The New Acropolis Museum

Unique aesthetics. Extraordinary architecture. Famous masterpieces of a glorious era. The new Acropolis Museum is the latest jewel of the city of Athens and one of the highest-profile cultural projects in Europe in this decade. It sits under the shadow of the sacred rock and the ever blue Attica sky, enjoying the magical view of the Parthenon.

The Museum that opened its doors to the public on June 2009 cost about 200 million dollars. This impressive concrete and glass facility of 226.000 square feet was designed by Swiss born and New York based architect Bernard Tschumi, in collaboration with the Greek architect Michael Fotiadis.
The two creators stated: “The challenges of designing the New Acropolis Museum began with the responsibility of housing the most dramatic sculptures of Greek antiquity. This collection of objects shaped the program even before a site was chosen.”

The Museum’s interior bedazzles the eye of the beholder. The sculptures are meticulously placed in such a way, giving the impression that they are floating. Tschumi’s design was after all based on three concepts: light, movement and tectonic, as well as programmatic element. The collections, which include more than 4.000 objects, are exhibited on three levels. In the first level, visitors will get the chance to see all the findings from the slopes of the Acropolis.

The most observing will notice that the floor is sloping, resembling to the ascension of the rock. The other level hosts the archaic findings, as well as the artifacts found in the other Acropolis buildings, like the Temple of Nike, the Propylaea and Erechtheion. Finally, the Parthenon Hall is entirely surrounded by glass, allowing the natural light to illumine the immortal masterpieces.

The Museum’s location was carefully chosen. The building lies in the historical neighborhood of Makriyianni and on top of the ruins of a part of the Roman and early Byzantine Athens. During the pre-construction phase, the archeologists discovered these ruins, while excavating an area of over 43.000 square feet. All these remains were preserved and integrated into the design of the building. This is why the floors inside and outside, are transparent, so that the excavations below can be visible, thus enriching the visitor’s experience.

Except from the exhibition halls, the Museum features a 200-seat auditorium, a café on the ground floor overlooking the archeological excavation and the Acropolis, a store and, on the second floor, a restaurant, with a 700 square meter public terrace. The state-of-the-art auditorium hosts seminars, workshops, lectures and presentations. It should also be noted that brief informational presentations are organized every Friday, Saturday and Sunday by the Museum’s archeologists-hosts, who are there daily to answer any questions about the exhibits in display.

The Museum is located in the area of Makriyianni, in downtown Athens, only minutes away from Syntagma Square, and it’s easily accessible by metro (Station: Acropolis), bus (Lines 24, 40, 126, 134, 227, 230, Α2, Α3, Α4, Β2, Β3, Β4 and Ε2) and trolley (Lines 1, 5, 15). Please bear in mind that parking is extremely limited in this area, thus you are strongly advised to use public transportation. The Museum is open daily, except Mondays, from 8am to 8pm and the entrance costs 5 euro.

The main entrance of the Museum is located in the beautiful pedestrian Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, which is the center of the city’s unified downtown archeological sites network. Visitors will immensely enjoy the walk towards Thisio, Plaka and Monastiraki, which form the historical center of Athens. The area boasts numerous restaurants, traditional taverns, cozy bars, coffee shops, stores with souvenirs, summer theaters, galleries and cultural centers. So benefit from the renowned Athenian weather, with the clear blue skies and the amazing sunshine, visit this extraordinary Museum, have lunch or sip your macchiato near the ancient monuments. Can’t get any better than this!

Restoration of Caryatids Open to the Public

The Acropolis Museum has started a program for the restoration of the Caryatids from the Erechtheum. The operations include laser tools to clean Caryatids from pollution and other damaging factors. (athens press agency)
The process will take place within the gallery and it will be open to the public, offering visitors a first-hand experience of such important procedure.

Acropolis Museum to stay open until 10:00 p.m

Every Friday, starting from 28th of January, the Acropolis Museum will stay open until 10:00 p.m. so the visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy the grandeur of one of the most important ancient monuments of Athens.

For details about Hours and Ticketing, visit the official website