Mansion Exarchus (1922)

The Exarchus Mansion, located at 3 Mitropoleos Street and 3 Tagm. Fouledaki 6-8, was built in the period 1922-1923.
Christos Exarchos bought this plot of land in 1922, from three Muslims, who were leaving the city due to the population exchange.
The shop on the ground floor housed the Singer sewing machine dealership. The house hosted the Kings of Greece George II, Paul and Constantine, the last King of Greece. For some time after the war it housed the Boys’ Youth Centre.
It is a representative example of eclecticism as applied to the urban architecture of Florina in the inter-war period.
The facades of the building appear flat with level joints in the plaster, interrupted by the vertical zones of the openings. The two facades are arranged on the building line of the corner plot. On the sloping section of the corner building, a ground floor shop is organized. The main entrance is on Mitropoleos Street. The base of the building is made of limestone, while the crown is formed with a flat frieze. Characteristic is the triangular configuration of the gable of the central projection towards the courtyard, which refers to the early Athenian classicism, while in general the morphological cladding of the facades is an example of eclectic architecture with rich references to French classicism.
Today it houses the Museum and the Gallery of Contemporary Art.

TEXT SOURCE: 1) http://history.eled.uowm.gr
2) http://listedmonuments.culture.gr
SOURCE OF PHOTOS: Christos Tegos