The history of cinemas also helps to understand the evolution of Athens. “ideal”, “Astor”, “City” and many others reflect the great demand for halls during the period 1920-1950, a demand that spawned business plans in a continuous frenzy of erection, expansion, renovation and demolition. The arrival of silent cinema in Athens at the beginning of the 20th century was also accompanied by the challenge of finding a home and introducing technology. New specialties were born along with new profitable investments.

“Attikon” was born as the crown of silent cinema, like many other cinemas. In 1913, the now forgotten and short-lived Pallada was built as an independent cinema building at 28 Stadiou Street, where in 1923 Megaro Efesiou was built in its place, where (shortly after the war) Astor and its bookstore were located. Kaufman”. Now forgotten are the stadium cinemas that the Athenians loved, Splendit and Esperos.

The symbolic crown of the cleansing and dehydration of the city is the impossibility of reopening Attikon and Apollo.

“Orpheus” was, perhaps, the most popular cinema of the Stadium and its building resembles the building of “Ideal”. Both cinemas were built in the interwar period on the expanses of mansions designed by Ziller. “Orpheus” in the new Arsakeo and “Ideal” in the Schliemann-Mel Palace. On the site of Orpheus, the Stand of the Book was born, when then (1988) historical cinema, although famous for its luxury and the emotional attitude that the Athenians had towards it, was declared demolished, a decision that leaned in favor of architectural purism. Then there was a request to restore the new Arsakey in its original form without additions.

The same is true of the “Ideal”, which was originally built (circa 1922) according to the design of the theatrical entrepreneur Lasanis in the courtyard of the palace of Andromache Slimane-Mel. Since then, cinema has changed hands, survived disasters (such as the fires of 1933 and 1990), has been masterfully photographed by Dimitris Charisiadis, and has become associated with the mythology of Athenian youth. But the fact is that many famous cinemas (Attikon, Orpheus, Ideal) were built in courtyards or open neoclassical mansions.

The modern mobilization to save the Ideal and the Astor perhaps stems from the sense of emptiness that has engendered the center of Athens for decades. The symbolic crown of the cleansing and draining of the city is the impossibility of reopening Attikon and Apollo, which we seem to have forgotten, although they were victims of extreme hatred for the city. Along with contemporary literature on cinemas as places of cohesive memory and urban experience, it is necessary to rethink our relationship with cinema in conversation with the city as the theater of society. The desert at night in the stadium does not attract the public. The phenomenon is multifactorial with many parameters.