Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, Municipality of Kallithea, Attica*

TERNA undertook the construction of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center spans in a 170.000sqm Park, and comprises of the National Library of Greece (NLG), the Greek National Opera (GNO), a Car Park station of approximately 1.000 lots and 3 auxiliary use buildings: the Canal Building, the Park Building and the Park Maintenance Building.

The building of the National Library of Greece combines traditional with technological innovation. Its design ensures that the National Library will respond effectively to the ever-changing needs and challenges of the digital age. Modernized climate control and preservation and digitization facilities will ensure that the Library's significant rare manuscript collection will be available for future generations of scholars.

The new building of the Greek National Opera is a multi-use venue capable of hosting a variety of performances and events. Its stages can accommodate opera productions, musicals, concerts, theater performances, ballets, and multimedia art programs. The Greek National Opera shall utilise new wireless technologies to present productions via the Internet to other Greek cities, as well as employ the Stavros Niarchos Park as an outdoor theater for selected video-link and also outdoors live performances.

A Hill, a Canal and an Esplande were also constructed in the surrounding area of the Park, while approximately 3.000 trees and bushes were planted.

The Greek National Opera and the National Library are detached, forming a large atrium between them – the Agora. An energy canopy of 10.000sqm is placed on top of the rooftop of the Greek National Opera. The canopy, an engineering and construction wonder, soars 14 m above the summit and extends outward from its perimeter. Coupled with other environmentally innovative designs and practices, the project achieved LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification at Platinum level in November 2016, the first such designation in Greece and the first for a project of this scale in Europe.

The project was completed withi 38 months.

* In joint venture

photo credits: SNF/Yiorgis Yerolymbos