Ta Nea: University of Athens gives School of Philosophy Facilities a Major Makeover

‘Eight months away from the School of Philosophy and then you see this…’ Those are the words that appear on a TikTok video as, to the sound of mysterious music, a young woman wanders through a building, looking around as though she can hardly believe what she is seeing. The woman is Vicky, and the video, filmed during her visit to the newly refurbished toilets at the School of Philosophy on the Zografou Campus, has attracted around 13,000 likes and more than 200 comments in just three days.

Most of the comments refer to the poor condition of the facilities in the past. ‘When I was there, I simply DARED NOT use the toilets on the fourth floor… I would either go to a higher floor or cross over to the library… that’s how bad they were’, one user wrote. Others were so surprised by the transformation that they insisted the footage must have been generated by AI. ‘It was completely spontaneous’, says Vicky – Vicky Seremetaki, a student in the Department of Theatre Studies at the University of Athens and an actress who has just graduated from the drama school where she was studying at the same time.

‘I went to the School to sit an exam, went into the toilets and, when I saw what they looked like, I got my camera out and filmed it.’ She had no idea the video would attract so much attention. ‘I just posted it on a whim, and suddenly I saw so many people commenting on it.’ Even most of her friends, who are also fellow students, could hardly believe it when she sent it to them. ‘They said, “No way. What is this?”’

The refurbished toilets at the University of Athens’ School of Philosophy are part of a major programme to renovate shared facilities across the Zografou Campus, funded with €1.5 million from the Ministry of Education. The programme falls within the University’s wider plans to improve its infrastructure and is being rolled out gradually across all three Schools at the Zografou Campus.

Work has already been completed at the School of Theology and is under way at the School of Philosophy and the School of Science. The renovation of the Pharmacy Department’s toilet facilities has been completed, with work in the other Departments to follow.

Alongside the full refurbishment of shared spaces, the programme also includes the creation of accessible toilets for people with disabilities, helping improve access to university buildings and facilities.

‘Modern and functional’

The Zografou Campus comprises some 400,000 square metres of buildings, many of them more than 50 years old and presenting a range of challenges. Around 30,000 students use the campus every day.

The programme goes beyond upgrading the toilet facilities. A new, modern café at the School of Science, for example, has already been completed and is now open to staff and students.

‘Improving our facilities is an ongoing effort and lies at the heart of our commitment to looking after everyone at the University’, Professor Gerasimos Siasos, Rector of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, told Ta Nea. ‘We are particularly pleased that another major project is being completed across the Schools, step by step, making a real difference to the daily lives of thousands of students and members of staff.

‘We know that the scale and age of our facilities mean that there are significant needs and challenges to address. However, with a clear plan and the €130 million donation from Alpha Bank, Eurobank, the National Bank of Greece and Piraeus Bank, improvements will be carried out across the University.

‘Our goal is clear: by 2030, all University of Athens facilities will be modern, functional, safe and accessible to everyone.’

Read the original story at https://www.tanea.gr/print/2026/09/08/greece/riziki-anakainisi/