, a confectionery and bookstore, relevant to the qualities of the drinks – such as flavor, feast and medical treatment.