Kypseli Municipal Market, Athens

Kypseli Municipal Market is a protected public building, completed in 1935 to designs by architect Alexandros Metaxas. Its long, symmetrical form is easy to read from the street: look at the raised roof section and its side windows, which bring daylight into the interior. The market covers about 1,040 square metres, with shops arranged along the building’s internal axis and larger premises at its corners.

Marble facing at the base, projecting cornices, and classical details around the openings soften the otherwise restrained modernist design. The market opened on the fourth of August 1937 and continued operating until 2003. Restoration began in 2012, and the renovated building reopened in 2018. Today, its shops share the space with cultural events, keeping this neighbourhood market connected to everyday life.