Panagis Kalkos was one of the first Greek architects of the modern Greek state. Educated in Munich, he is a representative of a strict neoclassic style in architecture. He built some of the most characteristic neoclassic buildings, both public and private, of Athens, many of which still survive today.

The Varvakeio High School is a public Greek junior high school and high school located in Psychiko. It was founded by Ioannis Varvakis, who donated a big part of his fortune to the state, in order to build a public, fee-less high school. The realization of Varvakis' dream came true after his death as the building was opened in 1860, initially across from the present-day Varvakios Agora. Badly damaged in the civil war, the original Panagis Kalkos-designed building was demolished in 1955 or 1956. The school moved several times before settling on its current location in Psychiko in 1983. Originally all-male, the school became co-ed in 1979.