Restoration Study and Re-use of the Listed ‘Olympios Tower’ and Its Accompanying Buildings in Ano Lechonia, Western Pelion, Magnesia Prefecture, Greece

This project concerns the restoration of the listed monument known as the ‘Olympios Tower’ and its accompanying buildings at Ano Lechonia, a lowland fertile village in Magnesia Prefecture in Greece. The original core of the Tower dates back to the 17th -18th centuries and consists of an almost rectangular plan of 6,91 × 7,05 m, with a fortified base. In 1860, there was an addition made to the Tower’s north face, thereby creating a final L-shape plan and causing major alterations to the original building. Next to the Tower, there are two, two-storey accompanying buildings with auxiliary uses related to the storage and pre-industrial processing of agricultural products. The complex has suffered from lack of repair and maintenance and needs immediate restoration in order to be saved as a noteworthy architectural ensemble. The purpose of this study is the restoration and re-use of the ‘Olympios Tower’ complex in order for it to be re-used and maintained as a traditional guest house and restaurant with emphasis on local gastronomy and wine tasting. The restoration is based on respect for authenticity with an interdisciplinary approach. This paper aims to present not only the structural interventions, but also the challenges that derive from such a re-use, where the experts involved are consulted, on the one hand, to design all necessary interventions with care by minimising the impact on the original canvas, while, on the other hand, adding another layer to the complex that is contemporary and yet corresponds to its values.