Thessaloniki, September 7, 2026
PRESS RELEASE
Kyverneio (The Governor’s Mansion) Revives: The restoration progress and a new perspective for Thessaloniki’s historic landmark
HPPC presented the progress of the former Governor’s Mansion restoration – The goal is to also host meetings of the Committees of the Hellenic Parliament
The steps taken over the last two years and the planning to restore and transform the iconic former Governor’s Mansion into a vibrant, open meeting place for residents and visitors of Thessaloniki and Kalamaria were presented today by the Public Properties Company (HPPC), a subsidiary of the Growth Fund, at the MOMUS – Museum of Contemporary Art, within the framework of the 90th TIF.
At the event, which was held under the auspices of the Hellenic Parliament, the President of the Hellenic Parliament, Mr. Nikitas Kaklamanis, delivered a greeting. He defined the goal of the cooperation for Kyverneio-also known as “Palataki”-which began in June 2024 between HPPC, the Growth Fund, and the Hellenic Parliament, as “transforming a space that remained closed for years into an open, public landmark of culture, historical memory, knowledge and democratic dialogue.” As he emphasized, this synergy holds special significance for the Parliament “because we want Kyverneio to become a stable point of presence for the Parliament in Thessaloniki and more broadly in Northern Greece.”
In this context, Mr. Kaklamanis announced that meetings of the parliamentary committees will be able to take place at Kyverneio, creating a vibrant core of parliamentarism in Thessaloniki. Furthermore, the goal is to develop activities of the Hellenic Parliament at Kyverneio, such as exhibitions, educational programs, conferences, and general cultural and scientific events. These will highlight parliamentary history and the significant, yet often unknown, cultural heritage preserved by the Parliament Library.
HPPC’s CEO, Ms. Iro Hadjigeorgiou, gave an overview of the achievements over the past two years, while praising the cooperation with the Hellenic Parliament. At the same time, she presented the plan for creating a sustainable and multifunctional destination, open to society and connected to the life of Thessaloniki and Kalamaria. “This is a project of challenges, which we are overcoming day by day to reach the final phase, the restoration works, and ultimately, operation,” Ms. Hadjigeorgiou emphasized. She highlighted that the necessary technical and operational studies have progressed, the master plan and building program have been completed, and in August 2026, the second stage of studies—the Preliminary Design—was delivered. Regarding the next day for the iconic landmark, it includes cultural activities, events, business meetings, exhibitions, musical events, workshops and short-term co-working spaces, both in the indoor and outdoor areas of Kyverneio. In her speech, the CEO of HPPC described the strategic approach for the utilization of the Governor’s Mansion, which was based on international examples of restoration and adaptive reuse of iconic buildings, an organized dialogue with institutions, professionals, and representatives of culture and tourism to explore future uses, as well as the evaluation of alternative operational scenarios, aiming for economic sustainability, flexibility and spatial diversity.
The event was honored by the presence of the Deputy Minister of Macedonia-Thrace, Mr. Kostas Gioulekas, who noted that: “Here in Thessaloniki, we both deserve a lot and need a lot. And finally, things are happening. Just as we are glad about other projects that until now were elusive dreams and utopias for us, we are glad that now, in a short time, we will have-among everything else-this very important, symbolically and substantially, historic building of Thessaloniki, Palataki. We in Thessaloniki accept this gift with great joy, although we truly believed that this gift should have been given to us years ago. So, the time has come for it to become a reality, and we are particularly glad that we can now speak through actions and not just words.”
On his part, the Deputy Minister of Development, Mr. Stavros Kalafatis, noted regarding the former Governor’s Mansion: “Apart from being a development project, it is also deeply innovative; a unique landmark that encompasses many concepts—parliamentarism, democracy, culture, collective memory-but at the same time, it has a future. Besides being a space for culture, a meeting place for people of spirit and beyond and a showcase for the uniqueness of Thessaloniki, it is also a very original and innovative way of decentralization from Athens. We are very proud that, in addition to everything happening in Thessaloniki-which we are transforming into a modern, extroverted hub of growth-this important mosaic piece is being added.”
The Mayor of Kalamaria, Ms. Chrysa Arapoglou, underlined: “First of all, we are-and I am personally-very satisfied that Palataki is finally starting to have an institutional and technical answer and we can be almost certain that it will be saved. I believe it is very important that the Parliament, the most reliable institutional interlocutor in the country right now, is involved in this whole process of construction, repair, maintenance, and management. Palataki is the only listed building of iconic architecture in the entire Thermaic Gulf. The Municipality of Kalamaria must be continuously present.”
The President and CEO of Samaras & Partners Group, Mr. Dimitris Samaras, noted: “We are working with a sense of responsibility toward a project that serves as a symbol of the city. I would like to thank HPPC for the trust they have shown in us by assigning such an important project, as well as for the cooperation. The challenge for us as designers lies in the reactivation of the Governor’s Mansion. The restoration of Kyverneio is not merely a technical intervention. It is an essential reconnection of Thessaloniki with its historical memory. We do not view this project as just another piece of work, but with a deep sense of responsibility and passion. We are giving and will continue to give our best so that Palataki can become a landmark.”
On her part, the Deputy Head of the General Directorate of Electronic Administration, Library, and Publications, Ms. Maria Kamilaki, emphasized: “The Parliament Library, through its archival, book and broader cultural assets can supply both analogue and digital content for a wide range of outreach activities, such as exhibitions, educational programs, book clubs, conferences, themed tours and more. Our goal is to share the treasures of the Parliament Library with diverse audiences in Thessaloniki and more broadly, in Macedonia, always in cooperation with the institutional partners of the Hellenic Parliament.”
The restoration project of the former Governor’s Mansion is currently at the Preliminary Design stage. This will be followed by the final design, the detailed implementation study and the tender documents. The completion of the studies and the launch of the tender are projected for the third quarter of 2027, with the restoration works scheduled to begin in 2028. For the preparation of the building’s restoration studies and its future operation, HPPC collaborated with the Thessaloniki Convention Bureau, Beetroot Design Studio, Deloitte Business Solutions, The Visitor Attraction Company, GEOANALYSIS S.A., CHARIS P. LAMARIS AND PARTNERS P.C., MARNET S.A. and Cushman & Wakefield Proprius.
