It was built in 1925 at the east coast of the city by Menelaos Sakellariou, an experienced chemical engineer who made the first effort to substitute the similarly imported products from other countries. Iris’ fifteen building facilities covered many units of land area. Nowadays, only three of them are still standing causing mixed feeling to the residents. Melancholy, nostalgia bad or good memories expressed especially from the workers. The picture of dereliction come into focus through the standing building remains. The factory closed in1970. Since then, subsidized housing has built in the bigger part of the factory land.
However, the most impressive building, which can be seen from every point around the area, is the factory’s immense size chimney. Its cyclic- conical shape, its 35 meters’ height and its big metallic sign with the brand name “IRIS”, placed on the upper part of the chimney, constitutes its main characteristics. Today, only the last three letters from the sign “IRIS” are standing, revealing the decay that time causes.
Generally speaking, it constitutes a strong remembrance of a past always present as its height makes it visible from every single corner of Eleusina! It is not an exaggeration to say that, it could have characterized as a modern monument, symbolizes both personal and collective memories expresses by the residents and the oldest workers!
Looking so grand, you think that is about to smoke again!
