Sarogleio Megaron (Mansion)

The history of the Sarogleio Mansion is very interesting and proves the strange games of chance. The Sarogleio megaron (mansion), located at the intersection of Vasilissis Sofias and Rigillis Streets, is a "neo-baroque" building of the 1920s, designed by the well-known architect Alexandros Nikoloudis (French School of Fine Arts, 1928-1932), with the structural design by the engineer Achilleas Karras and the project supervision by the architect - engineer Gaston Zillier. In 1912, Nikoloudis had won a competition to design the Palace of Justice on the site of the former artillery barracks. A decade later, on the same site, Nikoloudis was commissioned to design and build the neo-Baroque mansion of Sarogleio, following the posthumous donation of artillery officer Petros Saroglou. In 1932, this imposing and impressive building housed the Athens Guard Officers Club and today it houses the Armed Forces Officers Club. In 1992 the exterior of the building was renovated by the Hellenic Navy General Staff ("HNGS"), while in 1999 it suffered serious damage as a result of the great earthquake of September 7 in Athens. It took 5 years for its restoration and radical renovation. In 2004, it reopened its doors and continued to operate as an officers' club. Saroglos, an art lover, bequeathed to the Armed Forces Officers Club a series of 86 paintings by great Greek and foreign painters such as Lytras, Gyzis, Prosalentis, etc. It also houses a valuable collection of weapons that adorn the museum and various areas of the club. In addition to the museum, the Sarogleio Mansion includes conference rooms, events and entertainment venues, a library, a reading room, a restaurant, a cafe, a pastry shop and a barber shop for active and retired officers of the Armed Forces.