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Alexandreion Melathron Nick Galis Hall

Palais des Sports
Aerial view of the Trade Fair area. The building down left is Alexandreion.
Full name	Alexandreion Melathron Nick Galis Hall
Former names	Alexandreion Melathron
Location	Thessaloniki, Greece
Coordinates	40°37′36.83″N 22°57′25.99″E / 40.6268972°N 22.9572194°E / 40.6268972; 22.9572194
Public transit	Panepistimio (2020)
Owner	Greek Ministry of Culture, General Secretariat of Sports
Capacity	Basketball: 5,138 (permanent seating) 6,000 (with temporary seating)
Surface	Parquet
Construction
Opened	29 June 1966
Renovated	2004, 2015
Architect	Petros Gianettos, M. Guyon and T. Jeanblock
Tenants
Aris Thessaloniki B.C. (1966–present) PAOK Thessaloniki B.C. (1966–2000)

Alexandreion Melathron, Nick Galis Hall (since 2013) (Greek: Αλεξάνδρειον Μέλαθρον, Σάλα Νίκος Γκάλης, από το 2013) is an indoor sports arena that is located in Thessaloniki, Greece. It is also often referred to as Palais des Sports (Greek: Παλαί ντε Σπορ).

The arena is mainly used to host basketball and volleyball games. The arena's main hall, called Nick Galis Hall, has a permanent seating capacity of 5,138, and a capacity of 6,000 with temporary seating, for basketball games. The arena also contains a practice court, club offices, shops, and a museum dedicated to the Aris basketball club. The arena hosts the home games of Aris Thessaloniki B.C., a member of the Greek League.

Location

The Alexandreion Melathron Nikos Galis Hall indoor arena is located in downtown Thessaloniki, inside the International Trade Fair grounds. Bus lines #2, #7, #8, #10, #14, #27, #31, and #58, running along Egnatia Avenue, stop almost in front of the arena. Ιn 2020, the new metro station, "Panepistimio", which is located near to the arena, will open.

Construction

The arena was designed by the architects P. Gianettos, M. Guyon and T. Jeanblock between 1960 and 1962. It was built in 1966. The structure shares two of the architects with the Palais des Sports de Gerland in Lyon and has many similarities.

The building was redeveloped and updated in 2004, in preparation for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. The updates involved reconstruction of all the building's external and internal areas. Apart from what is directly visible to everybody, other works included new electrical and mechanical updates, air-conditioning, and audiovisual facilities. New seats, CCTV, and new lighting were also installed.

These updates resulted in a lower permanent seating capacity (5,138 compared to the previous 6,000) for Alexandreion Arena, which reopened its gates in late 2004. The arena was again updated in 2015.

History

The arena was named after Alexander the Great, the king (basileus) of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia. It is also commonly referred to as the "Palais des Sports" (meaning "Sports Palace", in French). Under its former names, the arena was the first large indoor basketball arena built in Greece, and remained the largest until the year 1985, when the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Athens, was completed and opened to the public.

Being part of the Thessaloniki International Fair, the arena also serves for many purposes other than sports.

On May 8, 2013, at an event honoring the legendary former Aris' and the Greek National Team's player, Nikos Galis, the Deputy Minister of Culture of Greece, Giannis Ioannidis, announced that the main hall of the arena was to be renamed to "Nick Galis Hall".

Ownership

The arena is owned and operated by the Greek Ministry of Culture's General Secretariat of Sports.

Gallery

See also

• List of indoor arenas in Greece

References

1. "Capacity 5.138 seats". Archived from the original on 2017-07-02. Retrieved 2017-06-18.
2. «Διαμαντίδης ΟΕ ΟΕ ΟΕ» από 6.000 κόσμο στο Nick Galis Hall! (vid) (in Greek).
3. Antetokounbros: Next stop, Athens!
4. "Capacity 5.138 seats". Archived from the original on 2017-07-02. Retrieved 2017-06-18.
5. «Διαμαντίδης ΟΕ ΟΕ ΟΕ» από 6.000 κόσμο στο Nick Galis Hall! (vid) (in Greek).
6. Antetokounbros: Next stop, Athens!
7. Το νέο "Nick Galis Hall" σε κιτρινόμαυρο φόντο (in Greek).
8. Ekathimerini.com Nick Galis: A night to remember.

External links

• Official site, now obsolete - Archived on 2011/12/19
• Alexandrio Melathron @ Stadia.gr

v t e Venues of the 2004 Summer Olympics (Athens)
OACA	Athens Olympic Aquatic Centre Athens Olympic Tennis Centre (The Main Court) Athens Olympic Velodrome Nikos Galis Olympic Indoor Hall Olympic Stadium
HOC	Fencing Hall Hellinikon Indoor Arena Olympic Baseball Centre Olympic Canoe/Kayak Slalom Centre Olympic Hockey Centre Olympic Softball Stadium
Faliro	Faliro Olympic Beach Volleyball Centre Faliro Sports Pavilion Arena Peace and Friendship Stadium
GOC	Goudi Olympic Hall Olympic Modern Pentathlon Centre
MOC	Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre Markopoulo Olympic Shooting Centre
Football venues	Kaftanzoglio Stadium (Thessaloniki) Karaiskakis Stadium (Athens) Pampeloponnisiako Stadium (Patras) Pankritio Stadium (Heraklion) Panthessaliko Stadium (Volos)
Other venues	Agios Kosmas Olympic Sailing Centre Ano Liosia Olympic Hall Galatsi Olympic Hall Kotzia Square Marathon (city) Nikaia Olympic Weightlifting Hall Panathenaic Stadium Parnitha Olympic Mountain Bike Venue Peristeri Olympic Boxing Hall Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre Stadium at Olympia Vouliagmeni Olympic Centre

v t e Landmarks of Thessaloniki
Macedonian period	Agios Athanasios tombs
Roman period	Arch of Galerius and Rotunda Las Incantadas Navarinou Square Roman Forum Palace of Galerius Catacombs of Thessaloniki
Paleochristian and Byzantine	UNESCO Byzantine Bath Church of the Acheiropoietos Church of the Holy Apostles Church of Hosios David Church of Panagia Chalkeon Church of Saint Catherine Church of Saint Nicholas Orphanos Church of Saint Panteleimon Church of the Saviour Church of Prophet Elijah Heptapyrgion Hagios Demetrios Hagia Sophia Vlatades Monastery Walls of Thessaloniki
Ottoman period	Alaca Imaret Mosque Bey Hamam Church of Saint Gregory Palamas Immaculate Conception Cathedral Government House Lazarist Monastery White Tower of Thessaloniki Yahudi Hamam Yeni Mosque
Modern period	Agias Sofias Square Alexandreio Melathron Aristotelous Square Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Kaftanzoglio Stadium Ladadika Stoa Modiano Thessaloniki railway station National Theatre of Northern Greece OTE Tower Port of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki Concert Hall
Jewish sites	Monastir Synagogue Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki Allatini Mills Eleftherias Square Holocaust Museum of Greece Stoa Hirsch
Streets	Egnatia Street Nikis Avenue Tsimiski Street Vasilissis Olgas Avenue
Villas/Mansions	Villa Allatini Villa Bianca Villa Mehmet Kapanci Villa A. Kapanci Villa Modiano Villa Mordoch Villa Petridi Gategno-Florentin Mansion Longos Mansion Moskof Mansion Stein Mansion Palataki State Conservatory of Thessaloniki Centre for Byzantine Research
Gardens/Parks	Seih Sou Nea Paralia Pedion tou Areos Pasha's Gardens [el]
Marinas	Marina Aretsou
Other	Labbatoir Ano Poli Stoa Malakopi Mikra British Cemetery Church of Taxiarches
Museums	Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki Atatürk Museum Museum of Byzantine Culture Cinema Museum French Museum of Zeitenlik Museum for the Macedonian Struggle NOESIS Macedonian Museum of Modern Art Museum of Photography State Museum of Modern Art Teloglion Foundation of Art War Museum
Events	Thessaloniki International Film Festival Thessaloniki International Fair Thessaloniki International Book Fair

• Aris Thessaloniki
• Aris B.C.
• Basketball venues in Greece
• Buildings and structures completed in 1966
• Indoor arenas in Greece
• Modernist architecture in Greece
• Sports venues in Thessaloniki
• Volleyball venues in Greece
• 1966 establishments in Greece
• Badminton venues