Financially troubled Athens may not seem like the obvious place for the next big public building opening. Even so, the Greek capital has just seen a grand new cultural complex open its doors for the first time, courtesy of the non-profit Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) and architect Renzo Piano.
The project has been a long time in the making. Located in the southern Athenian district of Kallithea, it includes the National Library of Greece, the Greek National Opera and a 210,000 sq m landscaped park. It was kick-started in the 1990s by the library and opera authorities and the SNF – the philanthropic organisation set up by the eponymous Greek shipping magnate – and commissioned to the Renzo Piano Building Workshop in 2008.
The area is one of the capital’s most densely populated municipalities and this injection of green space is a much-needed addition. Piano’s design also aims to restore the long-lost connection between Kallithea and the sea, through its carefully picked orientation and raised vistas.
The architect's proposal includes an artificial hill on the site’s southernmost tip, under the highest point of which are nestled the two buildings, and on which the large public park unfolds. The two-auditorium opera house and the library are topped by a glass-enclosed multifunctional space called the Lighthouse. A public piazza, called the Agora, links the two main functions together.
Offering great views of the sea (enhanced by the presence of a 30m-wide esplanade running along the site’s main north-south pedestrian axis) the park, designed by Deborah Nevins & Associates, is also packed with eco-friendly elements. These include solar panels, water recycling and flood defence mechanisms; sustainability and a green element for the neighbourhood were both key to the team’s overall approach.
The complex was built using foundation funds, but upon completion it will be donated to the Greek state. The coming weekend will be marked by a series of events, artworks and performances, called 'Metamorphosis: The SNFCC to the World', to celebrate the new Cultural Centre’s first viewing.
Located in the southern Athenian district of Kallithea, it includes the National Library of Greece, the Greek National Opera and a 210,000 sq m landscaped park
The area is one of the capital’s most densely populated municipalities and this injection of green space is a much-needed addition
Offering great views of the sea (enhanced by the presence of a 30m-wide esplanade running along the site’s main north-south pedestrian axis) the park, designed by Deborah Nevins & Associates, is also packed with eco-friendly elements
INFORMATION
'Metamorphosis: The SNFCC to the World' will be on view until 26 June. For more information, visit the SNFCC website and Renzo Piano’s website
Photography: Yiorgis Yerolymbos
ADDRESS
SNFCC Visitors Center
Evripidou & Doiranis Streets
Kallithea, Athens
Greece
-
‘Seriously,’ says Sprüth Magers, art can be funny tooAt Sprüth Magers, London, group show ‘Seriously’ delves into humour in art, from the satirical to the slapstick
-
Zayed National Museum opens as a falcon-winged beacon in Abu DhabiFoster + Partners’ Zayed National Museum opens on the UAE’s 54th anniversary, paying tribute to the country's founder and its ancient, present and evolving future
-
Design Miami announces Dubai collectible design platform in collaboration with AlserkalThe new platform will honour the region’s cultural heritage while highlighting its spirit of innovation
-
Tour an Athens penthouse – its designers’ own ‘house in the sky’This penthouse by Block722 is the architecture studio founders' own home and shows off impeccable detailing and dreamy, airy vibes
-
How Maggie’s is redefining cancer care through gardens designed for healing, soothing and liberatingCancer support charity Maggie’s has worked with some of garden design’s most celebrated figures; as it turns 30 next year, advancing upon its goal of ‘30 centres by 30’, we look at the integral role Maggie’s gardens play in nurturing and supporting its users
-
Explore a refreshed Athens apartment full of quirk and midcentury characterA 1960s Athens apartment is revived by architects Aspassia Mitropapa and Christina Iliopoulou, who elegantly brought its midcentury appeal to the 21st century
-
Honouring visionary landscape architect Kongjian Yu (1963-2025)Kongjian Yu, the renowned landscape architect and founder of Turenscape, has died; we honour the multi-award-winning creative’s life and work
-
‘Landscape architecture is the queen of science’: Emanuele Coccia in conversation with Bas SmetsItalian philosopher Emanuele Coccia meets Belgian landscape architect Bas Smets to discuss nature, cities and ‘biospheric thinking’
-
Explore the landscape of the future with Bas SmetsLandscape architect Bas Smets on the art, philosophy and science of his pioneering approach: ‘a site is not in a state of “being”, but in a constant state of “becoming”’
-
10 landscape architects to know now: the ultimate directoryThe Wallpaper* 2025 Landscape Architects’ Directory spotlights the world's most exciting studios, each one transforming the environment around us with projects that celebrate nature in design
-
Landscape architect Taichi Saito: ‘I hope to create gentle landscapes that allow people’s hearts to feel at ease’We meet Taichi Saito and his 'gentle' landscapes, as the Japanese designer discusses his desire for a 'deep and meaningful' connection between humans and the natural world
