The museological pre-study for the National Archaeological Museum and the Epigraphic Museum has been completed.

The project to reexhibit, expand, and upgrade the National Archaeological Museum and the Epigraphic Museum is currently at the study stage. These developments are based on the architectural proposal by the Chipperfield-Tombazi firms. The necessary studies are being carried out with a generous donation from Spiros and Dorothy Latsis, amounting to 40 million euros, in memory of their parents, Ioannis and Erietta Latsis.

Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni stated: "The National Archaeological Museum, the largest in the country and one of the most iconic in the world, houses the richest collection of ancient Greek civilization and ancient Greek art. In fact, it offers a panorama of Greek culture, from the early prehistory around 6,000 BC to the late antiquity around 400 AD."

An X-ray of the Underground Exhibition Spaces Beneath the Museum's Garden

View of the exhibition spaces of the new National Archaeological Museum

The philosophy of the new exhibition focuses on the ancient Greek creator, who reflects his time, social and political conditions, sciences, and philosophical ideas. The exhibit portrays the creator both as a protagonist in art depictions and as a figure combining divine and human aspects. The content spans a historical trajectory of 7,000 years, covering the entirety of the Greek territory. Simultaneously, the National Archaeological Museum is deeply connected to the history of the modern Greek state.

View of the New National Archaeological Museum's Exhibition Spaces

Photorealistic depiction of the museum exhibition inside the National Archaeological Museum

The selected design by Chipperfield-Tombazi, chosen by a Special International Committee, places the existing museum building at the heart of the expansion, which extends to Patision Street. This strengthens the museum's grandeur and its connection to the city, while also contributing to the rejuvenation of the broader historical center of Athens. Our goal is for the National Archaeological Museum to become a modern "ark of knowledge" and a historical testament to human presence. The core message of the reexhibition is the human-centric nature of ancient Greek art and culture at all stages of their evolution. The Epigraphic Museum is housed in the same complex.

A Unique Museum on a Global Level

The Epigraphic Museum boasts a collection of over 14,000 inscriptions. The new exhibition aims to familiarize the public with these "speaking stones," unique testimonies of history and language. The central theme of the reexhibition is "History and the Greek Language through Stones." The inscriptions reveal aspects of ancient Greek life and the evolution of the language. Our aim is for the National Archaeological Museum and the Epigraphic Museum to foster a new communication relationship with visitors while simultaneously building a refreshed identity with extroverted and internationally recognizable characteristics.

The National Archaeological Museum

The National Archaeological Museum (NAM) houses the largest and most important collection of ancient Greek art masterpieces worldwide. It is housed in an imposing neoclassical building, founded in 1866 and inaugurated in 1889. Its exhibits span 65 rooms across two floors, covering 9,000 square meters and hosting 15,000 artifacts from Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, and Italy. Its collections include works in marble, bronze, gold, and other precious materials.

The pre-study outlines the general principles of the museological approach to the museum's reexhibition and its basic conceptual framework. Based on the approved museological principles, the pre-study details the organization of exhibits into axes and units and specifies categories of interpretive tools. The reexhibition will cover both the existing building-monument and the new spaces in the building extension. The museum's collections currently on display will be utilized, along with archaeological materials from the museum’s storage and loans from Archaeological Ephorates and other museums, to provide a more complete narrative and represent the entire Greek territory.

Photorealistic Rendering of the Interior of the NAM's Exhibition

The new building will be developed in the garden in front of the historic building. The main entrance will be moved to the front, at the level of Patision Street, enhancing the museum’s connection with the city. In the new building, which will span two underground levels, the following functional units will be located: on the first level, spaces for visitor services, a visitor gathering area, ticket counters, cloakroom, information, restrooms, a restaurant and café with separate access, a bookstore and gift shop, an auditorium, educational activity spaces, and areas for temporary exhibitions. Part of the first level and the entire second level will be dedicated to the permanent exhibition spaces. Visitors will follow a continuous flow through these two levels and be guided to the neoclassical building, where the exhibition narrative continues. On the roof of the new building, a park with lush vegetation will be developed, accessible to all.

The Exhibition's Focus

The exhibition will focus on introducing visitors to the evolution of each art form, helping them understand the creator behind it and appreciate its intricate details. This will be achieved through the museum's collections and through individuals who preserved antiquities during critical historical periods, such as Eleni Stathatou and Michail Vlastos, who entrusted their collections to the museum.

The Central Idea of the Reexhibition

The central idea of the reexhibition is that the ideas and values shaped by the ancient Greeks, which were also expressed in their art, continue to influence and inspire modern society. The universality of ancient Greek culture is evident in the fact that fundamental values, such as democracy, systematic thinking, critical reflection, balance, excellence, and "eudaimonia" (the good life), still constitute core principles of Western culture. Moreover, the harmony of ancient Greek art has become the standard for Western art and continues to inspire contemporary creative expression across many fields. This relationship between ancient and modern art can be showcased through comparisons of ancient and modern works of art, either through visual tools or through temporary loans from other museums as part of temporary exhibitions.

General Principles for Organizing the Reexhibition

Among the general organizational principles for the reexhibition are the promotion and emphasis on the universality of ancient Greek culture, its human-centered approach to the needs of diverse audience groups, the highlighting of the multiple meanings of objects within their cultural context, the adoption of attractive interpretive tools for showcasing exhibits, the use of modern exhibition techniques, and universal accessibility for all visitor categories, either physically or through the use of digital technologies. Various interpretive tools, both conventional and non-conventional, will be employed to serve different visitor profiles and needs, including informational texts, visual materials, digital technologies and applications, scenographic environments, and tactile exhibits.