Athens | Part II
Sustainable Architecture:
A Case Study
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC)
For this second instalment in our Athens series, we’re presenting our first piece on sustainable architecture. In our previous Athens feature we visited an artist run creative hub – Athens Open Studio – and soon, we’ll speak to an artist working in the city. Today, we’re focussing on Renzo Piano’s soaring Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre, and its accompanying park: one of the most elegant and thoroughly considered cultural houses in Europe.
The SNFCC has been constructed with sustainability at its core, demonstrating the very highest environmental standards. It’s a work of contrasts: packed with myriad features, yet minimalist in design; elegant and yet functional; immense in scale and yet successfully integrated within the urban landscape.
“The 28,000m2 Greek National Opera [is] an exciting destination not only for music and opera lovers, but also for architecture admirers. The building [is] multi-use, capable of hosting a variety of performances and events; combining tradition with technological innovation…”
The project houses the Greek National Opera (GNO) and the National Library (NLG). Innovatively designed to be eco-friendly – with high energy performance and water efficiency – the building features a photovoltaic canopy, a green roof, a biodiverse area of parkland, a water filtration system, and flood protection mechanisms.
Frames formed by a canopy and pillars crop out the marginal zone below the building, offering instead a panoramic seascape surrounded by wild grasses.
Every aspect of this project has been designed with the environment and sustainability in mind. The building’s components were responsibly and locally sourced as much as possible and recycled materials have been embraced. What’s more, the building and its park improves the microclimate of the area, absorbing pollution and supporting the local environment.
Located in the Athenian coastal district of Kallithea (a name which translates as “the best view”) we might imagine that this part of the city once enjoyed clear vistas over the Aegean Sea. Today this is not the case: roads and tramlines, a four-lane carriageway, various industrial developments, a marina and derelict buildings form a marginal zone which has served for decades to wall the neighbourhood from the sea.
On one of his first visits to the site, architect Renzo Piano found that despite this man-made barrier, a connection between sea and city could be re-opened. It was enough for him to climb to the top of a neighbouring building to discover a generous view over Faliro Bay.
Thus, the project aimed at restoring a natural and conceptual connection between city and sea.
Piano’s idea was to raise a piece of land, to design a sloping park – a vantage point – from which a lost view would re-emerge.
The following is adapted from Quality Through Sustainable Practices | The Case of the SNFCC by F. Kalfa & N. Kalogirou
As one of the most important elements of the SNFCC project, the opera house is crowned by a canopy measuring 100 x 100m, entirely covered by photovoltaics, generating enough energy to fulfil the standard operation of both the opera house and library – dramatically minimising CO₂ emissions.
Directly below the canopy, the Stavros Niarchos Park begins. The park – which functions as a “green roof” – epitomises the SNFCC’s core values on sustainability. As one of the largest green spaces in Athens (covering 85% of the SNFCC site, measuring 170,000m2) the Park is designed to facilitate seasonal flowering patterns and create interesting colours and textures. All plants are native to the Mediterranean Basin, reflecting the spirit of the region and more specifically the Greek landscape. Visitors may follow pathways made from natural materials such as recycled tiles, chippings, pumice stones from Santorini and a stabilized ceramic floor, all leading to a 32m summit.
The Stavros Niarchos Park reduces carbon dioxide emissions from the local environment – absorbing 11,000kg of CO₂ emissions per year*. In addition, the energy efficient activities at the SNFCC will contribute to saving almost 2750 tons of CO₂ per year.
The 7000m2 green roof is one of the biggest of its kind in Europe. Thanks to its thicker construction – to accommodate the roots of various plants – the roof provides increased insulation and therefore drastically reduces the cooling requirements of the building. Additional shading is offered by the photovoltaic canopy, bringing down the local air temperature further. The roof also decreases air pollution, given that smog is generated faster under higher temperatures.
In what is most often a warm and dry city, drip irrigation is used to water the Park’s plants. Water comes from boreholes in order to ensure sustainable water management. When rainfall does come to the city, the drainage systems have been designed to reduce overflow, also preventing the reduction of ground subsidence.
Even water from the building’s restrooms is recycled: the plumbing strategy for the opera house was to collect wastewater from hand-basins, showers and kitchen sinks in order to filter it and re-use it for flushing.
Other benefits include an improvement in the biodiversity of the area (the plants serve as homes for wildlife) and a sense of public wellbeing. Visiting the park is an immersive, sensory experience, far removed from the bustle of Athens.
A canal, measuring 30 x 400m, constitutes a vital architectural element and a figurative extension of the adjacent sea. This wide water surface area, measuring 12000m2 creates a favourable climate in the Park and the surrounding area. The canal is filled with seawater and provides flood protection against heavy rains.
Every aspect of the project – both during its construction and in its finished state – speaks of both environmental and social respect. In turn, the site itself is valued. The graffiti and litter that plague many other parts of the city are not evident here. It seems Athenians feel pride in this building. It’s inclusive, interactive and offers accessibility for all audiences. Constructed in the midst of the country’s financial crisis, the project embodies hope, ambition and optimism.
Described as Athens’ modern-day Acropolis, the SNFCC should perhaps be considered primarily as a beacon of cultural sustainability: binding a community, respecting the environment and re-establishing a sense of place.
The Architect
Renzo Piano was born in Genoa, Italy, in 1937 into a family of builders. While studying at the Politecnico di Milano, he worked in the office of Franco Albini. In 1971, he set up the Piano & Rogers office in London together with Richard Rogers, with whom he won the competition for the Centre Pompidou. He subsequently moved to Paris. From the early 1970s to the 1990s, he worked with engineer Peter Rice, with whom he shared the Atelier Piano & Rice from 1977 to 1981. In 1981, the Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) was established with offices in Paris, Genoa, and New York, and a staff of 150.
Since then, the RPBW has served as the vehicle for the development of some of Piano’s most recognizable and important projects, such as:
The Beyeler Foundation Museum (1997), in Basel, Switzerland, bathed in natural light, which inspires visitors with its pure, clean lines, its seamless integration into its surroundings, and its simple elegance;
The Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center (1998), in New Caledonia, a complex of ten pavilions, inspired by the local architectural tradition, remarkable for both the power it exudes, and its intimate relationship with the surrounding nature;
The redevelopment of Potsdamer Platz (2000), in Berlin;
The glass-walled structure of the Niccolò Paganini Auditorium (2001) in Parma, an industrial reconversion perfectly in tune with its surrounding natural environment;
The Parco della Musica Auditorium (2002), in Rome, a powerful symbol of the union of music, urban environment and the design traditions of Western cathedrals;
The new offices of The New York Times (2008) in Manhattan;
The green building of the California Academy of Sciences (2008) in San Francisco;
The iconic London Bridge Tower, better known as the Shard (2012)
Acknowledgements
Gratitude goes to architect and project manager Fofo Kalfa. Portions of the above text come from her paper Quality Through Sustainable Practices During the Design and Construction Phase: the Case of the SNFCC written by Fofo alongside N. Kalogirou (used with permission).
Further thanks to Stella Skaltsa – who walked us round the SNFCC and offered valuable insight. Born and raised in Athens, Stella has a background in architecture and sustainable heritage.
Background information comes from a variety of sources, including the SNFCC’s own publications. Read more on the SNFCC website.
Footnote
*We should note at this point, that Athens is – to put it simply – an extremely polluted city. In January 2019, the European Commission sent a formal notice to Greece, warning authorities over pollution levels in Athens and saying that they need to take action ‘to ensure good air quality and safeguard public health.’ Greece has been in violation of European legislation setting limit values for air pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide, especially in Athens, where NO₂ levels have been above the set limit since 2010.
Text & images © A La Luz
