Zappeion, Convention center in central Athens, Greece
The Zappeion is a yellow Neoclassical building beside the National Gardens, with a portico of eight white fluted columns and a triangular pediment inscribed ZAPPEION. Its marble-clad peristyle main atrium is surrounded by about 25 rooms, from 97 to 984 square metres.
Theophil Hansen designed the structure between 1874 and 1888 using funds from the Zappas brothers' estate. The rooms hosted fencing competitions during the 1896 Olympic Games.
The name honours Evangelos Zappas, who left his cousin Konstantinos responsible for completing the building after his death, and whose head is said to be walled inside it. Since the 1970s the Zappeion has been the press centre for every Greek general election, where winners and losers give their post-result interviews. The decades-old café "Aigli tou Zappeiou" in the grounds is known to Athenians of all generations.
The building lies between the Temple of Zeus and the Parliament building, within easy walking distance. Several entrances lead to different areas, which open depending on scheduled events.
Evangelos Zappas's head is walled up inside the building, a detail most visitors walk past without knowing. The Athens Radio Station began broadcasting from the premises in 1938, using its studios here and a medium-wave antenna at Liosia, and the National Radio Foundation stayed until 1970.
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