The auditoria used to host Athens Festival events form part of a much larger building complex which occupies the entire city block and once housed the Sanitas Factory. In 1999, another area of the complex was used to host an Athens Festival event, the audio-visual piece Monsters of Grace by Philip Glass and Bob Wilson. Most of the building complex was constructed in the early 20th century, and it stands as an excellent example of industrial architecture. The buildings are stone-built with tiled, wooden pitched roofs whose trusses are left visible on the inside. The entire complex was handed over to the actress Irini Pappa for the creation of a Centre for the Performing Arts at the site, which was named The Athens Scholeion (School). The aim is to establish an exemplary drama school for specialist studies in the theatrical arts at the site and, at the same time, to open up areas suitable for performances and other cultural events. Funds for the project have so far been received from Irini Pappa herself, and from the Greek Ministry of Public Works. Plans for the redesign and modification of the site have been drawn up by the architect Manos Perrakis. The oldest and most interesting part of the complex, a group of stone buildings set around an idyllic open space filled with trees and covering an area of 1,620 square metres, is already well on the way to full restoration. The events of the Athens Festival are staged in two areas of The Scholeion: in the large Main Stage, an indoor ancient-style, semi-circular theatre that can seat 350, and in a smaller 200-seat rectangular auditorium set nearby.
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