by Heather Livingston
Contributing Editor

How do you . . . transform an abandoned car park into a world-class cultural center nestled inside a lush city park with a piazza and canal?

Summary: In January, the Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) released their design for the National Library of Greece and the Greek National Opera, both set within what will become the Stavros Niarchos Park. The project will be the first public-private endeavor of its kind with the Greek State.

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LINKS

For more information on the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center visit the Web site.

About The Stavros Niarchos Foundation
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation, an international philanthropic organization, underwrites charitable activities in four primary areas: education, social welfare, health and medicine, and arts and culture. The Foundation supports selective programs and makes grants to nonprofit organizations throughout the world, many of which promote, maintain, and preserve Greek heritage and culture. Since its inception in 1996, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation has provided total grant commitments of $US 361,254,582 to more than 1,500 nonprofit organizations in Greece and abroad, in more than 86 nations around the world.

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AIA BOOKSTORE

On Tour with Renzo Piano, by Renzo Piano, Hon. FAIA (Phaidon Press, 2004).

PICTURES

All images courtesy Renzo Piano Building Workshop.

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According to Principal Giorgio Bianchi, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, named for the deceased shipping tycoon, will fund the planning, construction, and furnishing of the facility and the Greek State will provide the land. The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) will break ground pending completion of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Greek State. Once completed in 2015, the project will be turned over to the Greek State as a gift to the people.

“This Center is a milestone for our country,” remarked Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis. “The design is truly astonishing. In a wonderful manner, it combines high aesthetics with functionality and consideration for the environment. I am certain that its impact will extend beyond our national boundaries.”

Turning an eyesore into an asset
Located in Kallithea (which means “beautiful view”) in the Faliron Delta of Athens, SNFCC will be erected on lands that served as a parking lot for the 2004 Olympics. In addition to the cultural buildings that will be erected, the 450 million euro project will create a 165,000-square-meter park in the city, providing both exposure to the arts and rare urban access to green space.

A key attribute to the design of the landscape is the connection to the sea that has played such an important role in Greece’s history and culture. Although the Aegean Sea is only a short distance away, there is no view to it from the site at present. To draw in the sea’s sense of light, limitless opportunity, and exploration, a canal will run parallel to an existing esplanade. Within the border of SNFCC, the canal will provide visitors a place for family gatherings, activity, and relaxation, while also fulfilling a need for flood-protection.

“The water is not close to the edge of the city anymore, so the idea is that we reintroduce the water by making this canal which is almost 600 meters long and 30 meters wide,” explains Bianchi. “This canal is connected visually with the water of the sea, which is really close but is not visible anymore. Creating this is to give back to the city this idea of a destination with a bella vista, or beautiful view, from Kallithea.”

An icon with zero emissions
In creating a lasting gift for the city, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation felt that it was important to consider sustainability. As such, RPBW is aiming to create an emissions-neutral facility. A pivotal design element will be the innovative 10,000-square-meter energy canopy composed of a series of interconnected photovoltaic cell panels, which will cover the structure’s needs on a regular operating day. Bianchi notes that the facility will need to tap into the city grid when events are held, but otherwise will operate entirely on solar energy. The two facilities, totaling about 50,000 square meters, will also feature green roofs that slope downward to the park, thus serving as both roof and landscape.

Natural ventilation will be used to the greatest possible extent. While certain areas in the opera house and library will require chilled air and humidity control for public comfort and manuscript preservation, the common areas and parking garage will be naturally ventilated to take advantage of the breezes blowing from the sea. A geothermal heat exchange system will be used to heat and cool the facility. Finally, native drought-resistant plants and trees will be used throughout the park to help improve the air quality of the microclimate.

“We were extremely honored by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation’s invitation to play a role in such a generous gift to Greece,” noted Renzo Piano, Hon. FAIA. “The Cultural Center’s proximity to water and the natural warm breezes and light of Athens were particularly inspiring during the design process. It was immediately clear that we must take advantage of all these elements to ultimately design a zero emissions building that expresses movement and energy.”