Restoration of Leros' Windmills
There are six Wind Mills standing today on the top of the hill beside the Leros Castle, which were restored and rehabilitated by Domon-architects and Habit, in the years 2000 to 2001, with EU funds. They were featured in the opening ceremony video for the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
They were initially nine, and they are dated back to the 17th century (the oldest) and up to the 19th century (the newest). The two of the three missing today were destroyed due to the construction of the peripheral road leading to the castle, but you can still see the foundations of the third one on the top of the hill, above the last restored one. Initially Domon made the architectural plans and the financial plan for the project. It was then approved from the EU and we then started working in the year 2000. One of these mills (the upper one) is dedicated as a living museum of an old mill: it is restored exactly as it was then, with a functional (still working) mechanism. The others are arranged as multi-functional spaces, exhibition spaces and the lower one is converted into a café with a magnificent view. Below you can see the whole process of the restoration and the final result.