Andreas Syggrou Mansion, Protected building in Athens, Greece.
The Andreas Syggrou Mansion is a building with symmetrical facades and tall windows that displays neoclassical style features. German architect Ernst Ziller designed the structure with balanced proportions and decorative details visible on the exterior walls and throughout the interior.
Banker Andreas Syngros, from Constantinople, settled permanently in Athens in 1871 and bought the plot on the then Odos Kifisias in 1872 for 65,000 drachmas. The neoclassical mansion was built in 1872–1873 to plans by Ernst Ziller, altered at Syngros's own request. Childless, he left everything to his wife Ifigenia Mavrokordatou; by her secret will the building passed to the Greek state on her death in 1921, to house the Foreign Ministry.
The mansion's name recalls Andreas Syngros, the Constantinople-born banker (1830–1899) who had it built as his private residence. His wife Ifigenia Mavrokordatou-Syngrou, his sole heir, left it in a secret will to the Greek state on condition it serve permanently as the Foreign Ministry. The building is now the ministry's headquarters, opposite the north side of Parliament.
The building is located in central Athens and is visible from the street. Since it functions as a government building, visitors can only view the facade and architectural details from outside.
Ernst Ziller was one of the most sought-after architects in Athens during his time and shaped the appearance of many important buildings in the city. His work on this residence shows how European architects led the urban transformation of Athens in the 1800s.
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