New Era for the Kypseli Central Market ‘Agora’ in Athens

The landmark Kypseli Public Market or Kypseli Agora along the Fokionos Negri walkway in central Athens welcomed hundreds of people on Tuesday, during a special event organized by the Municipality of Athens as part of urban regeneration efforts.

The celebrations which included concerts, shop openings and tours, marked the reopening of the historic market which first opened its doors in 1937 and now hopes to serve as a modern center of trade and culture.

Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis inaugurated the market, which has now come under management of the city’s Technopolis, after extensive upgrade works.

The revamped agora hosts nine new shops and workshops two of which are pop-up shops as well as art activities, photography exhibits, educational and book-sharing events, sharing economy exchanges, workshops, concerts and theater performances as well as solidarity initiatives.

Among others, the Kypseli Agora hosts “Voices | Stories | People” – a permanent, interactive exhibition showcasing the market’s history and importance for the local community.

“The Municipal Market returns renewed to Kypseli. We welcome to its renovated space new tenants, professionals who breathe new life into the Athenian landmark which was deeply loved by all. The Agora of Kypseli – this historic building that is almost a century old – is once again a point of reference for Athens, becoming an integral part of the neighborhood and connected to its people,” said Bakoyannis, inviting Athenians and visitors to make the Kypseli Agora their new meeting place.

Aiming to establish the Kypseli Agora into a cultural hub in the heart of the city, the municipality will be organizing events all year round including open markets; book, comic and vinyl exhibitions; awareness-raising activities; educational programs and seminars; theatrical events, parties, and live concerts for all ages.

The market, which operated from 1937 to 2003 was designated as a preserved building in 2005. In 2016, efforts were made to bring the Kypseli market back to life as an art hub. For six weeks, it hosted art activities.

In 2018, then mayor of Athens Giorgos Kaminis inaugurated the market which operated on a social economy model made up by cooperatives, associations, foundations, and social enterprises. In cooperation with the Impact Hub Athens, the Kypseli Market initiative was the first social business enterprise in Greece.

European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Crețu had praised Kaminis “for an important project that will improve the lives of its citizens. It is a project being implemented with EU funding, the small cost of which – about 1 million euros – is inversely proportional to the benefits for the local community and for urban development.”

It should be reminded that Kypseli Square is scheduled to undergo an overhaul to coincide with new metro operations there. The City of Athens invited architects earlier this year to submit proposals for the overhaul of Kypseli, Kolonaki, and Exarchia squares which will be carried out once works on Line 4 of the Athens metro in all three areas are completed.

Admission to the Kypseli Agora is free. Opening hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-8pm and 11am-6pm on Sundays.