The New Acropolis Museum, Innovating a Timeworn City

The New Acropolis Museum

Innovating a Timeworn City

Architecture & Heritage Farid Mahmood 6th March 2017,18:00 GMT

Towards A New Identity Through Innovating Old Archaic Architecture And Preserving Archaeology

This essay is the result of my own work and includes nothing which is theoutcome of work done in collaboration except where specifically indicated in the text.

Student Name: Farid Mahmood Student Number: U1111611 Date: 6th March 2017 Signature: Farid Mahmood

Fig.1 A view from the Acropolis Museum towards the Acropolis

Following on from a visit to the ancient city of Athens, one is interested in articulating a study of how old archaic architecture endeavours modern design through its cultural heritage to preserve its national identity of historical pasts, shaping a new national identity. To achieve this, one will be using The New Acropolis Museum, designed by architects’ Bernard Tschumi (a Swiss-American) and Michael Photiadis (a Greek), as a microcosm to Greece. Nationally and internationally, one aims to target the cities old architecture intervening with political and environmental historical background. One will be looking into how the New Acropolis Museum was planned to formulate within its site preserving beautiful views from the entire surrounding environment.

CONTENTS AbstIntroduction

1

‘The Greek Government needed a building grand enough to finally persuade the British Government to return the Elgin Marbles from their current home in the British Museum to a gallery in the new Museum.’1 Insights into a Historical Background.

“A simple and precise museum with the mathematical and conceptual clarity of ancient Greece.” 6 Innovating Old Archaic architecture

‘No ropes to keep visitors away from the sculptures. Minimal captions. No architectural distraction” 12 Positioning Artefacts

‘These works of architecture were certainly laden with mathematical symbolism.’13 In light of the Parthenon “…a journey into the world of cultural politics and propaganda, as well as great art.” 16 “The museum is creating huge momentum, a crescendo all over the world, including England, where public opinion favours the return of the marbles.” 22 National & International Significance

“This is a New Beginning.”

24

Creating a New Identity

“It is a building that, quite literally could not have been constructed anywhere else in the world.” 29 Living New Identity “...A Street is like a smile. When teeth are removed, empty spaces ruin its beauty.” 31 Shadows of Developing Cultural Significance

Navigating through the ancient city, Athens, one is intersected through a timeline of sacred monuments and public squares. Entering Greece’s largest parliament square, Syntagma Square, one experiences strict guards protecting an ancient tomb of an unknown soldier. Within the preservation of old city buildings, one finds himself in a modern environment inseparable from the iconic city of roman and byzantine architecture. The old archaic design lavished throughout neighbourhoods by current examples of the Library, University and Academy at Panepistimiou Street; Escalating around the ancient agora. Busy Shopping districts circumference around a Byzantine church with the cobbled ground at Monastiraki Square; old kilns display throughout the city metropolis, and ancient temples dedicate to ancient gods and goddesses; all, formulated my journey towards the new Acropolis Museum. One continued to walk up the hilltops towards the Acropolis, the Parthenon (Fig.2), the Temple of Athena; The Erechtheion and experienced the great Pikionis walk (Fig.3) to value a deeper understanding of old archaic architecture about the modern museum pursuing a new identity for the Greeks. The city’s cultural heritage is given a new identity relevant throughout its situated neighbourhoods to the museum’s site location; atmosphere; design; construction; showcased views; materials; Ruins; portraying out to the rest of the world in effect to its national identity of a long distant past. One is caught circulating under the base of the sacred rock towards the new intervention from a pedestrian walkway, Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, onto a large glass patio housing ancient ruins beneath. Hovering around, one can view gazes into the building and see a glimpse of displays from afar within the inside of Parthenon gallery. Stepping over the glass floor one is brought closer under a louvered concrete canopy hovering to view the ruins below. One is then bounded by a ramp route to circulate a courtyard of ruins shaded under a concrete roof connecting to the main building housing preserved ancient findings. (Fig.4) Following on from a visit to the ancient city of Athens, one is interested in articulating a study of how old archaic architecture endeavours modern design through its cultural heritage to preserve its national identity of historical pasts, shaping a new national identity. To achieve this, one will be using The New Acropolis Museum, designed by architects’ Bernard Tschumi (a Swiss-American) and Michael Photiadis (a Greek), as a microcosm to Greece. Nationally and internationally, one aims to target the cities old architecture intervening with political and environmental historical background. One will be looking into how the New Acropolis Museum was planned to formulate within its site preserving beautiful views from the entire surrounding environment. Significant; day to day; established; long term and knock down impacts of the museum are other objectives that one will abbreviate highlighting local, political and national issues that incorporate a design specific approach to mimic the old architecture of modern design and construction reflecting upon a global impact.

Reasoning to the preservation of archaic manifests, one would outline current methodologies of preserving the identity of objects differently from previous historical methods to establish a primary goal of acknowledging and understanding preserved manifests. One would investigate why preserved manifests from the removal of the local Archaic Acropolis as well as global manifests such as the Elgin Marbles resonate in a design specific approach. Attaining a response to the impact of the New Modern Acropolis Museum has created a new dimension for the people of Greece.

A new identity for the Greek people today reflects onto how the museum brings new hope for Greece as an ancient city. One would explain whether the museum achieves this about being feasible for the city in its context and highlighting different personifications of intangible and tangible heritage. One would take representations to reflect upon the destruction of conserved heritage over preservations of concrete and intangible heritage for the formation of the en-

1

Fig.2- The Parthenon at the Acropolis

Fig.3- Pikionis Walk

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tural and historical interests. One would use outline why buildings may face demolition thou they situate within a conservation area to give intangible values to the New Modern Acropolis Museum, identifying where decisions were made to create a new identity from the old history of the city. Nether the less, physical manifestations of what’s valued reflect upon the impact of the proposal internally and externally throughout the building fabric.

The Restoration of the cultural heritage mitigates for tangible architecture and intangible preservations. Throughout the processes of the building design, one would relate to many competitions that had been taken place for the maintenance of Greece’s cultural identity of old archaic architecture forming a new identity around the world. One would highlight Greece’s political views through professional bodies such as UNESCO world heritage to summarise whether forging old archaic methods of architectural principles are just to preserve tangible and intangible architecture. In consideration to this, one would finalise whether the New Acropolis serves a new identity from heritage impacts for the Greek people today in acceptance to Housing elusive and physical heritage nationally and internationally.

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Fig.4- Entrance to the New Acropolis Museum

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Insights Into A Historical Background The entire formulation of the New Acropolis Museum took years in planning to necessitate the Greek government’s views for the countries ancient past. Since the 1830’s, original construction for an Acropolis museum was to house fine architectural sculptures found from the ancient Acropolis where today’s new Acropolis museum was also additionally built in the hope to bring back intangible sculptures from international countries back to their local origin (Fig.5).

‘The Greek Government needed a building grand enough to finally persuade the British Government to return the Elgin Marbles from their current home in the British Museum to a gallery in the new Museum.’ 1 These marbles which were removed from the Parthenon being brought by the British in the early 1800’s later becoming abandoned triggering a controversy. The Greeks excavation and preservation works on the Acropolis became congested during the medieval periods of Greece’s dark ages being castoff from Frankish and Ottoman churches, mosques, native organisations and an army fortification. Hence, ‘after the Greeks had won their war of independence from Turkey in 1821,’ 2 ‘Klenze proposed its demilitarisation, which was accepted by the government in September 1834.’ 3 The Greek government decided to remove dominant medieval structures to focus on classical architecture to keep up with other relative European countries. Modernising the city of Athens through extensive city planning capable of having electrical lighting, water systems, transportation and an urban metropolis system with a courageous past. This lead to the first Acropolis museum to be opened on the original Acropolis itself during the 1860’s housing archaeological finds.

Innovating Old Archaic architecture The first Acropolis Museum was relatively small in housing some of the archaeological finds following the second museum in 1885 being replaced again by the third museum in 1965. Touristic visitor number grew large and yet there was still not enough space to house many of the fine sculptures that were continued to be found through restoration and excavation works. Following the constraints, during the mid-1970’s, the Greek government decided to make a larger museum offsite. ‘In 1974, shortly after the restoration of democracy to modern Greece, Kostas Karamanlis, the then prime minister, ascended Athens’s holy hill for a tour of the Acropolis…,’4 at a time when disputes took place of where to allocate the new Acropolis museum, ‘… “There,” he said, jabbing a finger in the direction of the ancient district of Makryianni, almost directly beneath the limestone outcrop. “There.” ’5 The Makryianni Neighbourhood had been chosen to site the New Acropolis Museum. National architectural competitions were held in both 1976 and 1979 in hopes to acquire a designer for the next new museum however no winners were selected. Following a further International competition held in 1989, won by Italian architects Lucio Passarelli and Manfredi Nicoletti. Their design was opposed as being unsuitable for its environment within the Makryianni area, resulting in another international competition to take place 1-

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Jonathan Glancey. (Monday 3 December 2007 10.45 GMT). Acropolis Now. Available: https://www.theguard ian.com/artanddesign/2007/dec/03/architecture. Last accessed 25th Feb 2017.

Ibid 1 Jukka Jokilehto. (1999). Classical Monuments . In: Oddy, A. & Linstrum, A. A History of Architectural Conservation. Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. 91 Helena Smith. (Wednesday 27 March 2002 12.38 GMT ). Acropolis row. Available: https://www.theguardi an.com/world/2002/mar/27/worlddispatch.parthenon. Last accessed 22nd Feb 2017 Ibid 4

5

Fig.5. Sculptures in the Parthenon Gallery

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in the millennium year 2000. This competition produced the design and construction of the New Acropolis Museum which situates beneath the pure rock today.

Won by architects Tschumi’s and Photiadis’s.

“A simple and precise museum with the mathematical and conceptual clarity of ancient Greece.” 6 The New Acropolis Museum now represents the people of Greece nationally having an international significance. It drives Greece’s potential in having a new identity from its old methods of architecture innovating for today’s’ use of modern contemporary design. It symbolises the countries cultural heritage of different periods of time about its design methodologies today. The design of the museum reproduces old archaic architecture predominately to impact so many people. The layers of the city also define the segments of the new museum via a three-part design (Fig.6). The first layer consists of the buildings foundation columns integrated between archaeological excavations below a large the museum. ‘Each is placed to avoid touching the fabric of the ancient city below.

Some are close together, others far apart, and all appear to perform an unlikely engineering waltz, they have joints, like giant knees. In times of tremor, the columns will dip and sway - enough, hopefully, to save the building from collapse.’7 The Innovation of these pillars from that of the old archaic columns which have been advanced for seismic activities. They intend to keep the entire building sitting above it safe. ‘In 1894 an earthquake shook the Acropolis of Athens and damaged some monuments. Some pieces, already loose, fell from the Partheneon.’8 In 1999, Athens was flustered with an earthquake, ’more than 40 buildings collapsed, 143 deaths were reported while hundreds of injuries were attributed to the earthquake’9 Therefore, the integration of vibrant proof foundations were vital to lessen the impact of such devastations to occur about future natural activities. To achieve such excellence, collaborative working amongst professionals had to be taken place. ‘Incorporating this state of the art and ultra-modern technology into an archaeological site was a challenge that required architects, engineers, construction workers and archaeologists to work in close collaboration with one another, to ensure the safety of both the modern buildings as well as the ancient ones.’10 The security of the modern with the old is rather unclear regarding the seismic activity. It is rather clear that the modern building above may be protected from such activity in the act of being taken place as well as the act of positioning the columns to be set amongst the ruins for preservation. However, how exactly are the ruins beneath protected from a seismic activity? It is rather unclear. This could mean that the intangible ancient architecture below could be destructed if any unexpected seismic activity were to take place in Athens.

Directly above the archaeological site consists the entry plaza as well as two levels dedicated to two of the three permanent gallery collections. This part of the layered building is formed of an obscured quadrilateral consisting of multi-levelled spaces. This irregular quadrilateral is primarily formed by the shape of the excavation area beneath itself showing interpretations of modern design methods within its environmental context. Positioning the new museum had to be done with great care, the smallest shift could have spoilt the correct 6-

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Bernard Tschumi. (July 13, 2009 ). The New Acropolis Museum. Available: http://www.arcspace.com/fea tures/bernard-tschumi-architects/new-acropolis-museum/. Last accessed 23rd Feb 2017.

Ibid 4 Jukka Jokilehto. (1999). Conservation . In: Oddy, A. & Linstrum, A. A History of Architectural Con servation. Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. 187 Anastasiadis A. N., Demosthenous M., Karakostas C. H., Klimis N., Lekidis B., Margaris B., Papaio annou C. H., Papazachos C. and Theodulidis N.. (1999). The Athens (Greece) Earthquake of September 7, 1999: Preliminary Report on Strong Motion Data and Structural Response.. Available: http://mceer. buffalo.edu/research/Reconnaissance/greece9-7-99/. Last accessed 1st Mar 2017.

Bernard Tschumi. (2009). Conceptualizing Context. In: Bernard Tschumi Architects The New Acropolis Museum. 3rd ed. the University of California: Skira Rizzoli. 84.

Fig.6. Three Part Design

alignment to the existing matrix of the excavations below, using each historical characteristic to generate a new design above. ‘These ideas are not to do with style; they can be used to produce either modern architecture or a historical scheme, the layout generator remains the same.’11 Within the quadrilateral, natural light streams through the threshold of windows on walls as well as from the naturals skylights above. The use of concrete, glass and marble and light, another primary generated material, is used amongst the whole building.

The interior walls within this level of the building are sandblasted to absorb attic light from the sun. This finishing technique conserves the archaic architectural exhibits from being damaged by solar exposure being cast away to maintain and preserve their original colour and form. Glass being relevant for attic light is also used for the floor of an incline ramp housing finds on the Acropolis hill leading from the first floor to the second floor towards other galleries. The slope of the Acropolis hill is mimicked to bond the journey of walking up towards travelling back into time to experience an archaic city of monuments on a rather flat top. In this section of gallery spaces, permanent marble sculptures are housed. Hence locally quarried marble was used on the floor of the majority of galleries to match the displays reflecting the Athenian history of marble still in use today. The statues housed are shown to gain as much knowledge possible of the identity of Greece. In 2007 Tschumi raised the topic of preserving the Greeks cultural identity hoping the main galleries would be uninterrupted as much as possible, ‘No ropes to keep visitors away from the sculptures. Minimal captions. No architectural distraction” 12 One can view the positioning of the sculptures today being the manifested within an unobstructed 360 degrees view (Fig.7). They are displayed by being spread out throughout the space acknowledging architects view in conserving historical artefacts for the preservation of the nation’s cultural identity fitting in a gallery hue. Filtered light fills the gallery spaces with floor to ceiling translucent glass walls which provide a warm atmosphere inside and reflecting away excess heat generated by the sun from the outside. The outcome of such conformation can relate to the museum bare via spreading out the artefacts, however, being able to linger amongst them is rather unique compared to other traditional museums such as the National Archaeological Museum (Fig.8). It displays its found artefacts against walls with a few centrally out spaced being pre-determined to what to look at. The New Acropolis Museum moves breaks these prevailing ideologies allowing one to interact with the historical displays in a personalised way. One can occupy the same space as if one were part of the displayed manifests for another to study a gaze upon a cultural identity about the modern identity to establish a new identity. Crowning the museum is the most famous gallery, impacting nationally and internationally, it is skewed to match precisely mimic the dimensions of the Parthenon on top of the ancient Acropolis rock becoming distinctive from the quadrilateral design beneath it.

The Parthenon Gallery shapes itself cuboid to connect to the entire building below. It continues its relationship by joining three out of four corners to the quadrilateral below accomplishing a cantilever construction. It appears 11-

12-

James Strike. (1994). Response to Location. In: Andrew Wheatcroft Architecture in Conservation, Man aging Development at Historic Sites. USA & Canada: Routledge. 40.

Ibid 1

Fig. .7. Sculptures in the Acropolis Museum

Fig. 8. Sculptures in the National Archeological Museum

obscured from the rest of the building beneath it, however, on a wider context about its environment, it fits in perfectly outlining the heritage of the ancient city to its new accomplishments. An ancient Parthenon monument symbolising Greece’s historical identity establishes a new identity derived from the past creating a Modern Parthenon gallery (Fig.9). It is a pastiche to the works of Ictinus (the architect of the Parthenon) and Phidias, (the master sculptor), having to mimic the same architectural compositions with mathematical expression situated away from the original Parthenon.

‘These works of architecture were certainly laden with mathematical symbolism.’ 13 The architects of the new museum chose the same proportions and dimensions of the original Parthenon featuring its columns, doorways, sculptures, metopes and the frieze paying homage to Athenians. They create a new experience through conserving its artefacts as if one were to be in the Parthenon, ‘sought to realise perfect harmony of proportions based on what they called ‘Summetria,’ the ‘Commodulatio,’ of the Romans.’14 This gave the internal balance of relationship to form a core between the established compositional levels to be apparent throughout the entire building layering on top of one another. As one proceeds up via an escalator, one is drawn to view intangible views of the Acropolis monuments showcasing the magnificent Parthenon above, formulating a relationship with the mother of the gallery from its internal displays. The gallery elevates the Athenian sun to enter its gallery space through floor to ceiling double glazing. This double glazing is tinted blue with black dots to control the right amount of light entering into the gallery as well as integrating modern window screen shading techniques. Modern glazing also allows the atmosphere of the gallery to be, ‘coolly and calmly,’15 being able to allow cool air to flow through its glass panes. The used glass that perimeters the entire gallery allows the architectural sculptures to be illuminated with the natural sunlight. The light being the fourth primary building material mentioned by Tschumi himself to be used throughout the building design to reflect ancient methods of “Attic Light” from the Athenian sun. The use of light was to experience the sculptures within their original exterior environment of the sun. Now being conserved indoors, to stop further weathering of the artefacts, one can still experience the Athenian sun gazing upon the sculptures by the use of transparent glass arraying minimal reflections. The Parthenon Gallery is the main gallery where one walks through... “…a journey into the world of cultural politics and propaganda, as well as great art.” 16 The use of attic light is also particular in the hope to repatriate the missing Elgin marbles of the Parthenon allocated in the British Museum as well as around the worldwide. The missing artefacts, “are to be in the attic light, and in the new museum they will continue to be in the attic light,”17 the attic light, “differs from light in London, Berlin or Newyork.”18 The delicate architectural pediments can only be truly seen in the first Athenian sun, not that of any other city in the world, surrounded by their exterior setting in addi13-

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Martin . (1967). Elements & Forms. In: Henri Stierlin Living Architecture. Switzerland: Ab eregg-Steiner & Ci S.A.,Berne. 95.

Ibid 13 Ibid 1 Ibid 1 Nikos Vatopoulos. (Thursday, 13 September 2001 21:37). Light on the New Acropolis Museum. Available: http://www.parthenonuk.com/2001-news-archive/152-light-on-the-new-acropolis-museum. Last accessed 23rd Feb 2017.

Bernard Tschumi. (July 13, 2009 ). The New Acropolis Museum. Available: http://www.arcspace.com/fea tures/bernard-tschumi-architects/new-acropolis-museum/. Last accessed 23rd Feb 2017

Fig. 9. Acropolis Parthenon relative to New Acropolis Museum

-tion to atmospheric temperatures. Many sculptures that are on display in the new Parthenon galley mimic the exact position as that from their primary home.

However, some do not. For example, the Frieze is placed much lower in antiquity, to enhance obscured views to the visitors as that of its origin. Likewise, with the pediment sculptures being placed on podiums cast off the ground as well as many other artefacts. The opportunity of gaining much knowledge from viewing the preserved artefacts outweighs the first positioning of many relative sculptors where the act of tangible learning can be made inclusive of the act of intangible preservations of historical findings. Relative to the New Acropolis Museum built to house findings from the Acropolis; the museum consists of original artefacts as well as ‘stark white plaster replicas.’19 These cast copies are displayed in contrast to the originals in hope to be replaced by the original Elgin marbles. They keep awareness to international cities that currently house them, London being a primary target to bring back the Elgin Marbles (Fig.10). ‘Pandermalis is the old dignified archaeologist...

Pandermalis says that if everything came back, more than 85% of the original could be reconstituted, but this is disputed by the British Museum, which says that half the metopes, third of the frieze and more than half of the statuary that adorned the pediments at each end of the temple are lost.’20 If Pandermalis is right, then the hope of the Greeks attaining the marbles would be a great achievement with a great significance of preserving Greece’s cultural identity in-house, however, if the British are right then the efforts of Greece may not be fully accomplished as believed. Especially after expenses cost a staggering one hundred and thirty million euros, ‘in almost 40 years in the planning, (twice as long as it took for their ancient forebears to build the Parthenon).’21 Samaras, Greeks current cultural minister, disapproves that the Greek government would accept such statements, he believes rather it being a tactic to move away from the fact that they now have a space to house the Elgin Marbles, “The museum is creating huge momentum, a crescendo all over the world, including England, where public opinion favours the return of the marbles.” 22 He visions the Elgin marbles being brought back to the house in the city of Athens with the support of public views visioning the same, however, he also fears that the British may change the mood of the spoken public where the British now have room for discussing the returning of the marbles. The argument of the Greeks not having enough space is not valid after the New Acropolis Museum being erected with a vast amount space enabling its customers to view artefacts in much more detail. Samaras continues to say, “This museum is a museum of symbols and ideas… and the whole world will come. That creates pressure on its own. On top of that, you have other museums, such as the Vatican, Palermo, Heidelberg, that are sending pieces back. Our goal was to have the best museum in the world, and that negates the British argument that we don’t have a place to store them.”23 The support of other cities returning marbles back to the Greeks creates a controversy with the British and other countries such to experience that marbles being formed together achieving a better position of viewing the old archaic artefacts. Greece having committees all around the world mounts pressure up to have the return of the Parthenon Marbles, Greeks achieving a 19-

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21- 22- 23-

Lonely Planet. (year unknown). Acropolis Museum. Available: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/greece/ath ens/attractions/acropolis-museum/a/poi-sig/1008048/359421. Last accessed 25th Feb 2017.

Stephen Moss. (Tuesday 16th June 2009 00.01BST). Our Goal is to have the best museum in the world.

Available: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2009/jun/16/acropolis-museum-athens-elgin-mar bles. Last accessed 25th Feb 2017.

Ibid 20 Ibid 20 Ibid 20

Fig. 10. Elgin Marbles in the British Museum

start to what they want after waiting over two hundred years for artefacts to be returned, “This is a New Beginning.”24 The Greeks have made their significance of the return of their Elgin marbles worldwide achieving global attention and attracting visitors to the New Acropolis Museum. The museum educates its visitors and the following generations to come outlines their important values that define their current values. ‘The new museum of Acropolis constitutes the benchmark for all other museums in Greece which … have a very low visiting rate.’25 According to the Acropolis museum highlights reports, recent visitor number during June 2015 – May 2016 were staggering to 1,425,100 being its seventh year from opening in 2009. Comparing this to its second year from an opening having 1,309,859 shows us that the museum maintains its visitor numbers and having an international significance worldwide. This brings further hope to the people of Greece being an ancient city with a modern interventions of an architectural building opening up towards a new identity for the Greek people today. Relating back to Tschumi’s statement in 2008 of having a museum, “Good enough to make the Brits want to give the Elgin Marbles back.”26 Still motivating that perception today in housing the archaic history within its origin context. For one to understand the architectural relationship with the historic past, it can be said that modern buildings should be built about their current time in which people live. This highlights the urban context of the period creating beautiful buildings within the act of contemporary society. ‘Tradition is seen as the set of past experiences that have proven effective for human purposes,’27 therefore, the modification of a built space with cumulative state experiences requires professional attitudes towards the commitments of limitations as well as being creative in innovating pre-historic design methodologies for people’s lives today. ‘The building may be consolidated, becoming a subject of preservation over time as architectural heritage.’28 In the case the New Acropolis Museum being constructed, the innovation was so important to overcome a barrier of time being executed to communicate with the modern cities around the world and future generations. This period relates to giving significance to old historical monuments outweighing modern developments of buildings that obstruct historical significance. Due to this case, the museum had undergone a delay in construction, awaiting demolishment of surrounding buildings around the museum, revealing archaeological remains of the city. This leads a catastrophic argument amongst the Greek nation, some being for and others being against the construction of the New Acropolis Museum. Therefore, the design had to persuade and drive the people of Athens to gain a new identity from ancestral heritage than that of the late 80’s. Bernard Tschumi acknowledging this at the beginning of his book on the museum as follows, ‘An architectural project always represents the confluence of many minds. In the case of the New Acropolis Museum, the people of Athens, through discussion, argumentation and consequent consensus are the real authors of this project.

Their inspired dialogue, developed over nearly four decades and four architectural competitions, resulted in a building that reflects its mission, site and 24- 25-

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Ibid 20 James Beresford. (9th Nov 2014). Mind the Gap: Prediction and Performance in Respect to Visitor Num bers at the New Acropolis Museum . Museum and Society 12. 1 (12(3)), 171-190.

Charlotte Higgins. (Wed 3rd Dec 2008 17:50 GMT). The New Acropolis Museum: A home fit for the Elgin Marbles. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/charlottehigginsblog/2008/dec/03/architec ture-museums. Last accessed 25th Feb 2017.

Gláucia Dalmolin translated by Rory Stott. (09:30 - 5 July, 2015). The Role of Tradition and Inno vation in the City. Available: http://www.archdaily.com/769700/the-role-of-tradition-and-innovation- in-the-city. Last accessed 24th Feb 2017.

Ibid 27

unique heritage.

It is a building that, quite literally could not have been constructed anywhere else in the world.’29 This formal acknowledgement from Tschumi summarises the role of the Greek people in the accomplishment of the building. However, the background behind this statement forms vast discussions to the agenda the Greek government demolishing numerous buildings in the Makryianni district to construct the museum. The involvement of various national and international campaigners to stop the government from destroying these buildings was objected. Residents of the buildings were also against the construction as it meant for their homes to be expropriated. The International Council of Monuments and Sites together with UNESCO got involved in preventing the destruction of the buildings around the Acropolis area. However, this also turned out to be in favour for demolishment to preserve intangible views towards the ancient acropolis from the museum with unobstructed views. A similar approach was deemed in Anafiotika area around the Acropolis rock where the neighbourhood was building into the rock and damaging it. Soon after, it also had to be demolished for encroaching the pure rock being deemed by the Greek government. The Art Deco building designed by a friend of Pablo Picasso is an example that had been demolished.

‘Greece’s Culture Minister has angered architects and conservationists by clearing the way for demolition of a protected architectural gem in central Athens to improve the view from the landmark new Acropolis Museum’ 30 “These buildings should not be demolished because they are priceless, they are part of one of the most beautiful streets in Athens...” architect Thomas Doxiades, told Reuters on Tuesday. “...A Street is like a smile. When teeth are removed, empty spaces ruin its beauty.” 31 The demolition of such buildings could outweigh the obstruction of intangible views from the new Acropolis Museum for visitors to experience the new identity created from old history. The visitors of the new museum had to experience being inside the Parthenon and viewing an unobstructed view towards the Parthenon as if on was to be there. The disputes that had pitted architects and conservationists against the minister resulted in a delay of over two decades overshadowing the opening of The New Acropolis Museum.

In conclusion, the methodologies incorporated within archaic methods innovating design elements is profound to be a working way in achieving a new identity through ancient methods. Innovating historic designs to current engineering methods elaborate potential advantages to current and future buildings. Designs such that of the columns incorporated with ancient ruins under the acropolis museum create advantages of having shock proof buildings and lessening the impact of collapsing if seismic activity were to take place. The preservation of tangible artefacts require space to be conserved, within the new museum, this 29- Bernard Tschumi. (2009). Conceptualizing Context. In: Bernard Tschumi Architects The New Acropolis

Museum. 3rd ed. the University of California: Skira Rizzoli. 6.

30- Nicholas PAPHITIS. (9/15/2007 12:00:00 AM). Greece opens the way for landmark’s razing to allow Parthenon view. Available: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/greece-opens-the-way-for-landmarks-raz ing-to-allow-parthenon-view.aspx?pageID=438&n=greece-opens-the-way-for-landmarks-razing-to-allow-par

thenon-view-2007-09-15. Last accessed 24th Feb 2017.

31- Renee Maltezou. (Tue Jun 16, 2009 | 12:59pm EDT). Video wall may save historic Athens buildings.

Available: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-greece-landmarks-idUSTRE55F4E520090616. Last accessed

24th Feb 2017.

space is acquired. The use of creative spaces to learn about historical artefacts being spread out allows one to learn and be part of time that has been past. The New Acropolis Museum creates a new identity for the people of Greece.

It serves it purpose of housing tangible sculptors that were once intangible being spread worldwide. It represents a modern identity through its design and construction methods acknowledging the preservation of its archaic history. The museum is accepted through having a significant impact creating awareness nationally and internationally of evolving from its periodic timeline. The Museum fits into the site differentiating its modern architectural capabilities to the archaic history in being situated under the shadow of the acropolis rock.

Outlining a modern Parthenon with the ancient one. The conservation methods of preserving the identity of its historic city achieves interest to the people creating a new meaning towards it new identity. The fact that the new acropolis museum uses similar but not the same materials is contradictory because it has been named after the historical acropolis. This is because the use of glass and marble has been implemented as well as a new concrete mixture. The floor of the museum reflects the sculptures which shows that the architect has thought about the cultural identity of the past ancient city. As well as playing with light and shadows the designer has once again resembled the past.

Appendix 1-

Jonathan Glancey. (Monday 3 December 2007 10.45 GMT). Acropolis Now. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2007/dec/03/architecture. Last accessed 25th Feb 2017.

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Ibid 1

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Jukka Jokilehto. (1999). Classical Monuments . In: Oddy, A. & Linstrum, A. A His tory of Architectural Conservation. Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. 91 Helena Smith. (Wednesday 27 March 2002 12.38 GMT ). Acropolis row. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/mar/27/worlddispatch.parthenon. Last ac cessed 22nd Feb 2017

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Ibid 4

6-

Bernard Tschumi. (July 13, 2009 ). The New Acropolis Museum. Available: http:// www.arcspace.com/features/bernard-tschumi-architects/new-acropolis-museum/. Last accessed 23rd Feb 2017.

7-

Ibid 4

8-

Jukka Jokilehto. (1999). Conservation . In: Oddy, A. & Linstrum, A. A History of Architectural Conservation. Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. 187

9-

Anastasiadis A. N., Demosthenous M., Karakostas C. H., Klimis N., Lekidis B., Margaris B., Papaioannou C. H., Papazachos C. and Theodulidis N.. (1999). The Athens (Greece) Earthquake of September 7, 1999: Preliminary Report on Strong Motion Data and Structural Response.. Available: http://mceer.buffalo.edu/re search/Reconnaissance/greece9-7-99/. Last accessed 1st Mar 2017.

10- Bernard Tschumi. (2009). Conceptualizing Context. In: Bernard Tschumi Architects

The New Acropolis Museum. 3rd ed. the University of California: Skira Rizzoli.

84.

11- James Strike. (1994). Response to Location. In: Andrew Wheatcroft Architecture in

Conservation, Managing Development at Historic Sites. USA & Canada: Routledge.

40.

12-

Ibid 1

13-

Martin . (1967). Elements & Forms. In: Henri Stierlin Living Architecture. Swit zerland: Aberegg-Steiner & Ci S.A.,Berne. 95.

14-

Ibid 13

15-

Ibid 1

16-

Ibid 1

17-

Nikos Vatopoulos. (Thursday, 13 September 2001 21:37). Light on the New Acropolis Museum. Available: http://www.parthenonuk.com/2001-news-archive/152-light-on-the- new-acropolis-museum. Last accessed 23rd Feb 2017.

18-

Bernard Tschumi. (July 13, 2009 ). The New Acropolis Museum. Available: http:// www.arcspace.com/features/bernard-tschumi-architects/new-acropolis-museum/. Last accessed 23rd Feb 2017

19-

Lonely Planet. (year unknown). Acropolis Museum. Available: https://www.lonely planet.com/greece/athens/attractions/acropolis-museum/a/poi-sig/1008048/359421.

Last accessed 25th Feb 2017.

20-

Stephen Moss. (Tuesday 16th June 2009 00.01BST). Our Goal is to have the best museum in the world. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2009/ jun/16/acropolis-museum-athens-elgin-marbles. Last accessed 25th Feb 2017.

TRE55F4E520090616. Last accessed 24th Feb 2017.

21-

Ibid 20

22-

Ibid 20

23-

Ibid 20

24-

Ibid 20

25- James Beresford. (9th Nov 2014). Mind the Gap: Prediction and Performance in Respect to Visitor Numbers at the New Acropolis Museum . Museum and Society 12. 1 (12(3)), 171-190.

26- Charlotte Higgins. (Wed 3rd Dec 2008 17:50 GMT). The New Acropolis Museum: A home fit for the Elgin Marbles. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/charlottehigginsblog/2008/dec/03/architecture-museums. Last accessed 25th Feb 2017.

27- GlĂĄucia Dalmolin translated by Rory Stott. (09:30 - 5 July, 2015). The Role of Tradition and Innovation in the City. Available: http://www.archdaily.com/769700/therole-of-tradition-and-innovation-in-the-city. Last accessed 24th Feb 2017.

28-

Ibid 27

29- Bernard Tschumi. (2009). Conceptualizing Context. In: Bernard Tschumi Architects The New Acropolis Museum. 3rd ed. the University of California: Skira Rizzoli. 6.

30- Nicholas PAPHITIS. (9/15/2007 12:00:00 AM). Greece opens the way for landmark’s razing to allow Parthenon view. Available: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/greeceopens-the-way-for-landmarks-razing-to-allow-parthenon-view.aspx?pageID=438&n=greeceopens-the-way-for-landmarks-razing-to-allow-parthenon-view-2007-09-15. Last accessed 24th Feb 2017.

31- Renee Maltezou. (Tue Jun 16, 2009 | 12:59pm EDT). Video wall may save historic Athens buildings. Available: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-greece-landmarks-idUSTRE55F4E520090616. Last accessed 24th Feb 2017.