University of Patras - The Campus

The Campus

The university campus is 7 km (4.3 mi) east of the city of Patras, in the area of Rio.

It is a self-contained campus at the foot of Mount Panachaiko with a view over the Gulf of Corinth to the mountains of Central Greece across the water.

The university was initially housed in a building in the centre of Patras. Very soon it became clear that there was need for a new campus to meet the demands of a fast growing university. The wooded campus area of about 600 acres (2.4 km2) was selected in 1968 and was appropriated on behalf of the university.

The first buildings of the new university campus were a unit of 20 small ground level pre-fabricated buildings, still housing some academic and administrative offices. In 1972 the construction of buildings "A" and "B" started. Building "A" houses the administrative services, the rectorship, the Senate's Conference Hall, the University's Ceremonial Hall, a teaching amphitheatre and seminar halls. The designing of the campus was entrusted to an internationally known architectural firm.

Following the master plan, 25 buildings were eventually built, and many more are under construction for the housing of most of the departments, along with a new library, a museum of science and technology, a Botanical Garden, a new Student Centre. Within the campus are also found the students' residence hall, the Conference and Cultural Centre, a restaurant, a bank, a bookstore, a stationery, the Publishing House, cafeterias and kiosks. The University Guest Hall is the only building of the University outside the campus. It is located three kilometres west of the campus.

Today, buildings of a total area of Template:210100 have been fully completed and are functioning. New buildings are under construction. The campus has not been completed yet, although the rate of completion is the highest in the country. The total number of lecture halls in the different building units is 115. Within the campus there is also the Regional University Teaching Hospital which functions both as the major regional medical centre and as a teaching facility for the Faculty of Medicine. Concurrently there is a continuous effort to upgrade and improve the landscape within the campus, although extensive infrastructure projects, landscaping and athletic facilities have been completed.

Several other facilities are available on campus including a gymnasium and a swimming pool, a nursery school, a primary and secondary school for the children of faculty and staff, a post office.

In addition to constructing new buildings, new sites at the surroundings have been appropriated on behalf of the University.

There are free car parks located all over the campus. The campus has many open-spaces, green shady areas covered with characteristically Mediterranean olive groves.