Neos Kosmos, or New World in English, is a neighbourhood that has always signified hope, whether it was for those that escaped the Asia Minor Catastrophe, Greeks who came to the capitol from the mainland, or today’s Middle Eastern refugees. Historically quiet and heavily populated, this blue collar neighbourhood, that lies just below Mets and across from Koukaki, is experiencing a renaissance of sorts thanks to contemporary art spaces, shops, new bars, quirky restaurants, theatres and live music spaces that are quietly sprouting throughout its narrow streets. Youngsters sit at sidewalk cafés, mechanics roll under hoods of cars, locals walk their dogs up Lambrakis Hill, while the tram almost silently rocks on the tracks as it carries passengers towards Piraeus or the Athens Riviera. In Neos Kosmos, the old coexists with the new in the most promising of ways.
Dourgouti
The history of this neighbourhood begins in the slums. Dourgouti is the area of Neos Kosmos that today is lined with rows of public housing buildings, next to the tram tracks. Initially sparse farmland on the outskirts of central Athens, Dourgouti was first settled by Armenians a little before 1920. A few years later, as a result of the Asia Minor Catastrophe, there was a large influx of refugees from Turkey, and later yet, a wave of internal migrants. The area grew from a few farms, to a few makeshift shacks, to a full blown labyrinth of slums. Part of the 1954 movie Magic City takes place in these shanty houses. Finally, in the late 1930s, the first government subsidised building was erected and more followed until 1971. Today, the third and fourth generations of those refugees still occupy some of the apartments, while others are homes to refugees from the Middle East upheaval.
Rows of public housing buildings can be found in Dourgouti.
Photo: Thomas Gravanis
Stegi details.
Photo: Thomas Gravanis
Stegi
At the end of 2010, the Athenian contemporary arts and culture scene was forever altered with the arrival of the Onassis Cultural Centre (Stegi). The institution that loves to cross lines, was the one to set the standards with cutting edge theatre and dance performances and visual arts exhibitions. One of their first prestigious shows was the stunning and daring Robert Mapplethorpe photography exhibition in 2011. And then the river flowed. John Malkovich performed in sold out plays, Bernadine Evaristo spoke about feminism and art, and flamenco superstars Akram Khan and Israel Galvan glided on and pounded the stage. The annual Block Party lures hordes of locals and visitors to its surrounding streets to dance to the beats of electronic music from a lineup of Greek and international DJs, as does the foundation’s longest running disparate festival, Borderline. Stegi is a strong LGBTQ+ advocate and supporter, organising a myriad of events during Athens’ annual Pride Month, while also running an international cross-cultural radio station called Stegi Radio.
Neos Kosmos Theatre
In 1998, a warehouse of the Fix brewery, by then a completely decrepit industrial site, began to be restored into what quickly turned into a Neos Kosmos staple. Don’t expect to see a grand building or a red carpet. You may not even notice it if you’re walking by. But architecture is not where the magic lies in this neighbourhood. It lies in art. Neos Kosmos Theatre has three halls and stages classic and new productions ranging from a new take on Sophocles’ Elektra to Traces of Antigone, Christina Ouzounidou’s play inspired by the #metoo movement. The neighbourhood seems to be growing more sensitive towards locals and visitors with disabilities, and this theatre is also known for its team that stages productions in homes for the disabled and even a women’s prison. Needless to say, the Neos Kosmos Theatre’s premises are fully accessible.
"But architecture is not where the magic lies in this neighbourhood. It lies in art"
Lambrakis Hill
A small green oasis that contrasts with the stark cement that surrounds it, Lambrakis Hill is known by the locals as vounalaki, which loosely translates into “small mountain.” There’s a brand new dog park with plenty to entertain our four-legged friends, from agility training equipment, to hurdles, to a wooden ramp, perfect for fun and exercise. There is a children’s playground, a basketball court, and when it happens to snow in Athens, it’s where the locals come for snowball fights and to build snowmen. The City of Athens gave the area a serious facelift a few years ago, repairing benches, clearing foliage, installing lights, providing Neos Kosmos with a very-much needed patch of greenery in an otherwise cement-laden neighbourhood. During the Second World War, this hill used to be home to an ammunition depot and a military jail, though traces of both are long gone.
Four legged friends having fun at Lambrakis Hill.
Photo: Thomas Gravanis
Enter the wondrous world of contemporary art at EMST.
Photo: Thomas Gravanis
EMST
The National Museum of Contemporary Art was a long time coming, but when it finally fully opened all its doors in 2020, it was agreed that it was worth the wait. Housed in an impressive post-war building designed by architect Takis Zenetos, the museum sits smack between Syngrou and Kallirois avenues, on the site of a former beer brewery that initially belonged to the Bavarian Fix family.
EMST is home to a permanent collection of 172 works by 78 Greek and international artists ranging across all forms, from painting to installation art (think Chryssa, Danae Stratou, and Stephen Antonakos to name a few). The lower floor is dedicated to temporary and visiting exhibitions, curated according to the existing dialogues in the contemporary arts scene in Greece and abroad.