Industrial Gas Museum in Athens Celebrates First Anniversary

On Sunday, The Industrial Gas Museum celebrated its one year anniversary in an event held at the Athens Technopolis.The museum opened in Athens on January 27 2013, nearly 30 years after the gas industry shut down. The gas industry was founded in 1857 to provide light in public spaces in Athens. It was the first energy plant in Greece; by the end of the 19th century the network gas had been expanded to provide gas to industries and households. The plant’s administration came under the jurisdiction of the city of Athens in 1938, with the Athens Municipality Gas Company officially founded in 1952. The plant provided the Athenians with energy for 130 years before going out of operation permanently in 1984. A few years after the premises shut down, the Ministry of Culture designated a historical monument to the plant, with the prospect of turning it into a museum and recreation area. The gas plant provides characteristic examples of technological and industrial architecture of the 19th century, given that most of the buildings and the facilities, including much of the machinery, remain intact. The repair and restoration of the buildings and the design of the open areas were completed in 2004. By 1999, the Athens Municipality had opened the premises under the name “Technopolis” (art city) for the hosting of cultural and other events. The institution, the first industrial museum in Athens is open to the public daily, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (source: ana-mpa)

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