Pikionis’ Historic School in Athens Crumbles: A Monument Abandoned to Decay
Athens, Greece – In the heart of Athens, a significant architectural landmark, the 14th Primary School and Kindergarten, designed by the eminent architect Dimitris Pikionis, is slowly but surely succumbing to decay. This building, conceived in the early 1930s, is not just another educational facility; it is an internationally recognized example of Greek modernism. Yet, despite its undeniable historical value and protected status as a “Historic Preserved Monument” by the Ministry of Culture, the school complex is trapped between its glorious past and a present marked by a shocking lack of comprehensive maintenance and intervention.
The current reality for the school community, nestled at the foot of Lycabettus Hill, stands in stark contrast to its architectural significance. Students and teachers are forced to operate in an environment that, according to their testimonies, poses significant dangers. Years of neglect have led to severe structural problems, including material erosion, extensive moisture ingress, and dilapidated infrastructure, painting a grim picture of decline. Repeated incidents threatening children’s safety underscore the urgent need for immediate restoration, so this monumental school can cease to be a “living” problem and reclaim its role as a safe and exemplary learning space.
“Now we are truly worried”
“It’s a crying shame what’s happening. This is a long-standing situation that, in the end, I don’t know if it will ever be resolved. It seems to be both a blessing and a curse to be a school, an architectural monument, as we supposedly should protect and care for it more, and it’s paradoxical that it has been left to its fate,” states Ms. Daphne Sinani, president of the Parents and Guardians Association of the 14th Primary School and Kindergarten of Athens – Dimitris Pikionis, to tanea.gr. She adds, “The chronic neglect and lack of maintenance, while awaiting total restoration, have now reached a level that cannot be addressed with patchwork solutions. There is indeed a danger, and it genuinely concerns us.”
The building complex, which hosts 250 children, is described as a “very lively space” by Ms. Sinani, with events, activities, and visits from former students. “It’s a school that ‘leaves its mark’ on you, and it could be a real gem,” she emphasizes.
However, the reality is entirely different. The building’s restoration has been on the discussion table for approximately 10 years, according to Ms. Sinani. In their latest letter, sent just yesterday to the Municipality of Athens, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, and other authorities, the Parents and Guardians Association explicitly states: “The school operates daily under dangerous conditions that can no longer be considered either ‘isolated incidents’ or ‘technical difficulties.’ This is a continuous and absolutely documented state of neglect, of which the Municipality of Athens has been fully aware for years.”
Falling Windows and Plaster: A Chronicle of Neglect
As highlighted in the letter, on March 13, an iron-framed window with glass fell during class hours. The incident was reported to the Municipality of Athens, a request was registered on the municipal platform, and repairs were carried out by a team dispatched by technical services. “However, the exact same window collapsed again between May 1 and May 3. This time, there were no children in the classroom, only because the school was closed due to a holiday. Once again, the absence of injuries is solely due to circumstantial reasons.”
The major “complaint” of the Parents’ Association and the school principal, as Ms. Sinani notes, is that to this day, they have not received any written response, any technical report, or any information regarding the actions the Municipality of Athens intends to take. “On the contrary, we continue to see plaster falling, windows collapsing, dampness spreading, and makeshift ‘repairs’ failing within a few weeks.”
“Instead of protecting the school, they let it rot”
Ms. Sinani stresses that fragmented “firefighting” measures are no longer sufficient. “This situation concerns all municipal authorities that have passed through in the last 10 years. Today, we are at a standstill, waiting. This is a school that periodically hosts students from Germany participating in Erasmus programs, who come to see it. What they encounter, however, is a ruin. Maintenance in this building cannot be done under the same terms as one built 20 years ago. It has completely different needs. A thoughtful approach is required. For example, they fixed the insulation in the summer, and with the first heavy rains in winter, three classrooms flooded from the insulated roof. So obviously something is wrong.”
When asked about the biggest problems at the school right now, Ms. Sinani pointed out that “a major wound and a great source of stress for us are the window frames, the fact that they are falling. We have very large windows with iron frames from that era. If they fall on a child, they will surely die. My daughter, for example, returned home with a cut on her hand, simply by touching the classroom window, likely due to the corroded frames, while at the same time, we have no air conditioning. Also, there is a big issue regarding dampness, which is probably explained by the makeshift interventions. At the same time, the schoolyards are in terrible condition with potholes, stones, and cut trees, and certainly, the kindergarten does not meet the standards.”
“It shouldn’t be normal for a child to need stitches with every minor fall. However, students have essentially learned that this is their school. I repeat, what is happening is very illogical as it is a protected architectural monument in an area where tourism is booming, and they are letting it collapse. Now, we are truly worried, as instead of protecting it, they are letting it rot.”
A Litany of Incidents: Documented Dangers
The latest letter from the Parents’ Association meticulously records the incidents that have occurred in recent years:
- 2015: A large section of plaster fell from a classroom ceiling, injuring a student.
- 2019: An iron-framed window with glass fell during teaching hours, with students present. The avoidance of injury was solely due to luck. The same year, plaster fell from a student toilet ceiling, fortunately during the Easter holidays, again by chance.
- 2020 – present, recurring incidents:
- Falling sections from cornices.
- Intense dampness, mold, and damage to classroom walls.
- Flooding and drainage problems.
- Damage to schoolyards, stairs, and railings.
- Falling trees within the school grounds.
- Children’s injuries in the schoolyard due to unsuitable ground.
- Vandalism, outside school operating hours, exacerbating the danger.
- Current school year:
- In December 2025, a classroom was deemed unsuitable for a month due to extensive dampness and mold on its ceiling.
- In February 2026, wall plaster fell in a classroom due to dampness.
Furthermore, it is noted that from 2019 to the present, repeated written reports and requests for repairs have been made by both the school’s Directorate and the Teachers’ Association, as well as the Parents’ Association, to the Municipality of Athens and the relevant services, and to the Ministry of Education. “The standard response we receive is that ‘overall restoration is imminent,’ without, however, providing clear timelines or taking substantial interim protective measures.”
The “Frozen” Study: A Decade of Delays
The same letter highlights that in March 2018, the school was included in a 55 million euro investment loan from the European Investment Bank for Athens’ urban development. A Municipal Council decision allocated a budget of 2,500,000 euros for its restoration.
“The study was frozen and restarted several times until the Municipality of Athens submitted to the Directorate for the Protection and Restoration of Modern and Contemporary Monuments of the Ministry of Culture the study ‘Restoration of the 14th Primary School & Kindergarten of Athens, “DIMITRIS PIKIONIS,” Architectural Layout, Static Reinforcement, and Energy Upgrade.’ This study was approved by the ministry in 2021 to be included in a funding program and to implement the restoration and energy upgrade works of the monument it included. The project ‘Renovation of the Listed Building at 70 Sina Street (14th Primary School of Athens)’ appears in the approved Technical Programs of the Municipality of Athens, with a budget of 2,500,000 euros, every year, from 2019 to 2025. Nevertheless, to date, the necessary modifications to the initial study have not been implemented, nor is there an official and binding implementation schedule. The result is an approved project remaining inactive for years, while the school’s condition deteriorates,” the letter states, among other things.
The continued deterioration of such a significant cultural and educational institution raises serious questions about accountability, bureaucratic inertia, and the prioritization of public safety and heritage preservation in Athens. The children attending the 14th Primary School deserve a safe and inspiring learning environment, not a crumbling monument.
Source: https://www.tanea.gr/2026/05/06/greece/to-istoriko-sxoleio-tou-pikioni-rimazei-stin-kardia-tis-athinas-sovades-kai-parathyra-peftoun-eikones-egkataleipsis/
