The Malakopi Arcade

The Malakopi Arcade is located on Chrimatistiriou Square on the corner of 7 Syngrou Street and 2 Vilara Street. It was constructed at the beginning of the 20^th century and housed a branch of the Bank of Thessaloniki. According to Dagkas, the Ottoman bank Selânik Bankasi (Banque de Salonique) was established in 1888 as a joint venture by Österreichische Länderbank of Vienna, Comptoir d’Escompte of Paris and the Fratelli Allatini group of Thessaloniki. The bank had its headquarters in Constantinople and branches in Thessaloniki and other Balkan cities, such as Monastiri (Bitola), Skopje, Drama, Kavala, Xanthi, as well as various urban centres in the Middle East. The Thessaloniki branch remained in operation until 1940.

Later, the building also housed the Bank of Chios, but was reconstructed in the 1950s by its new owners in order to meet the new commercial needs transforming the area. Over the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, the wider area around Chrimatistiriou Square was converted into an important hub for Thessaloniki’s manufacturing sector. As a result, the buildings on and around the square started housing manufacturing units and stores selling textiles and other clothing materials.

However, over the last 20 years, from 2000 to 2021, the building of the Malakopi Arcade has changed use, following the same trajectory as other buildings in this part of Thessaloniki’s historic centre. Many of the buildings on Chrimatistiriou Square have gradually changed use from manufacturing units to entertainment venues, reflecting the crisis that has struck Thessaloniki’s secondary industry. Today, the Malakopi Arcade houses a law firm, a musical instrument workshop, a bridal shop, a textile store, a hairdresser’s and a bar.