The Βuilding
From the Glavanis Mansion to Project Zeta
Project Zeta - House of Dialogue is housed in one of Zagora's most impressive mansions. The economic development of Zagora began with the production and trade of silk at the end of the 16th century and continued for three centuries. Economic prosperity and constant maritime trade with the centres of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa led not only to the intellectual development of Zagora, but also to the creation of large merchant residences. The concentration of so many historic villas outside the major urban centres of Greece is unique.
When Zagora lost its economic importance in the 20th century, some of the villas were abandoned. Some of them were renovated and put to different uses. However, many are gradually crumbling and are in danger of being lost.
The Glavanis Mansion was built in 1905 by tobacco manufacturer Apostolos Rigas and was given as a dowry to his daughter Eleni, who married Evangelos Glavanis (Vaggos).
Evangelos Glavanis was born in Volos in 1895 and studied engineering at an English polytechnic. He was the son of Kostis Glavanis, a Zagorian industrialist who was mayor of Volos for 14 years. He was the technical director of his father's factory. In 1926 he was elected as a member of parliament for the Liberal Party of Eleftherios Venizelos. He was killed by ELAS rebels before the departure of the German occupiers in 1944. During the occupation, the Glavanis Mansion was used by the Italian troops as their headquarters.
The architecture of the building is one of the Pilion's two-storey houses, with emphasis on the doorways. The doorway is decorated with two marble pilasters with semicircular pediments and a wide architrave. At the ends of the architrave there are two crosses on either side and in the centre the date of construction of the house '1905 20 APR'.
The building was left to its fate for many years until Giorgos Stamos bought it in 2008 and temporarily stabilised it to prevent it from collapsing. In 2019, Project Zeta IKE acquired it with the aim of creating an original conference and seminar centre. Architectural and structural studies began immediately, and in the spring of 2022 the restoration and reconstruction of the building began, which took 18 months in total.
It was not just a matter of restoring a building to its former glory as a museum. It was more important to bring its historicity to life, but also to give it a new purpose and a new future. In other words, the building was not to remain frozen in time, but to evolve authentically into modern times.
A visible expression of this concept is that we have paid great attention to the reuse of historic building materials and techniques, and to the preservation of building elements wherever possible, however inconspicuous they may be. At the same time, we have deliberately avoided masking the new functions of the building through structural cover up.
Functional and modern building elements such as steel and glass, as well as the technological infrastructure, are deliberately visible and highlighted in charcoal grey. This connection between old and new illustrates the evolution of the building over time, respecting its historic substance while emphasising a new, authentic identity.
The simple aesthetic line of the furnishings has been selected with functionality and practicality in mind, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere. It was chosen so as not to overload the space and not to distract from the architecture.
The building has two storeys. On the upper floor is the Megalo Saloni, an open space of approximately 158 m2 with no visual barriers (e.g. columns) and its own exit to the surrounding area.
On the lower floor, on one side is the Trapeza, a monastic style dining room for 40 people. On the other side is the Kitchen, a visually open modern professional kitchen.
Project Zeta is located in the historic centre of Zagora, in the district of Agios Georgios, connected to the central square by an old stone road, surrounded by other villas and with panoramic views of the Aegean Sea.