The demolition of the Nicosia Teachers’ Savings Bank building on Makarios Avenue in Nicosia would be “a blow to the historical development of the city centre” the Cyprus Architects Association said on Wednesday.

The association spoke up in response to reports of the building’s imminent destruction, calling on authorities to “take seriously the preservation of memory and [cultural] identity”.

In their announcement the architects said the Nicosia teachers’ bank building, which was erected in 1968 and designed by architect Pefkios Georgiadis, is an “excellent example of the representation of the modern movement in Cyprus” and “a landmark […] on the international map of Modernism”.

“The building represents an era of creative expression, where the values of the modern movement were adapted to local conditions and the cultural particularities of the place,” the announcement adds.

The building reflects the values and social needs of an era, constituting an integral part of the historical memory and identity of Nicosia, the architects said.

They underscored the vital importance of preserving and highlighting such buildings, saying that in Europe, within the framework of the New European Bauhaus movement, their preservation is promoted.
Repurposing of existing buildings contributes significantly to reducing the environmental burden that comes with demolition and the construction of new structures, the architects’ association argued, thus saving such buildings is part of promoting a sustainable future.

The association said it “condemns any decision to demolish the Nicosia Teachers’ Savings Bank” and urged the state to register and protect all buildings of historical value even if currently unlisted.