Athens, Greece
David Chipperfield Architects with Greek firm Tombazis & Associates has won the international competition to design the renovation and expansion of The National Archaeological Museum of Athens, the largest archaeological museum in Greece originally designed by Ludwig Lange, Ernst Ziller, and Panagis Kalkos in 1889.
The original neoclassical building was built at the end of the nineteenth century and grew from a humble collection of finds from excavations in the immediate region to housing and showcasing a vast archive of Greek archaeological findings.
With over 11,000 exhibits to date, over 20,000 items in its collection, and hundreds of thousands of annual visitors each year, the museum was poised for an expansion.
The winning design by Chipperfield Architects and Greek firm Tombazis & Associates features an expansion of the front plaza of the museum.
The proposal includes a renovation of the museum, a subterranean extension, and a connection to the historic building.
The project proposes new exhibition spaces to be housed beneath the plaza, in an extension that presents a new facade to the street, including a grand stair leading up to the historic building.
The museum is set back from 28th Oktovriou Avenue, a busy street that leads into the center of Athens.
Revealing hints of architectural language taken from the original building’s neoclassical forms, the proposal presents something more contemporary.
A synthesis of old and new, David Chipperfield’s Berlin office returns to familiar territory, after numerous encounters with Berlin’s Museum Island, its neoclassical buildings, and the notable renovation of the Neues Museum.
With the world-renowned office’s portfolio and expertise, one can expect sensitivity to museum challenges, viability, and environmental aspects, all requirements of the jury for this project.
Tombazis & Associates is also not new to such projects, having worked on the Archeological Museum of Delphi.
The competition included such names as SANAA, Herzog & de Meuron, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Adjaye Associates, OMA, Ateliers Jean Nouvel, and Kengo Kuma and Associates, but David Chipperfield Architect’s design prevailed.
The seven-member jury included the Cultural Minister, archaeologists and historians, lawyers and engineers, and architects J. Meejin Yoon and Andreas Kourkoulas and funding was provided by the Nikolaos and Irini Lemos family.
The project is intended to contribute substantially to the regeneration of the wider area of Athens outside of the historic center.
The client asked for “an extroverted museum that is outward looking, in dialogue with society, with a dynamic look toward the future,” as the Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, herself an archeologist by training, put it.
As she continues, the proposal also “contributes to the regeneration of the center of the city” as a “unique and people-centered landmark.”
Project: Renovation of the National Archaeological Museum
Architects: David Chipperfield Architects
Associate Architects: Alexandros N. Tombazis and Associates Architects SA
Original Architects: Ludwig Lange, Ernst Ziller, and Panagis Kalkos (1889)
Client: Private
Image: Filippo Bolognese Images
