New Olympic games Museum of Athens

  • TypeCompetition
  • LocationAthens, Greece
  • Size3000m²
  • Year2012
  • StatusShortlisted

Reconstructing the Athenian Landscape
The project site is situated in a palimpsest of the Athenian history, like an unfolding of different periods of the city. Important landmarks such as the temple of Zeus,the Zappion and the Acropolis, surrounded by a fluid urban tissue, create its surroundings.

Description

The landscape has an interesting relief: Ardittos hill, a habitat of Mediterranean flora, creates a landscape background with a steep slope.

The historical river of Athens, Ilissos, covered by the highway in the post-war period, flows silently under the territory, with rich historical and cultural references waiting to be revealed.
In a dense city like Athens,with little public space and chaotic urban form, preserving landscape integrity and continuity is a significant urban design parameter.
Less built volume and more public space
Instead of a volume-oriented approach, we choose space-oriented approach. An urban terrace for Athens is much more necessary than a spectacular architectural volume. The space needed for the museum can be provided under the ground level, allowing thus to create a significant public space area on ground level.
Apart from providing exhibition surfaces and developing a strong cultural presence, the Olympic museum of Athens needs to be a symbol of what the city needs: a sustainable future.