Cultural Center Stavros Niarchos in Athens by Renzo Piano

In the seaside district of Kallithea, located four kilometers south of the Acropolis, a significant cultural center has been completed, encompassing both the Greek National Library and the National Opera within a single building. The entire project was funded by a foundation bearing the name of Greek shipowner Stavros Spyros Niarchos, who was also a great philanthropist and art collector.
The project was designed by Genoese native Renzo Piano, who also designed the 170,000 m² park originally used by rowers during the Athens Olympic Games in 2004.
Piano's project revives the direct connection between the city and the Faliro Bay by means of an elevated pedestrian promenade, which was originally separated by a busy eight-lane highway.
The gently sloping park culminates at the southern end of the site on the roof of the cultural center, offering panoramic views of the harbor and the entire city. The roof terrace, located 32 meters above the surrounding ground, is sheltered by a magnificent canopy that rises 14 meters above it. Additionally, a multi-story parking garage is hidden in the artificial slope. Access to the opera and library is through a shared lobby that rises six stories high. The opera features a traditional hall for 450 spectators and an experimental hall with 1,400 seats. The library is not just a place where the institution, founded in 1832, has completely relocated. In addition to 900 reading seats, it also includes a media library, restoration facilities, and educational programs.
The project, which has a volume that is 4.5 times that of the nearby Parthenon, commenced in 2007 with a budget allocation of 566 million euros. The Stavros Niarchos Foundation handed the building over to the Greek state for use in the middle of last year, during a time when other public institutions had to cease their operations due to the financial crisis.

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