The new Research and Culture Multi-Cultural Center of the Foundation for Technology and Research (FORTH), housed in the historic neoclassical building of FORTH, on Averof & Zografou Streets, in the city center of Heraklion, Crete, will be opened on Monday, February 17, 2026.
The space opens to the public for the first time, following renovation work carried out by FORTH, in order to highlight its value as a “work of art”, as it has been characterized by the Government Gazette 427/B/25-07-1983, following a decision by the then Minister of Culture and Science, Melina Mercouri. It is one of the 82 buildings that have been characterized as preserved modern monuments of the city of Heraklion.
The interventions carried out, with the agreement of the Service of Modern Monuments and Technical Works of Crete and the approval of the Local Council of Monuments of Crete, aimed to preserve the neoclassical character observed in the shell of the building, while adding modern decorative elements to its interior, aiming at the harmonious aesthetic coexistence between the past and the present of the building, which was constructed at the beginning of the 20th century.
The building will be accessible to the public, who will have the opportunity to learn about FORTH’s research work, its history and its contribution to society, from its foundation to the present. A bookstore will operate on the ground floor, which will host the unique quality books of the University of Crete Publications, of scientific and general interest. At the same time, an exhibition space will be created where modern technological achievements will be hosted, while it will also function as a Museum of Technology. On the first floor, there will be a specially designed event space with a capacity of 50 people.
The acquisition of this particular building, which is an architectural and cultural jewel in the city of Heraklion, is of paramount importance to FORTH, which undertook to highlight it as a point of scientific and cultural interaction, aiming to bring citizens closer to the world of research, technology, and science.
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