Throughout history those who achieved great things did so in times of crises, despair and misfortune. This especially rings true for many of Greece’s benefactors who made their fortunes abroad only to return to do their country great service in times of need. Some of Greece’s more prominent benefactors include Andreas Syngros, a Greek banker who financed the Evangelismos Hospital in Athens when Greece was recovering from centuries of Ottoman rule. Another example is the Athens Polytechnic which was built by Nicholas Stournaras shortly after the War of Independence. Perhaps the largest and most important gift was the reconstruction of the ancient marble Panathenaic Stadium by George Averof, an Alexandrian businessman from Metsovo that made possible the Olympic games of 1896.
Moving forward a century, the country’s most recent, large-scale, philanthropic endeavour is the new Cultural Center in Palaio Faliro, Southern Athens, which is fully financed by the Stavros Niarchos (1909-1996) Foundation. Named the Stavros Niarchos Cultural Center (SNCC), this civic project’s groundbreaking architecture, designed by Renzo Piano, is being developed on an area of approximately 240,000 square meters, and consists of a. the New Greek National Opera, b. the National Library of Greece and c. the Stavros Niarchos Park which alone covers a space of 170.000 square meters. The foundation has donated a whopping 584.000.000 € to design and build this monumental project which will be handed to the Greek State next year. Without a doubt, once completed, the SNCC will be a landmark of international prestige.
This month we speak to Mr. Ioannis Ventourakis (IV) from BetaPlan Architects, and Renzo Piano’s Executive Architect, who tells us how a very large plot of public land is being converted into a multifunctional arts, education and entertainment complex that aims to create new institutional foundations in the Greek capital at a time when the country is seeking to rebuild its reputation.
IV: The SNCC is a colossal donation from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation to Greek society. The space belongs to the Greek state and after completion the SNCC will be owned by the Greek State. It consists of entirely new buildings that will house the National Opera and the National Library of Greece in addition to a very large park, the size of the National Garden in Athens.
The objective of the donation is to create a prestigious and high profile cultural attraction which will be fully integrated in its surroundings and will provide services in the fields of culture and science.
First off the Greek National Opera will acquire its own modern building that will host international opera productions which until now was an impossible feat. At the same time, in this modern building of endless possibilities, anyone can imagine the wealth of cultural activities that can take place.
Of course, there is the view that Opera is a luxury spectacle but this is far from reality. We need only think of the National Opera’s endeavours in recent years with indoor and outdoor performances and the significant public response these attracted.
Secondly, for years, there’s been a dire need for a modern building to house the National Library of Greece. The sheer wealth of the Library could only be preserved in a building that highlights its magnitude while making it accessible to researchers and the general public alike.
Especially, the creation of a modern Public Library on the ground floor will host thematic workshops for all ages (I strongly believe in the idea of a dialogue between the Library and the public). The goal is for the notion of “cold academic libraries,” that has entrenched perceptions, to cease to exist.
Finally, the contribution of the Park in the whole complex is obvious. The park, the green roofs on buildings, the large water surface and generally the open spaces of the complex are those very elements that unite the buildings. The park’s aim is to offer simple leisure while visitors take in the calmness of the environment’s natural aromas (1,400 trees and 130,000 bushes have been planted) not to mention the many concerts, outdoor performances and everything else that future administrators will organize.
IV: Firstly, the main objective of the SNCC is to create modern facilities that will host cultural and educational events. You might ask: “Do cultural and educational events hosted in such a grand complex (i.e. Opera, Library, Park) really meet the needs of Greek society today?”
My view is that “yes, they do.”
Debts and austerity may or may not exist. But culture and creation are key to development. In current times, the value of a Cultural Center is that it breaks down social barriers and calls on all members of society to participate in activities that stir interest which inevitably leads to this ultimate purpose: Creation.
Now regarding construction, the objective is to develop an “ecological landmark,” as rightly stated by Renzo Piano and carried out by the architectural team and other expert partners.
We’ve got the creation of a huge park that essentially takes over the buildings. Then there is the unique construction of the entire complex which is pending LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification with platinum distinction. Let’s not forget that renewable energy sources will meet the larger part of the center’s energy needs. These all contribute to the “ecological landmark.”
Certainly the functional and structural integrity of such a complex is self-evident and has been pursued to great lengths.
IV: There were many.
First of all, the proximity to the sea and the poor quality of the soil. The underground water horizon is very high, which made the construction of underground spaces impossible, and other requirements, very difficult.
Then there was the earthquake-proofing of buildings.
It was decided that for ultimate security, all buildings were to be established on seismic isolators. This means that even if there is an earthquake during a performance, the audience will hardly feel it.
Then, there was the integration of electrical and electronic infrastructure in the buildings, which would serve modern technologies over a long period time.
And finally, the construction of a major photovoltaic solar energy canopy measuring 100×100 meters developed in an innovative and pioneering way, the first time ever established in such a large space.
IV: I want to see Greek cities come alive with their people, their every day citizens. I want to see young people pursue sustainable entrepreneurship, more public-private partnerships, that will create an improved quality of life in Greek cities. Cities are not simply built by following specifications; they’re created by the lives that people lead.