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ACTION GROUP OF CITIZENS AGAINST THE INSTALLATION OF THE NEW MUSEUM OF ACROPOLIS OF ATHENS ON MACRIYANNIS SITE




APPEAL


The Ministry of Culture and the Organization for the Construction of the New Museum of the Acropolis of Athens (OANMA), adhering to the Greek Government’s earlier decision concerning the location of the Museum for its construction, are in the process for the same site “Macriyannis” at the South slope of the Acropolis Rock.
This decision, made some years ago arbitrarily, without any previous research for the most suitable location, has been strongly criticized by various professional organizations, such as the Architects’ Association, as well as by distinguished archeologists and other specialists. This criticism, based on documented arguments, has been ignored by the Ministry of Culture and collaborating archaeological institutions.

1. This site is considered unsuitable from an archaeological point of view because:

a) Significant archaeological findings have been unearthed in the field intended for the Museum as verified by the Organization for the Construction of the New Museum itself. These antiquities date back to the mesohelladic and late neolithic periods down to the 7th century BC. As mentioned by OANMA itself (July 2000), “The antiquities found in the piece of land intended for the Museum have been proven more significant than originally anticipated. The new finds have changed radically previous agreements concerning the availability of the site, which had resulted from test excavations”. Nevertheless, radical change in estimates did not lead to a reconsideration of the choice. The competent Ministry and its archaeological services are going on with their plans to construct the Museum on the location decided originally, thus committing an act of inconceivable vandalism, building on important archaeological finds, which essentially are destroyed, a Museum whose purpose is to preserve and reveal antiquities.
b) The installation of the Museum in this space will prevent the possibility of an extension and unification of the field of excavation in the southern belt of the Rock. Such excavations in the same belt would, probably, offer significant information about the city and its relationship to the Acropolis. It must be noted here that, despite the opposite assertions of the competent body which declared the archaeological research finished in May 2000, the excavation of the field intended for the Museum has not been concluded and it is most probable that the scheduled demolition of the buildings, existing in it, will reveal important archaeological findings. In any case, it is obvious that this will create a gap on the history of the city and its relation to the Acropolis. Today’s residential area neighboring the Sacred Rock separates it from the ancient urban environment, while it diminishes the vital space which
is necessary in order to put on value the monuments crowing it. The objective here should be to decongest the area surrounding the Acropolis rather than add more buildings to it.

2. The site in question is entirely unacceptable from an aesthetic point of view;

It is obvious that the construction of whatever building, and especially the voluminous Museum, in the immediate environment of the Rock, on the edge of it – only a few dozen meters from its southern wall– is a vulgar, aesthetically unacceptable act that alters drastically the morphology of the archaeological landscape, upsetting its scale and contributing to the downgrading of the image of the Acropolis and its adjacent Monuments.
We are not, of course, aware of the particulars of the building to be approved, since the competition is still in progress, but some features of the structural program are enlightening. According to the proclamation of the competition, the building will occupy a total mixed area of approximately 14000 m2; from which, 8000 will be used for the display of the antiquities. However, along with already existing in the space of the Museum buildings to be assigned to it, its total area will be over 20000 square meters. The height of the southern wall may approach 40 m. It is worth mentioning that the floor area at the stylobates level of Parthenon is 2145 m2 and the total height of 17 m. without its pediments. Its height is diminished drastically during the visual perception not only because of the damages it has sustained, but also because of the fact that in viewing the southern side from the level of the ground, the lower part of the colonnade is hidden.
After the erection of the intended building, the visual field of the spectator will be overwhelmed by the image of the Museum, which is going to be projected oppressively over that of the Acropolis and the Parthenon.
The Museum will also dominate the landscape of Acropolis when viewed from the West, “merging” with the Propylaea and the entire image of the Monuments, while its presence will be strongly noticeable from an eastern sighting of the Rock as well.

The Acropolis is a cultural heritage of humanity. This means that its protection should be the concern of the international community. Especially when its handling by the Greek Government involves purposes like that of the speedy construction of the Museum so as to be in operation during the conduct of the Olympic Games of 2004. Consequently, the qualitative criteria aiming at the best consideration of the issues of location and operation of the Museum in the long run are replaced by short lived criteria of expediency, which aim at an opportunistic arrangement of some temporary “needs”, leading to the catastrophic errors we intimated above.

We are inviting you, therefore, to appreciate the validity of our arguments and to apply pressure on the Greek Government in order to, even at the last moment, persuade it to recall its decisions so as to prevent their irrevocably disastrous consequences for the universal, permanent values incarnated by the Acropolis and its Monuments.

This appeal is signed by;

ADAMOPOULOS KOSTIS Architect
AIDONOPOULOS GAVRIL architect
ALMIRANTIS YANNIS Chemist
ALTIPARMAKIS YANNIS agriculturist
ALVANITIS Z. Associate prof. ASKT
AMAXIS NIKOS Engineer
ANDRIANOPOULOU STAMATIA Private employee
ANGELIDOY DAFNI Lecturer, Fine Arts School of
Athens (ASKT)
ANNOUSI RENA Engraver, secretary of Fine Arts
Chamber
ANTIPA OURANIA Physicist
AYGERINOU – KOLONA S. Associate prof. of Polytechical School of
Athens (EMP)
BABOUSSIS M. Architect, photographer, honorary prof.
BAKOPOULOU DORA Musician, prof. of the Athens
Conserbatory
BALONA DINA painter
BANTOUNA AIMILIA painter
BARBOGLOU ZOGRAFIA painter
BARDAKIS KOSTAS architect
BATINAKIS TIMOS painter
BAXEVANAKI YOTA architect
BIBIKOU-ANTONIADI ELENI Historian, prof., HHESS (Paris)
BILI ANNA painter
BITSAKIS EYTYCHIS Prof. of the University
BITSAKIS YANNIS physicist
BOSTANTZOGLOU-TRIPOU KLIO Art historian
BOURNAZOU E. architect
BOZINEKI-DIDONI VOULA architect
DAVARINOU NIKI dentist
DEFTOU NINA Psychotherapist
DIDEOUSIS CHRISTOS Architect-lecturer
DIMOPOULOU MARIA Architect
DIONISOPOULOS VASILIS Painter
DRAGATOGIANNI IRINI Philologist
DROSOU ELLI Philologist
ELEFTHERIADOU SOPHIA Architect
EVGENIDIS NIKOS Painter
FANOURAKIS SIFIS architect
FARROU IPHIGENIA architect
FILIAS THANASSIS Mechanical engineer
FINE MARIA architect
FINES KOSTAS architect
GALANIS KOSTAS Physicist
GARIDI KORNELIA Retired prof.
GAVATHAS MARTINOS Painter, honorary. prof. ASKT
GAVRILOU ANTONIA Educationist
GAZEPIS NIKOS Architect
GAZIS ANDREAS physicist
GEORGAKOPOULOU POLI Architect
GEORGIADOU THEANO Architect
GEORGOULIS DIMITRIS Associate professor
GEORGOUTSOS CHRISTOFOROS Operateur
GIANNADAKI AIKATERINI
GIOLASIS ANDREAS Architect
GOULAKOS PERIKLIS Painter
GRIGORAKOU – MARTHA LOUIZA Architect
GRIGORIADIS VASILIS Architect
HAINIS YANNIS painter
HALKIAS ALEXANDROS architect
HALOULAKOS ILIAS teacher
HARALAMBOUS PANOS Painter, assist. Prof. ASKT
HAROKOPOU TZELIKA lawyer
HARTOKOLLI KALLIOPI Dr. of Clinical Psychology
HARTOKOLLIS PETROS Prof. of Patras University
HOLEVAS N. Prof, EMP
HRISTOFOGLOU MARTHA Art historian
HRISTOU EYANGELOS actor
IPIOTOU MARIA Psychiatrist
KALAMARA ELENI
KALATZOPOULOS GIORGOS Architect
KALEDRIANOS MICHAEL Computer engineer
KALLIDI ANNIA Visual artist
KALLIGA HARIS Dr. of philosophy, Architect, director of Gennadios Library, medal Europa Nostra
KALLIGA LIZI Painter
KANELLI MARIA Educationist
KANIARIS VLASSIS Painter
KARAVITI EVI Architect
KARDARAS ALEXIS Stage director, film producer
KAROUMBALOS KOSTAS Emeritus prof. Of the University of Athens
KARVOUNI LEMONIA Free entrepreneur
KARVOUNIDOU KAKIA teacher
KARYDIS D.N. Professor EMP
KASTRANTAS GIORGOS Civil engineer
KATAKALEOU ANASTASIA architect
KATSARELI ASPA architect
KATSAROS STATHIS Film director
KATZOURAKIS DIMITRIS Architect
KAVAGIA MAIRI Architect
KLEFTODIMOS DIMITRIS architect
KOKKINIDIS DIMOSTHENIS Painter, emeritus prof., former Dean of ASKT
KOKKINOU MARIA Painter
KONSTANTINOPOULOS
GRIGORIOS Honorary General Inspector of
Antiquities
KONSTANTINOPOULOU IOULIA priv. employee
KONTARATOU IOANNA Visual artist
KONTARINI NEFELI sculptress
KONTEAS ANTONIS architect
KONTOYANNI VASSILIKI philologist
KORAKAS STRATIS Member of the European Parliement
KOTSAKAS architect
KOTSAKI AMALIA architect
KOUCHTSOGLOU IRINI-ROZI lawyer
KOUFELI IRINI architect
KOUGEA LENA Director of art gallery
KOUGEAS SOCRATIS educationist
KOUMARIANOU AIKATERINI Historian, prof. Of University (Sorbonne)
KOUMARIANOU MARIA Film producer
KOUMOUNDOUROS PANAGIOTIS architect
KOUNADIS KOSTAS painter
KOURKOULA NINA translator
KOUVELA AGNI Architect, member of the Archaeological Society
KREMEZI KAITI architect, associate prof. EMP
KYRIAKI VASSO Painter, honorary prof. EMP
LAMBRIDIS MANOLIS Essay writer
LAPPAS GIORGOS Sculptor, prof. ASKT
LASKARIS NIKOS Associate prof. EMP
LEYKADITOU RENA architect
LIGNADIS DIMITRIS actor
LIOPYRAKIS YANNIS sculptor
LOUKAS YANNIS architect
MAKRAKI CHRYSSI architect
MAKRI CLIO sculptress
MAKRI ZIZI painter
MALAFEKAS KOSTAS architect
MANOLITSIS ANASTASIOS architect
MANTOUVALOU MARY Associate prof. EMP
MAOUNIS ANTONIS architect
MARAGOS YANNIS Retired professional
MARPLY KL. Journalist BBC
MARRAII GIORGOS Civil engineer
MARTHA LOUCIA architect
MAYRIDOU MARIA Honorary prof. EMP
MEGA MARIA educationist
MEIMAROGLOU DESPINA painter
MENDRAKOS TAS. author
MENTI EVA lawyer
MESARE INIS architect
METAXAS STAMATIS Painter, prof. ASKT
MICHAILIDOU FANI painter
MICHALEA FROSSO sculptress
MILIARAKI NATASSA
MITSIBOUNAS DIMITRIOS physician
MORETI ALEXANDRA architect
MORETI-AIDONOPOULOU IRINI architect
MORETIS ANGELOS architect
MORPHI SOPHIA educationist
MOSCHONA-KALAMARA ANNA sculptress
MYRIALLI ANGELIKI businesswoman
MYRIALLI MYRTO architect
MYRIALLIS EL. Free entrepreneur
NEZOU CHRISTINA Prof. of Political and Social Sciences
NIKOLAIDIS GIORGOS Sculptor, emeritus prof., former Dean of ASKT
OIKONOMOU OURANIA architect
PANAGIOTOPOULOU architect
PANAGOPOULOS ANDREAS Computer scientist
PANAGOU ELENI Notary public
PANOU YANNIS architect
PANSELINOU NAYSIKA Art critic, prof. ASKT
PANTAZOPOULOU MARINA lawyer
PANTELAKIS MICHALIS architect
PAPADAKI IRO professor
PAPADAKIS MICHALIS Sculptor, President of Fine Arts Chamber
PAPADIMA ELENI philologist
PAPAGEORGIOU VANGA
PAPAIOANNOU AGNI Architect, lecturer
PAPANICOLOPOULOS NESTORAS painter
PAPANTONIOU KOSTIS architect
PAPARODOU ELENI architect
PAPASYMEON MARIA architect
PAPAYANNAKIS LEFTERIS Economist, prof. of EMP
PAPOUTSAKIS CHRISTOS architect. Editor
PARASKEVAS NIKOS sculptor, lecturer ASKT
PATERAKIS HARALAMBOS Major council
PEHORIKIDOU MARIA painter
PERDIKI NIKI painter
PETROPOULAKIS SOTIRIS Electrical engineer
PETROULIA GEORGIA painter
PICHORIDOU CHRYSSANTHI Civil engineer
PISSIMISSIS GIORGOS architect
POLYXI MARIA student
PORTALIOU ELENI architect
PROVELENGIOS GIORGOS architect
PROVELENGIOU NIOVI architect
PSYCHOGIOU VARVARA teacher
RAFTOPOULOS DIMITRIS writer
RAFTOPOULOU SOPHIA photographer
ROTHOS KOSTAS Sculptor, prof., Technical School
ROUSSEAS NIKOS architect
SACHANA CHRYSSA architect
SANTORINAIOS MANTHOS Lecturer ASKT
SARANTOPOULOU CHRISTINA sculptress
SARIGELI MARIA teacher
SARIYANNIS GIORGOS Prof. EMP
SARROPOULOS KOSTAS Civil engineer
SARROPOULOU AIMILIA
SARROPOULOU KATERINA Prof. choreographer
SAVAS MICHAIL Physician, essayist, General. Secretary of EEK party
SCHAAL GASTON teacher
SCHINA ATHINA art historian
SELIANITI EYDOKIA Student of architecture
SELIANITIS CHRISTOS architect
SFIKAS KOSTAS Movie director
SIAPKIDIS NIKOS architect
SKALTSA LENA architect
SKLIAS KOSTAS architect
SORONGAS SOTIRIS Painter, prof. EMP
SOTIRIOU AGLAIA educationist
SOURAPA ERSI
SOUVATZIDIS MICHALIS painter
STYLIANOPOULOU ANTIGONI teacher
SVORONOU KALLIOPI painter
TAMPAKIS NIKOS engineer
TAVLARIDIS ALEKOS architect
THEODORIDIS YANNIS Civil engineer
THEOFILOU ANDREAS Researcher (DEMOKRITOS)
TOKATLIDIS KOSTIS lawyer
TORAKI STEPHANIA physician
TOTSIKAS PANOS architect
TRANOS NIKOS Sculptor, assistant prof. ASKT
TRIPOS KITSOS engineer
TSIGROU IOANNA teacher
TSIVERIOTI ELISA architect
TZAMOURANIS ILIAS Electrical engineer
TZOUNIS ALEXANDROS philologist
TZOVARIDOU THEANO architect
VAFIADI ELENI Student
VAFIADIS DIMITRIS Free entrepreneur
VAIOU NT. Associate prof. EMP
VALASI ZOI Author, majoral councilor
VALAVANIDIS YANNIS Paiter, professor of ASKT
VAMVAKOU MARIA Translator
VARLAMOS GIORGIS Paiter
VARLAS IOANNIS Mathematician
VAROUTSIS STAVROS Civil engineer
VEZIROGLOU ANTONIS Architect
VLASSOPOULOS KIRIAKOS Theologian
VOIVONDA AGAPI
VOULGARIS ZANNIS Physician, University professor
VOUTSINOS NIKOLAOS Architect
VRIHEA ANNA professor ASKT
XAGORARIS ZAFOS Painter, lecturer ASKT
XYDI MINA architect
XYDIS ALEXANDROS Art critic, honorary ambassador
ZACHARIOU ATHANASIA Philologist
ZACHOS THANASIS Priv. employee
ZAMBOURA LENA Dancer, prof. of classical ballet
ZAMBOURA MARILENA Painter
ZERVOS YANNIS Architect
ZIAKAS GIORGOS Scene painter, assoc. prof. ASKT
ZORBALAS GIORGOS Lawyer
ZOUNI OPI Painter
HASANAKOS KOSTAS Dentist