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Renovation of the Zinovia building March 8, 2007

Meet the architect behind the stunning renovation of the Zinovia building in central Nicosia, now the home of the British Council

Walking around the two pedestrianised main streets of Nicosia’s old town, Ledra and Onasagorou, is always a revelation. Ledra Street in particular always has something going on, from street artists to new restaurants and cafes popping up every few months. What saddens the onlooker though is the state of some of the buildings.

Once beautiful architectural gems are fading away amid neglect and indifference. In some cases, derelict skeletons of houses are on the brink of collapse. The ornate, limestone, brick facades of terraced buildings stand testament to their glorious past. Once the hubbub of Nicosia’s elite, the area is now the refuge of low-paid workers from East Europe or Asia. Locals inhabiting the area are scarce.

Onasagorou, on the other hand, always came second best but a newly-renovated architectural gem a few metres away, in Aristotelous Street, will no doubt will create a buzz of activity. The British Council has recently moved into the Zinovia building, that once housed a halloumi, Cyprus traditional, cheese factory.

As Sir David Green, Director General of the British Council said, the Council’s investment in this new centre provides “a strong demonstration of our commitment to our work in Cyprus”. Surely, if an organisation of their calibre dares to move to the old part of Nicosia after spending 32 years on Museum Street it must be a sound decision and a good enough reason for more businesses to follow suit, giving the area a much-needed boost.

“Taking up the task of restoring a historical monument or building is always awe-inspiring. The extent of the responsibility is nothing compared to building a house from scratch,” said architect in charge of the renovation, Andreas Nicolaou. “The challenge of removing layers and layers of plaster to reach the original mud bricks and, in this particular case, demolishing additional structures that intervened with the design is so fulfilling. Looking at its progress, overcoming building or administrative problems and finally concluding the work is pure joy.”

The building takes its name from its previous owner, in the business of making halloumi, although it was first used as an inn during the late 17th century. According to the architect, the inn must have covered a much larger area but over the years many alterations and adjustments were made, resulting in today’s smaller version.

The property was bought 20 years ago by its current owners, in a derelict condition. Over the years it fell further into disrepair as it remained uninhabited. Walls started falling down and by the time the roof collapsed speed and efficiency were needed to save the building.

“Fortunately, by that time, we had the approved plans for the restoration of the building. My first concern was to find out the original design of the building and as there weren’t photographs or any form of archives my discoveries were made on site. Deciding which features to include as part of the building’s history was equally important,” Nicolaou said.

And history has been included in the new look with large pots traditionally used to make halloumi visible on the ground floor. To feed the wood fire, there were small openings visible from the courtyard. Also in the paved courtyard, three limestone, sculpted columns supporting the ceiling exhibit the original cobbled floor of the inn at their base.

During renovation, the decaying wooden logs were substituted, reinforcement and support was implemented where needed and a metal fire escape staircase was added in the courtyard. As a listed house, nothing could be altered or modernised. “The third stage of planning was the technological upgrading of the building, making it contemporary and user friendly without altering its traditional image,” Nicolaou said.

The most striking feature of the building has to be the part marble, part wood staircase leading to the upper floor. “The stairs are a later addition. Once the inn ceased to exist, the building was turned into a wealthy man’s house and one of the three arches that was part of the original design was built in to accommodate the stairs leading to the additional upper floor,” he added.

The high-ceilinged room, divided by the impressive arches and featuring the stairs, now houses the reception and public areas of the British Council. Glass walls offer clear views of the courtyard. According to the British Council, the building “combines tradition, culture and innovation in a contemporary, customer-friendly environment”.

Nicolaou’s love for culture and historical monuments stretches back to his years spent as a student in Italy. He is currently researching Medieval Fountains in Arsos, Limassol but is also putting together a book of photographs on old Limassol titled The History of the Town Through its People and its Buildings. And Nicolaou is keen that these buildings do not remain as merely part of history but are kept.

“The state has a moral duty to stand by those business people that take the risk of investing hundreds of thousands of pounds trying to save old historical buildings. By doing so, automatically the inner city of the capital is upgraded bringing in revenue and reviving the area,” he said.