Acropolis Museum turns 10, opens archaeological excavation site

The Acropolis Museum in Athens, designed by Bernard Tschumi with Michalis Fotiadis, celebrated its tenth anniversary by opening a 4,000-square-meter archaeological excavation within its premises. The site reveals remains of an ancient Athenian neighborhood, mostly from the Roman and Byzantine periods, with some dating back to Classical Athens. Director Dimitris Pantermalis noted that the area shows human activity from the 4th millennium BC to the 12th century AD, including streets, residences, baths, workshops, and tombs. The museum, inaugurated in 2009, covers 25,000 square meters with over 14,000 square meters of exhibition space—ten times larger than the old museum on the Acropolis hill. The decision for a new museum was made in 1976 by Prime Minister Constantinos Karamanlis, and the discovery of ancient ruins in the late 1980s required the design to incorporate the archaeological site. Tschumi won the international competition with a design that emphasizes natural light and views of the Parthenon. Part of the excavation has been covered with earth for preservation, while another part was removed for the museum's basement and metro station. Future exhibits will display artifacts unearthed during construction.