Architecture Competition to Redesign Acropolis Access

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The culture ministry is set to announce an international architecture competition inviting contestants to present proposals that will make access to the Acropolis more functional and friendlier for disabled visitors and improve the aesthetics of the surrounding area.

Renowned Greek architect Dimitris Pikionis, responsible for the landscaping work of the pedestrian walkways around the Acropolis in the 1950s, envisioned the entrance to the archaeological site as a sort of pilgrimage where visitors, on their way up to the Parthenon, would gain the overall view of the area from all its angles.

In efforts to save time, however, tour guides created several side roads leading to the site, which contributed to overcrowding at its main entrance.

According to Kathimerini daily, the competition aims to restore Pikionis’ initial vision and plan with the winning architect successfully redesigning the site’s entrance facilities.

On Wednesday, the Central Archaeological Council (KAS) laid out the framework of the competition and approved of a new location for the site’s shop as well as the elimination of the secondary Irodion and D. Areopagitou entrances.