The Centre
The Cultural Contre of Northern Greece, founded in January 1989 by the National Bank of Greece, was intended to enhance the cultural life of Northern Greece. The Centre features various cultural events such as exhibitions, lectures and film presentations, often in close cooperation with varlous other cultural institutions of Thessaloniki. The Cultural Centre is housed in the historic building of 108, Queen Olga street.

The Surrounding Area
Up until the last quarter of the 19th century, Thessaloniki was a walled city. After, however, a gradual tearing down of the wall on the east and the sea side, the city exponded mainly eastward, where luxury villas sprong up along Queen Olga street. After the devastating fire of 1890, however, the eastward expansion was stepped up and thus the so-called “Exohon” quarter was formed.

The Construction of the Building
Among the villas built of the time was the building where the Cultural Centre is presently housed. It was built about 100 years ago for a rich family of bankers. The Kapantzis family, as they were called, had been living in the city for a long time and can be traced back to the late 18th century when they figured rather prominently in the social life of Thessaloniki.
The Kapantzis villa was lavishly built and construction costs ran over 40.000 pounds, indeed a mythical figure of that time.

The History of the Building
In 1912, after the liberation of Thessaloniki, the villa served as a residence for Prince Nicholas, the first Military Commander of the city. Five years later, in 1917, it experienced some of its most glorious moments, as it played host to Prime Minister E. Venizelos, then head of a Provisional (revolutionary) government, seated in Thessaloniki, during one of the most critical periods in the history of Greece.
From 1918 to 1922 the mansion was the residence of the Kapantzis and the Cohen familles, and, following the 1922 disaster in Asia Minor, a number of refugee familles subsequently sought accommodation there.
In 1928 the building was acquired by the National Bank of Greece and was used as the headquarters of the American Foundation, which carried out major reclamation works in Central Macedonia.
ln 1938 the 5th Boys High School was housed there until 1972, except for the Second World War period. Thousands of Thessalonians have actually lived in the Kapantzis villa as students of one of the most prestiglous high schools of Thessaloniki.
In 1940 the building was requisitioned by the Army and was used as a military bakery but, during the German occupation of 1941-1944, it was requisitioned by the German authorities. After the liberation it was used as British Army headquarters until the summer of 1945, when it was used again as a high school until 1972.

The Restoration of the Building
In 1972 the building was finally abandoned, as it had gone without major repairs for a long time. It was then that the National Bank of Greece, in response to public demand and the city authorities, docided to restore and allow it to be used for the promotion of cultural causes.
The restoration process was an arduous task that lasted from 1982 ta 1988. The aim was both to minimize the number of changes that might alter the original character of the Kapantzis villa and ta preserve its characteristic features; both goals were achieved to a satisfactory degree.

The Architecture of the Building
The Kapantzis Villa was built on what used to be a one-acre sea-side plot, with its west side being visible from the sea only. It basically consists of two attached structures, the main residence building and the tower. The main building is 16.50 m wide, 19.00 m long and 18.00 m high. It comprises three levels (a semi-basement, an elevated ground floor and a top floor) and an attic. The tower is a four-storey 4.40 m wide and 6.60 m long building and the part above ground up ta the elevated ground floor is open.
The Central European influence on the building's architecture is quite evident. Its essentiel features include the complexity of its shape, a multi-level roof with steep slopes and a high rectangular tower. Worth mentionne also are the painted cellings, the wooden doors and the elaborately decorated interior staircase.
During the 20s and 30s the Exohon quarter went through a thorough change and the luxury mansions were used for a varlety of purposes, Later, following WW2, most mansions were demolished and blocks of flots sprang up in their place. Few of them have survived, among them the Cultural Centre which, with its rich history, hos become one of the most important recent landmarks in Thessaloniki, providing a vivid picture of the old Exohon quarter, as well as a reminder of the city's recent history.