Renovation of the Former Public Tobacco Factory
Efi Falida, Journalist at the newspaper “TA NEA”
Vassilis Charalambidis, Artistic director at Bios / Romantso
The talk focuses on the transformation of the former Public Tobacco Factory and explores how a historic industrial building is given new life as a cultural landmark. The speakers highlight the importance of adaptive reuse of architectural heritage, emphasizing the role of memory, public space, and culture in the contemporary city. At the same time, they discuss how abandoned or forgotten buildings can be turned into vibrant spaces with meaningful social and cultural impact.
Fanis Kafantaris is an architect and has been the Head of Architectural Design at NEON Organization since 2017. He studied at the School of Architecture of the National Technical University of Athens, where he also completed postgraduate studies in architectural theory and design. He works as a practicing architect and has been actively involved in urban research at NTUA. In parallel, he has curated and participated in visual arts exhibitions.
Within NEON Organization, he has developed architectural studies for exhibitions and cultural spaces, including “Space of Togetherness” at the Drama School of the National Theatre of Greece, “Portals,” and “Dream On” at the former Public Tobacco Factory in Athens – now housing the Library and Printing House of the Hellenic Parliament.
He has also worked on major exhibitions such as Antony Gormley’s installation at the Archaeological Site of Delos (Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades) and Adrián Villar Rojas’ project at the National Observatory of Athens.
She also curates the interview series “A Coffee with…” for the same newspaper, engaging with guests on contemporary cultural and social issues.
As a curator, she has presented several exhibitions, including “Fashion in Greece in the 1980s” at Technopolis, “Doulama: An Experiment in Fashion and Art” at Kanari 4, “The Diary of a Seamstress” at Angeliki Antonopoulou Gallery (also published as a catalogue by Kapon Editions), “Kostis Velonis, Ghost Beggar” at Kalfayan Galleries (with an accompanying catalogue), “Eva Mitala, Atelier Portable” at Ileana Tounta Gallery, “Eirini Karagiannopoulou, Hotberg” at Angeliki Antonopoulou Gallery, “Demi Kaia, Biblioptera” at the Angelos and Leto Katakouzenos House, and “Weavings: Beyond the Horizon, Under the Skin. Contemporary Art in the Display Window of SEN,” part of a contemporary art program at the retail space of the Association for the Education of Young Women.
Vasilis Charalambidis is the founder and director of the cultural organization BIOS, as well as a founding member and president of the European Network of Creative Hubs.
He is an acclaimed graphic designer and urban planner whose work explores the impact, boundaries, and intersections of culture and creativity within the urban environment. As an expert in the cultural and creative sectors, innovation, and social cohesion, he is actively engaged in policy development and advocacy for these fields.
He is also a frequent keynote speaker at international conferences and has received numerous awards and distinctions for his work in graphic design.