What I can see

The Onassis Cultural Centre of the Onassis Foundation is a translucent seven-storey building covered with marble from Thassos and “flies” over its glass base. The closer you get to the building, the more its transparency becomes apparent. During daytime the attic light is reflected on the marble bars, giving the feeling of a light wave. At night the picture is reversed. The philosophy of the design is for the golden sphere of event halls, which is the “heart” of the building, to shine out at night, symbolising the shining of arts and culture to the world. Despite some failures in implementation (see the placement of the marble bars) it is considered one of the best contemporary architectural works and is noted for its simple volumes.

What I can't see

The site has a total area of 18,000 sq.m. and hosts performances (opera, theatre, dance), conferences, concerts, film screenings, exhibitions, educational programs, etc. It includes an 880 seat theatre, a multipurpose 200 seat theatre, an outdoor amphitheater with 200 seats, a panoramic restaurant, an exhibition hall and a conference centre. The architectural design was done by Jean Nouvel and A.S. Architecture Studio. In recent years, the artistic orientation of the foundation has moved more in the direction of multiculturalism and social acceptance, highlighting problems and empowering socially excluded groups. Moreover, it has already hosted famous artists such as Brian Eno, Ryoji Ikeda, Glenn Close, Dimitris Papaioannou and many others.

Info

• Address: 107-109 Syggrou St.
• Postal Code : 11745
• Phone: +30 210 9005800
• E-mail: [email protected]
• Website: http://www.sgt.gr

Bibliography