Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre, Athens, Greece
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation cultural centre is a world-class centre, housing the Greek National Opera House and the Greek National Library. The centre also includes vital new green space where cultural events and activities can be held.
Located near Faliron Bay in downtown Athens, the inspiring architecture and engineering design are key to the development of the local area.
The opera house provides the building’s architectural focus with a large, full-height atrium and fully glazed façade. Arup provided design strategies across a wide range of services, which will deliver state-of-the-art engineering to the centre.
The design focuses on the reduction of energy and water demands using passive design solutions, where possible. A 10,000m2 canopy of PV cells will produce a large amount of electrical energy, whilst offering solar shading for the building and reducing its cooling demands.
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre is the first building in Greece that achieved a LEED® platinum certification.
