The country’s first “green” Museum at Plato’s Academy

The designs for the new Museum of the City of Athens at Plato’s Academy, selected following an open Architectural Competition, were officially presented today during an event attended by the Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni and the Mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis. The Plato’s Academy Museum will be the country’s first “green” Museum, fully integrated -in perfect harmony- with the life of one of the City’s most emblematic neighbourhoods. 

The City of Athens announced the architectural competition last August through Athens Anaplasis S.A., in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Sports. The new museum will be able to host thousands of unique finds from the excavations carried out by the Athens Ephorate of Antiquities in various areas of Athens during the previous decades, as well as finds from the Metro excavations, some of which remain in containers. Unique objects will “come to the limelight”, finding a place in the ideal conditions of a modern Museum. The team that qualified, receiving the first prize, was the team of the Architect – Engineer, Georgios Tsolakis. The main criteria considered for evaluating the proposals were the architectural approach, the program and the functional requirements, the technical approach, the public outdoor environment and the location of operations in the context of Bioclimatic Design and Sustainable Development. 

The new Museum aspires to become a pole of culture, green and recreation, highlighting the timeless metropolitan role of Athens.

It is part of a pioneering project at Plato’s Academy, which includes archaeological excavations to reveal an invaluable part of our history, the creation of a park of the future based on a new bioclimatic design, and a modern, green Museum in the City.

 The redevelopment of the archaeological site and the greater area will contribute to upgrading the quality of life of its inhabitants, creating a pole of attraction in the west part of Athens, exceeding the limits of the neighbourhood per se.

Plato’s Academy was considered a suitable place for constructing the Museum, as a place of spiritual radiance, in which, since the 1930s, extensive expropriations have been carried out by the architect Panagiotis Aristophron and the Greek State (Ministries of Culture and Environment).

The aim is for the new Museum and the greater area to become an international centre for scientific, artistic and cultural activities, highlighting the timeless metropolitan role of Athens from antiquity to the present day.

 The building specifications – Less coverage: 14,362 sqm instead of 30,000 sqm – Zero environmental footprint

 The building will be bioclimatic and of zero environmental footprint while offering unhindered access to people with disabilities.

To reduce any environmental nuisance, the City of Athens, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, asked the tenderers to apply stricter standards than those set by the relevant Government Gazette while ensuring all the needs of the Museum will be fully covered.

The building that will house the Archaeological Museum of the City of Athens will extend to 14,362 sq.m. (including 700 sq.m. for the International Audience of Academies) instead of the 30,000 sq.m. provided by the standard building regulations in the relevant Government Gazette (reduced square meters by more than 50%).

The maximum allowable site coverage is 20% lower than the one provided in the relevant Government Gazette (50% instead of 70%), and the building height will be 10.5 m, reduced by 7.5 m. In addition, the parking area that will cover a total of 2,600 sq.m. will be underground.

An open theatre of 500 seats will also be constructed in the area, while the Museum will also house the “International Audience of Academies” buildings.

In the context of promoting Plato’s Academy by the City of Athens, a park meeting sustainability standards will be created.

 Sixteen architectural proposals 

Of the 16 valid proposals submitted, the first three won monetary prizes, while two received praise. The members of the jury included Messrs. Panagiotis Tournikiotis (Architect Engineer, Professor at NTUA, President of the Committee), Morpho Papanikolaou (Architect-Engineer), Penelope Kougianou (Architect-Engineer), Nelly Marda (Architect – Engineer, Professor Emeritus at NTUA) and Alexandros Glendis (Civil Engineer, Representative of the Organizing Authority). During the competition, 153 interested parties were asked for information.

Exhibition at the City of Athens Cultural Center “Melina”

Until Sunday, March 19, the City of Athens Cultural Center “Melina”, all 16 architectural proposals that participated in the competition are presented in an exhibition open to the public. 

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