The main venues of the Congress
Glass House
The workshops of the Congress will take place in this unusual building with its colourful glass windows. The building served for many years as a kindergarten for the employees of the Thessaloniki Port Authority. In recent decades, together with other buildings of the first pier of the port, it has been assigned to the public for urban use, mainly as an exhibition venue. The first pier of the port, with the old warehouses and other auxiliary buildings, has today been fully integrated into the urban tissue, as it is located in the centre of the city, and has become a cultural hub, hosting among others the Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, the Experimental Centre for the Arts and events of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. In November 2020, the building's windows were covered with colourful films as part of artist Nikos Rakkas' 'The Glasshouse project' for the 61st Thessaloniki Film Festival, and have remained that way ever since.
Olympion
The Olympion, an iconic building and reference point for the cultural life of Thessaloniki, is located in the city centre, in Aristotelous Square, which was designed by the French architect and urban planner Ernest Hébrard after the 1917 fire that destroyed a very large part of the city. The building was designed in 1950 by the French architect Jacques Mosset. From the very beginning it was used as a venue for film screenings, theatrical performances, musical events, etc. Half a century after its construction, Olympion, declared a listed monument, was redesigned and given to the Thessaloniki Film Festival. The building will host the public conference of the 8th Congress of Young Europeans.
Please be aware of accessibility issues: A significant drawback of the building is the lack of full accessibility, however, work on this will begin in May 2024. The accessibility of public spaces and buildings, despite the progress made in recent decades, remains a major issue for Greece. In case you need any assistance, please let us know.
Agora Modiano
Inextricably linked to Thessaloniki’s recent past, the history of the Modiano Market – or ‘Central Food Market of Thessaloniki’ – spans two centuries, including many important chapters. After the devastating fire in August 1917, engineer Eli Modiano and architect J. Oliphant begin designing the Market. The Modiano Market became the first traditional food market and one of the largest indoor markets in Thessaloniki. Today is designated as a listed building and is also classified as a historic monument by the Ministry of Culture as a typical example of a covered market building. The last workshop of the conference will be held on the first floor of the building.