Athens Landmark ‘Minion’ Lights Up 25 Years Later

Source: Facebook/MINIONPolykatastima

A historic department store in central Athens, Minion, got a new lease on life this week after being illuminated as part of ongoing works to redevelop the property into a multispace.

Located near Omonia Square, Minion was the first department store in Greece, and for decades an Athens landmark. A fire in the 1980s forced the owners to close the historic building.

Archive photo of Minion, the legendary Greek department store. Source: Facebook/MINIONPolykatastima

Twenty-five years later, real estate developer Dimand is renovating the 18,500m2 building and creating a modern, environmentally-friendly mixed-use space with dining areas, retail stores, offices, and residences set to open in 2024.

The city landmark was illuminated this week with three colors including  orange, the color of the Minion brand, green representing the Greek olive, and white.

“Minion has once again turned its lights on. Athens continues to ‘heal’ old wounds. Minion was one of the biggest,” said outgoing Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis.

Budgeted at 50 million euros, the current project includes the creation of 30 apartments and 5 duplex units, shops and offices.

Demonstrating the importance of the investment, earlier in the summer, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the premises.

“The historic Minion was associated with the rise and decline of the historic center of Athens,” said Mitsotakis, adding that increasing investor interest in the inner-city area will breathe new life into central Athens. The prime minister also underlined the importance of a mixed-use investment for the Greek capital as it will “give life to Athens 24 hours a day”.