Athens National Archaeological Museum Extension Lowered by 3 Meters
The planned extension of the National Archaeological Museum in Athens will sit lower than first proposed. On Thursday, October 15, the Culture Ministry's two top advisory bodies, the Central Archaeological Council (KAS) and the Central Council for Modern Monuments (KSNM), unanimously backed the final studies for the project, with a few observations.
The biggest visible change is on Patission Avenue. The perimeter wall of the new wing has been cut by about 3 meters, so the 19th-century neoclassical building stays in clear view from the street. The design is by David Chipperfield Architects, working with the Greek firm Tombazis and Associates.
What changed in the final design
Most of the extension will be built underground, in front of the existing museum. Under the revised plans, the base that houses the new spaces will rise between roughly 5 and 7.4 meters above the street, depending on the slope of Patission Avenue. Its highest point will stay below the top step of the staircase that leads to the museum's historic entrance.
The councils also approved an escalator linking the levels of the enlarged complex, to ease the flow of visitors, while three elevators and regular staircases remain. Two pavilion-like buildings in the garden, planned for a restaurant and an educational space, will now be faced in marble instead of compressed earth. The perimeter wall and base will be clad in compressed concrete in a quieter color palette than earlier versions.
These revisions answer comments the same councils made on the preliminary designs in December 2025, when concerns were raised that the new structure could overwhelm the old building.
What the full project includes
The studies cover the whole city block, including the neighboring Epigraphic Museum, which holds one of the world's largest collections of ancient Greek inscriptions. According to the ministry, the plan extends the museum toward Patission Avenue with a new main entrance and a large reception square, and links the new wing to the historic building so the complex works as one museum.
New public facilities are planned in the extension, including a central foyer with ticket desks, cloakrooms, a restaurant, a multipurpose auditorium, a shop and halls for temporary exhibitions. The permanent collection will tell the story of Greek civilization from the Neolithic period to late antiquity across four levels, two in the new wing and two in the old building. An underground atrium with a water feature is meant to bring in natural light.
Above ground, the front garden is to become a larger public park with trees, places to sit and meet, and food service, open to residents as well as visitors. Culture Minister Lina Mendoni called the upgrade "a strategic investment in culture, in scientific research and in the country's outward reach."
The design studies are funded by a €40 million donation from Spiros and Dorothy Latsis, in memory of Ioannis and Erietta Latsis. Greece's Parliament ratified the sponsorship agreement in April 2024, which allowed the studies to start.
Concerns that remain
Not every point was settled. Members of the KSNM questioned the large scale of the staircase that will connect Patission Avenue with the garden, warning it could pull attention away from the museum's main entrance. They also asked whether trees planned in front of the new entrance might hide the museum's name and signs. It is not yet clear whether these remarks will be reflected in the final plans.
Chipperfield has argued that the extension should not compete with the original building. In an interview with Kathimerini earlier this month, he said the new wing does not need eye-catching architecture to draw people, because "you have one of the best, most important collections in the world."
What happens next
The project now moves to the detailed implementation studies, which are expected in the first half of 2027. Chipperfield has said the complete design, with all technical details, should be ready by early summer 2027, after which construction could begin. The special urban plan for the site was approved in June, and the strategic environmental impact study is still going through approval.
No construction start date has been announced, and the ministry has not said how the museum will operate while work is under way. The museum is currently open to visitors.
At the same Thursday session, the KSNM also approved landscaping plans for the area around the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Syntagma Square. The revised design rules out benches and calls for new studies on planting and lighting.
GetGreece will follow the project as it moves into its next stage.
Sources
Photo: C messier via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). The National Archaeological Museum on Patission Avenue, Athens.
