Those of us who care about this long-suffering city have welcomed the government’s recent decision to reorganize and expand the Archaeological Museum on Patision Street. The award-winning proposal, the result of a closed (why?) competition, casually and impressively presented to us with a forty-minute video, gives the first impression of the planned “upgrade”. An accurate assessment of the functionality and adequacy of the plans is currently impossible, and there are also no accurate floor plans and building sections. Beautiful perspective color images of electronic simulation (prototypes are no longer offered to us!) convince us of the elegance, lightness and restraint of the architectural addition.

Of course, we do not know – this also needs to be said – other proposals that should soon be divided and put on public display.

So, let’s accept this architectural solution for its spatial and morphological merits. However, it remains to consider its inclusion in the urban space.

Here the first question arises from the proposal to recreate a large and beautiful front garden in the same place, at a higher level, against an artificial background (concrete slab of the new outbuilding)! The meteorological park, cut off from the land of Attica, is alienating, insulting our demand for an authentic natural presence of greenery. It should be noted that the possibilities of planting and growing large trees are limited in an artificial soil substrate with a depth of no more than one meter.

An even more important caveat. The question arises whether the proposed solution preserves the presence of a historical neoclassical building, founded 150 years ago, its visual connection with the surrounding fabric of the city.

The Archaeological Museum is one of the few archetypal buildings and man-made sights of Athens.

The proposed solution hides the monumental façade of the historic building with the addition of a new basement. From the dominant axis of Patision Street, the existing historic building is only partially visible. To be precise: from the eastern sidewalk (in front of the museum building) it is completely hidden by a new outbuilding. From the opposite, western pavement (opposite the Acropolis Hotel), only the upper half of the facade is visible, which is even more inappropriate and offensive than its complete concealment.

Of course, architects have always been tempted to add their own creation to existing iconic buildings or historic urban spaces. We have relevant historical precedents:

Let us recall the beautiful unrealized composition of K. F. Schinkel for the palaces of Otho on the Acropolis plateau. Its stated aim was to ensure that its architecture would not affect the ruins of ancient monuments. However, if the Acropolis were visible from its south side, from below, from the city, it would represent on the first level the long portico of Schinkel’s palace, and behind it only a small part (trigos) of the Parthenon lost to the city. would stand out..

But also – realized – the massive composition of the new Acropolis Museum with its proximity weakens the first public building (1835) of the new city, displacing the historic Weyler military hospital.

The Chipperfield and Tombazi office proposal is characterized by an architectural camaraderie and an arrogance towards these historical standards.

These architects. But Athenian citizens? Are we emotionally connected to the unique sights of our city, do we identify with its history, do we want it to be present? Is the here-and-now trend of a negative-everything mentality prevalent today? Will we bow to the dubious “everything goes” sermon?

After the “upgrade” of the Archaeological Museum, do we want to see in the future extensions to the facades of the University of Kapodistria or Zappeion, in the vast free spaces surrounding these iconic buildings? Let’s put it even more directly: is it only the present, looking to the future, that offers significant landmarks for the image of the city? Is the past being erased? Are we striving, consciously or unconsciously, for social amnesia?

Guardians, hurry up!

* Mr. Alexandros Papageorgiou – Venetas – architect and urban planner, historian of urban planning.