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Technopolis History
of Gazi
The Athenian factory of the French Gas Company was founded in
1857, the time when the industrial revolution began to emerge
in the newly established Greek State, which was merely three decades
old.
A
decree granted Fragiskos Feraldis the right to found and develop
the gas factory for the lighting of the city. The site chosen
was on the main road to Piraeus. In the plans drawn up by Kleanthes
and Schaubert in 1833 (the original city plan) this site was to
have been the location of Kekrops Square while, in the 1834 plan,
prepared by von Klentze, it was designed to host the Royal Palaces.
Later development in the wider area around the gasworks led to
Pireos Street becoming one of the capital city's main industrial
areas.
The
factory's construction and operation followed four phases:
- 1862-1887: the first buildings were created (gas rooms for storage,
chimneys, a cleaning room, water deposits, store-rooms
and the
director's residence) and machines, such as distillation
ovens, were
put in place.
-
1887-1920: the need for use of gas was expanding. Besides public
lighting of streets, homes and
industries were added to gas users. At the same time, the
factory expanded in view of the
Olympic Games in 1896. A new chimney was constructed and
a line of ovens, two gas-rooms as
well as buildings for use by workers (lockers room, baths,
barbershop etc.) were added which
gave the place its current form and shape.
-
1920-1952: German technology was introduced for quality
improvement of the gas, a new production unit was added
and a third
chimney was constructed. At the same time pioneering
technology
for water-gas production was introduced. Upon expiry of
the contract
of the French company, the factory was ceded (1938) to
the
Municipality of Athens and became the Public Gas Enterprise
of
Athens (DEFA).
-
1952-1984: despite the city's reconstruction, in the ' 60s, the
factory fell into disuse, as the type
of energy produced in it was considered obsolete. In 1983
gas production from coal was
discontinued and the network was connected to the Greek
Refineries of Aspropirgos. One year
later the factory's operation was completely suspended
partly because of the pollution produced
but mainly due to its location in the center of Athens,
near the Acropolis.
Today,
the Gazi site is a living museum of industrial archaeology and
architecture as well as a source of inspiration for various branches
of science and art.