Nicosia: The Municipality of Nicosia received on Monday the European Heritage Award ‘Europa Nostra 2025’ for the restoration of the Old Municipal Market, in a ceremony in Brussels, according to an announcement by the Municipality on Tuesday.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the award, in the ‘Conservation and Adaptive Reuse’ category, was received by Mayor of Nicosia, Charalambos Prountzos, together with the project’s architect, George Tsaggarides. The jury noted that this adaptive reuse project transformed a modernist-functionalist market located near the Buffer Zone of Nicosia into a centre of excellence, while preserving its original architectural character. Young professionals played a key role in the restoration.
The jury added that the new AGORA hub has contributed to the revitalisation of a divided city by balancing historical preservation with economic and social sustainability. Upon receiving the award, the Mayor of Nicosia expressed pride in this European distinction, highlighting the city’s commitment to the preservation of cultural heritage and sustainable urban development. Prountzos also mentioned that the new AGORA creative knowledge hub has significantly contributed to the revitalisation of a divided city, balancing between the preservation of historic heritage and social and economic sustainability.
The announcement mentioned that the £5 million project was implemented within the framework of the ‘THALIA 2021-2027’ programme. Located near the Buffer Zone that still divides Nicosia, the Nicosia Old Municipal Market has been reborn as AGORA – a multifunctional civic hub combining heritage conservation, innovation, and inclusion. Designed in 1965 by architect Stavros Economou, the concrete modernist building originally housed a market on the ground floor and municipal offices above. After the city’s division in 1974, a section of the building was functioning as a neglected market while part of it was abandoned.
The recent restoration, led by architect George Tsaggarides for the Nicosia Municipality, was informed by extensive technical research and oral histories. The building now houses CYENS Centre of Excellence, a research and innovation hub supported by local universities and international partners, such as UCL and the Max Planck Institute. The project strengthens bicommunal cooperation, as it hosts Turkish Cypriot researchers and young scientists, and serves as a space for meeting, participation, and creation.