Is there a building capturing the essence of Greek culture, art and beauty in a sustainable way? This one might just do the trick 😍 🇬🇷
The Stavros Niarchos Cultural Centre, built in Kallithea, is located just 4 km south of central Athens. A cultural and educational development, it is made up of the National Library of Greece and the Greek National Opera in a 170,000 sqm landscaped park. Previously a parking lot from the 2004 Olympic Games, the project has restored the site’s lost connections with the city and the sea.
Both the opera and library are combined into one building with a public space known as the Agora. The opera wing is composed of two auditoria dedicated to classic ballets, symphonic music and traditional operas, as well as more experimental performances, ballet, opera for children, theatre and music. The library contains over 1,000,000 volumes and is intended not just as a place for learning and preserving culture, but also as a public resource where culture is accessible for all to enjoy. It also features a reading room atop the building that is entirely glass-walled, offering stunning views of Athens and the sea.
The first building in Greece to achieve a LEED platinum certification, its structure focuses on reduction of energy and water usage via passive design solutions. A delicate canopy roof is covered with 5,700 solar panels generating roughly 2.2 GWhs every year, while providing solar shading for the building and reducing its cooling demands.
SNFCC’s energy efficiency initiatives result in a 40% energy reduction as compared to what a similar building complex would consume. All systems were designed to save energy, such as heating, air conditioning and lighting. The building was also designed to be self-sufficient with regards to water requirements, such as irrigation, non-potable water and the water used in the Canal.
An immense effort from the many eco-warriors involved! #buildingheroes
Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) RENZO PIANO BUILDING WORKSHOP BETAPLAN Giorgio Bianchi Vassily Laffineur Sebastian Doerflinger Hugo Houplain Kendall Doerr Serge Drouin Lorenzo Piazza Marie Pimmel Olivier Aubert Yiorgos Kyrkos OMETE S.A. – Consulting Engineers Expedition Engineering Ltd Arup LDK Consultants … and all others!
📸 : Michael Denance
#sustainability #realestate #netzerocarbon #greenbuildings #climatechange #sustainablerealestate