Berlin-based David Chipperfield Architects was selected as the winner of the design competition for the new National Archaeological Museum in Athens. The architect's design scheme was developed in collaboration with Wirtz International, Tombazis & Associate Architects, wh-p ingenieure, Werner Sobek, and Atelier Brückner. The proposal was selected from a shortlist of 10 teams.
The project will modernize and expand the original neoclassical museum designed by Ludwig Lange and Ernst Ziller (1866-1874) with new spaces that follow the existing topography of the site. It will add approximately 20,000 sm of space to the existing museum, as well as a rooftop park that will be open to the public. (More museum design coverage from BD+C.)
According to David Chipperfield Architects, "The plinth of the existing building is extended all the way to the street, providing a new setting for the historic landmark building, while adding two floors of subterranean galleries. ... Respecting the building’s historical value, the extension does not aspire to compete with the existing architecture, but forms a harmonious ensemble of spaces, finding a balance between old and new."
Here is the official statement from David Chipperfield Architects Berlin:
David Chipperfield Architects Berlin have won the competition for the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. The International Evaluation Committee unanimously selected the design from a shortlist of 10. The proposal was presented in the presence of Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The National Archaeological Museum, located in the Exarcheia district of Athens, houses one of the world’s most important collections of prehistoric and ancient art. The original neoclassical building by Ludwig Lange and Ernst Ziller dates from 1866 – 1874 and has been supplemented with additional buildings over time.
Through refurbishment and extension, the National Archaeological Museum of Athens will be modernised to meet today’s standards of quality, openness and sustainability.
![National Archaeological Museum Athens Spaces around the central courtyard © Filippo Bolognese Images](/sites/default/files/inline-images/National%20Archaeological%20Museum%20Athens%20Spaces%20around%20the%20central%20courtyard%20%C2%A9%20Filippo%20Bolognese%20Images.jpg)
David Chipperfield Architects Berlin draws on the essence of Lange’s original design – a romantic Philhellenic idea of an urban landscape, articulated through lush open areas within the dense city grid – taking the monumental building as a starting point and framing it with nature.
The plinth of the existing building is extended all the way to the street, providing a new setting for the historic landmark building, while adding two floors of subterranean galleries. In one gesture, this generates roughly 20,000 m2 of additional space and a lush green park on the roof that is open to all. Respecting the building’s historical value, the extension does not aspire to compete with the existing architecture, but forms a harmonious ensemble of spaces, finding a balance between old and new.
The design’s logic follows the existing topography of the site: an imposing neoclassical building facing a vast green plaza. The extension will contain the museum’s main public functions – ticket desk, shop, restaurant, auditorium and permanent and temporary exhibitions spaces – which are organised symmetrically, acknowledging the historical architecture. The main entrance is brought forward to street level, reinforcing the museum’s relationship with the city. Through a new façade the museum communicates openly with its urban surroundings, offering passers-by views into the new exhibition spaces.
Upon entering the museum, visitors walk through two floors of continuous, flowing exhibition space that leads them to the existing building. A refined architectural language of pure and clear volumes, diagonal views and rammed-earth walls contrasts with the historical spaces. In combination with a precise play of light and shadow, this evokes the feeling of subterranean caverns, forming a sensitive setting for exhibiting artefacts and sculptures from the collection.
RELATED: BD+C's 2022 Museum Giants Rankings
• Top 70 Cultural Facilities Architecture and AE Firms – Museums and Galleries
• Top 40 Cultural Facilities Engineering and EA Firms – Museums and Galleries
• Top 35 Cultural Facilities Contractors and CM Firms – Museums and Galleries
The museum garden provides a cool, quiet public space elevated above the bustling city. It echoes the ancient Greek ideal of a public gathering space for all citizens. The landscape, designed by the Belgian landscape architects Wirtz International, is rich in texture. The volumes on the lower level allow for the planting of monumental trees on the roof.
Lavish gravel spaces and paths, lawns, groups of Umbrella and Aleppo pines with evergreen Holm oaks and tailored shrub massings reference 19th-century parks. The park is accessible from all directions, and a sunken, sheltered inner courtyard at the heart of the complex binds together the old and new, providing an attractive meeting place for museum visitors and Athenians.
The proposal was developed together with Wirtz International, Tombazis & Associate Architects, wh-p ingenieure, Werner Sobek and Atelier Brückner.
![National Archaeological Museum Athens Central courtyard connecting the old and the new © Filippo Bolognese Images](/sites/default/files/inline-images/National%20Archaeological%20Museum%20Athens%20Central%20courtyard%20connecting%20the%20old%20and%20the%20new%20%C2%A9%20Filippo%20Bolognese%20Images.jpg)
![National Archaeological Museum Athens Flowing exhibition space with diagonal views © Filippo Bolognese Images](/sites/default/files/inline-images/National%20Archaeological%20Museum%20Athens%20Flowing%20exhibition%20space%20with%20diagonal%20views%20%C2%A9%20Filippo%20Bolognese%20Images.jpg)
![National Archaeological Museum Athens New entrance to the museum © Filippo Bolognese Images](/sites/default/files/inline-images/National%20Archaeological%20Museum%20Athens%20New%20entrance%20to%20the%20museum%20%C2%A9%20Filippo%20Bolognese%20Images.jpg)
![National Archaeological Museum Athens Neoclassical building sitting in the new park © Filippo Bolognese Images](/sites/default/files/inline-images/National%20Archaeological%20Museum%20Athens%20Neoclassical%20building%20sitting%20in%20the%20new%20park%20%C2%A9%20Filippo%20Bolognese%20Images.jpg)
![Enclosed exhibition space © Filippo Bolognese Images](/sites/default/files/inline-images/National%20Archaeological%20Museum%20Athens%20Enclosed%20exhibition%20space%20%C2%A9%20Filippo%20Bolognese%20Images.jpg)
![National Archaeological Museum Athens Entrance and access to the park © Filippo Bolognese Images](/sites/default/files/inline-images/National%20Archaeological%20Museum%20Athens%20Entrance%20and%20access%20to%20the%20park%20%C2%A9%20Filippo%20Bolognese%20Images.jpg)
![National Archaeological Museum Athens Schematic section David Chipperfield Architects](/sites/default/files/inline-images/National%20Archaeological%20Museum%20Athens%20Schematic%20section%20David%20Chipperfield%20Architects%202.jpg)
![National Archaeological Museum Athens Schematic section David Chipperfield Architects](/sites/default/files/inline-images/National%20Archaeological%20Museum%20Athens%20Schematic%20section%20David%20Chipperfield%20Architects.jpg)
![Schematic lower ground floor plan National Archaeological Museum Athens David Chipperfield Architects](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Schematic%20lower%20ground%20floor%20plan%20National%20Archaeological%20Museum%20Athens%20David%20Chipperfield%20Architects.jpg)
Related Stories
| Jul 19, 2013
Reconstruction Sector Architecture Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Stantec, HOK, HDR top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest reconstruction architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.
| Jul 19, 2013
Renovation, adaptive reuse stay strong, providing fertile ground for growth [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Increasingly, owners recognize that existing buildings represent a considerable resource in embodied energy, which can often be leveraged for lower front-end costs and a faster turnaround than new construction.
| Jul 2, 2013
LEED v4 gets green light, will launch this fall
The U.S. Green Building Council membership has voted to adopt LEED v4, the next update to the world’s premier green building rating system.
| Jul 1, 2013
Report: Global construction market to reach $15 trillion by 2025
A new report released today forecasts the volume of construction output will grow by more than 70% to $15 trillion worldwide by 2025.
| Jun 28, 2013
Building owners cite BIM/VDC as 'most exciting trend' in facilities management, says Mortenson report
A recent survey of more than 60 building owners and facility management professionals by Mortenson Construction shows that BIM/VDC is top of mind among owner professionals.
| Jun 25, 2013
Mirvish, Gehry revise plans for triad of Toronto towers
A trio of mixed-use towers planned for an urban redevelopment project in Toronto has been redesigned by planners David Mirvish and Frank Gehry. The plan was announced last October but has recently been substantially revised.
| Jun 25, 2013
DC commission approves Gehry's redesign for Eisenhower memorial
Frank Gehry's updated for a new Dwight D. Eisenhower memorial in Washington, D.C., has been approved by the Eisenhower Memorial Commission, reports the Washington Post. The commission voted unanimously to approve the $110 million project, which has been gestating for 14 years.
| Jun 5, 2013
USGBC: Free LEED certification for projects in new markets
In an effort to accelerate sustainable development around the world, the U.S. Green Building Council is offering free LEED certification to the first projects to certify in the 112 countries where LEED has yet to take root.
| Jun 3, 2013
Construction spending inches upward in April
The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that construction spending during April 2013 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $860.8 billion, 0.4 percent above the revised March estimate of $857.7 billion.
| May 21, 2013
7 tile trends for 2013: Touch-sensitive glazes, metallic tones among top styles
Tile of Spain consultant and ceramic tile expert Ryan Fasan presented his "What's Trending in Tile" roundup at the Coverings 2013 show in Atlanta earlier this month. Here's an overview of Fasan's emerging tile trends for 2013.