Building

Having decided that it needed a building of high architectural value, the Onassis Foundation staged an international architecture competition. The design chosen from the 66 proposals entered from around the world was by the French architectural practice “Architecture Studio”, whose core architectural concept is encapsulated in the building’s facade: an airy white rectangular shell which makes innovative use of white marble bands. The unique configuration of the facade serves as a stage set which imbues the building with a sense of mystery both during the day, when the marble bands serve to reflect the intense Attic light and create the impression from afar of a gentle wave, and at night when, artificially lit, they turn the image inside out by allowing the inside of the building to shine through and revealing the warm shell surrounding the rooms and auditoria.

A new architectural study was drawn up for the interior of the two amphitheaters. The theater lighting in both auditoria was designed by James Morse from the London-based Light & Design Associates company, while the architectural lighting for the entire building was redesigned by Eleftheria Deko & Associates. The building includes two main auditoria, seating 880 and 220 respectively, which are suited to a wide range of events including theater and dance performances, concerts, film screenings (multimedia, virtual reality), lectures and conferences. The top storey is home to the restaurant, which extends out onto the rooftop terrace during the summer months and offers breathtaking views of the Acropolis, the Philopappos monument, Lycabettus and the Saronic gulf.