Listed Acropole Palace building, a former hotel near the heart of Athens, is expected to operate as a cultural centre at the end of 2015, Culture Ministry secretary general Lina Mendoni said on Thursday during the meeting of the Central Council for Modern Monuments.

The building with Art Nouveau elements was constructed by architect Sotiris Magiasis in 1925-1928 and is on the corner of Patission and Averoff streets. Its restoration has been financed with National Stategic Reference Framework (NSRF) funds.

“The project is underway and it proceeding at a good and fast pace,” Mendoni said.

The Acropole Palace building will host cultural events and not public services, as it was originally planned, since this was not provided for by the European funding programmes.

The project, with a 14.2 million euro budget, was tendered in April of 2013, while its completion date has been set for May 29, 2015.