The municipal council is in search of ways to utilize the old town hall of Nicosia, after the completion of the construction works of the new municipal building. This is the neoclassical building on the Davila bastion that now dominates Eleftherias Square, and which since 1944 housed the headquarters of the municipal authority. The prospect of giving the old town hall to a private investor, an idea that had been on the table before the process of relocating the municipality to the new building was completed, met with strong reactions from the Nicosia Pedestrian Association. The Association had also sent a letter on this issue to the parliamentary Audit Committee requesting the intervention of Parliament. Although the idea of giving it to a private investor has not been completely abandoned yet, nevertheless the scales seem to be tilting in the direction of creation in the space that previously housed the municipal building of the capital Municipal Culture Center. That is, to use the neoclassical building for events, exhibitions, but also for holding civil weddings. As we are informed, the final decision on the future of the building will be made once the maintenance and restoration works that are currently underway are completed.
the projects
According to official information of the Municipality of Nicosia, the reconstruction of the building is done in two phases. The first concerned the static upgrade of the building, ie the implementation of interventions to increase its seismic capacity. The works of the project started in May 2021, with the total cost amounting to 290,000 euros, plus VAT. The second phase that will follow, concerns internal interventions and improvements of the existing infrastructure and facilities. Within the next few days, the project will be announced, which, from the start day, is estimated to have been completed in about nine months. The cost of the second phase is estimated at 850,000 euros, plus VAT.
“Luna Park”
The Nicosia City Hall building was originally built in 1930, with only three rooms for use, as a family cabaret under the name “Amusement Park”, which, however, had a lifespan of only five years. Then the building housed the offices of the football team of Nicosia APOEL, until 1944, when it became the center of power of the capital. In 1951 it was decided to renovate and expand the building, at a cost of £ 51,000 – a very high amount for the time – and the mayor moved his office there in 1952. During the renovation, the architecture of the building changed from colonial to neoclassical. It should be mentioned here that, after a relevant competition, the then Metaxa Square was renamed Eleftherias Square after the Turkish invasion of 1974. The neoclassical town hall building is supported by fine Ionian columns. In the same area there are gardens, parking and to the west are the buildings of the post office, the Cyprus Library and the municipal traffic wardens.
