Located on a site of 50,000 m2 commanding breathtaking views of the entire Athens basin and the surrounding mountains to the sea, this complex comprises an art museum, a residence, a chapel and a number of auxiliary spaces along with meticulously landscaped grounds.
The museum has been designed as a complex sequence of galleries suited for art works ranging from the early nineteenth century to date: paintings, engravings, photographs, sculpture, installations in various media, including furniture, arranged in historic and thematic sequence. The museum holds important Greek and international works, a collection of contemporary Chinese art of world importance.
A sculpture garden complements the indoors galleries.
Despite the public character of the program, the building had to comply with regulations imposing a limited maximum height. The required ambiance and classical allusion, therefore, had to be generated by a complex handling of proportion that include use of the Golden Section and a series of 'regulatory traces' that also informed all open air spaces.
Furthermore, a few double height spaces and split level arrangements have been introduced so as to achieve spatial diversity.
A number of authentic architectural elements such as the 19th century glass cupola of the central rotunda and a series of specially designed marble floors and other details have been introduced to enhance the educational and visual potential of space.
Open air galleries and relaxation spots are interwoven with covered areas, pergolas, alleys and diversely landscaped-spaces, also focusing on the magnificent vistas and the grand central pool.
