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DECEMBER 2016 - JANUARY 2017 The bimonthly electronic journal of the Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation
EDITORIAL TEAM
Paraskevi Gerolymatou, Andreas Georgiadis, Vivian Kaniaris, Alexandra Papakostopoulou, Andrea Schroth Designed and edited by
Τ + 30 210 - 72 52 896 www.moca-andros.gr | www.goulandris.gr
CONTENTS
HOMAGE TO BASIL AND ELISE GOULANDRIS FOUNDATION, ATHENS IN PLACE OF A PROLOGUE, BY KYRIAKOS KOUTSOMALLIS DIRECTOR OF THE B. & E. GOULANDRIS FOUNDATION A NEW MUSEUM IN BORN IN THE CENTRE OF ATHENS INTERVIEW WITH THE ARCHITECT ALEXIS VIKELAS FROM “I & A VIKELAS & PARTNERS” INTERVIEW WITH PROJECT MANAGER NIKOS MALATESTAS INTERVIEW WITH THE ARCHITECT NIKOS MOUSTROUFIS INTERVIEW WITH MARIE KOUTSOMALLIS-MOREAU HEAD OF COLLECTIONS THE NEW PROJECT IN NUMBERS PRESENTATION OF THE MUSEUM STUDY GROUP.
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I N P L A C E O F A P R O LO G U E
This electronic edition is dedicated to the construction work in progress at the building site that will host the Basil and Elise Foundation’s activities in downtown Athens as many of you have inquired about how the new museum is advancing and when it is expected to open.
Its policy aims at making the museum a vehicle for the development of innovative cultural
activities by utilising cutting-edge museological applications in the field of modern and contemporary Greek and international art in this way contributing to the cross-cultural
development of Greece. The incentive behind the new museum is to stimulate dialogue and to spark the interest of its visitors.
With every confidence that construction will continue moving forward smoothly, we reserve a warm welcome for you at the new premises in the near future.
Kyriakos Koutsomallis
Director
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THE BIRT IN T
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B. & E. GOULANDRIS FOUNDATION ATHENS
TH OF A NEW MUSEUM THE HEART OF ATHENS By Vivian Kaniaris
Basil and Elise Goulandris, as proponents of the idea that Art is a public good, beyond their important contribution with the creation in 1979 of the museum of Andros, were very keen to see the opening of another museum, in Athens, which would ensure to a wider audience an access to modern and contemporary art which was the main focus of their interest. Entrusted with the task of realizing their wish, the Foundation Basil and Elise Goulandris proceeded with the purchase, in 2009, of a neoclassical building and its adjacent plot in the area of Pangrati and with the issuance, in 2012, of the relevant building permit. The choice of Pangrati’s neighborhood was adherent to the Goulandris’ wish for the Museum to be located in the centre of Athens, within the cultural axis that encompasses the city’s largest museums and is easily accessible to visitors. Thus, building works for the construction of the new Museum are well under way on the corner of Eratosthenous street and Agios Spyridon square. The Museum will cover a total surface area of 7,250 sq. m. and will expand over 11 floors, five of which will be underground. The Museum’s exhibition spaces will include five floors in total, four above ground-floor level with a surface area of 1,124 sq. m. which will house the Foundation’s permanent collection, and one at the underground level, with a surface area of 530 sq. m. which will host temporary exhibitions of distinguished modern and contemporary Greek and foreign artists. On the ground floor, there will be a Museum shop which will carry the Foundation’s publications as well as other books and gift items. The Museum’s
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“The Museum will cover a total surface area of 7,250 sq. m. and will expand over 11 floors”
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B. & E. GOULANDRIS FOUNDATION ATHENS
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B. & E. GOULANDRIS FOUNDATION ATHENS
cafÊ will be located on the mezzanine level. On the roof of the listed building, visitors will be able to enjoy an unobstructed view of the Acropolis, the Mount Lycabettus and the Saronic Gulf. The other floors below ground will house a conservation laboratory, an art library, a children’s workshop which will host educational programs and art workshops for children, and a state-of-the-art amphitheatre with a seating capacity of 187 and a large foyer for accommodating a variety of events such as lectures, conferences, screenings, performances, concerts and other artistic and scientific activities. The project includes the reconstruction of the Square of Agios Spyridon and a commitment to its ongoing maintenance; a donation from the Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation to the Municipality of Athens. The Athens Museum, which is expected to be completed in 2017, will mark the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation whose purpose is the promotion of the Fine Arts in general, in Greece and internationally. Primarily, however, it embodies the dream of the late art-lovers and patriots Basil and Elise Goulandris whose desire was to bequeath this important gift to Greece.
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INTERVIEW WITH ARCHITECT ALEXIS VIKELAS FROM “I & A VIKELAS & ASSOCIATES”
THE INTERVENTION IN A LISTED BUILDING WAS A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE “The proposition negotiates the solution of a new building with contemporary facilities within an existent shell, where the old and the new sections converse without competing with each other”
A three-storey neoclassical building is transformed into
a multistorey museum of contemporary art. What were the greatest challenges you faced?
Every time we intervene in a listed building it always represents an important challenge at both the levels of conception and of construction.
This particular case involved the conserving and elevating of the shell of an older building from the interwar period whose restoration, along with the renovation
of the adjoining Agios Spyridon Church square, would contribute to upgrading the aesthetics and the general quality of the immediate urban surroundings.
Overall, the proposition negotiates the solution of a new building with contemporary facilities within an existent shell, where the old and the new sections
converse without competing with each other. For this reason, the contemporary addition has the form of a
minimalist rectangular volume which recedes in relation
to the outline of the Neoclassical building. The style and proportions of the contemporary form adopt the measure and clarity of clean lines, underlining as in counterpoint
the pluralism and strictness of Neoclassical typology. In this way, the contemporary addition functions as
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an abstract but poignant background (on a secondary level) highlighting the old building
and detaching it from the “garrulous” and rundown urban surroundings.
Ultimately, the composition attempts to form
an entity that is inspired simultaneously by contemporary spirit and by historic interest and
one that will promote the viability of the new museum’s supralocal standing.
Let’s take a tour of the new building.
“The style and proportions of the contemporary form adopt the measure and clarity of clean lines, underlining in counterpoint the pluralism and strictness of Neoclassical typology”
The main entrance with its communal facilities such as the cloakroom and museum shop will be located on the ground floor while the café with access to the open-air courtyard will be on the mezzanine level.
The four floors above ground will house the Museum’s permanent collections while
the administrative offices will be located on the fifth floor. The first basement level will showcase the temporary exhibition space while the second and third underground levels will house the amphitheatre, library and children’s workshop; the fourth & fifth floors will be used as auxiliary spaces and for mechanical rooms.
What materials characterise and define the building’s design?
The main materials used for the new museum are Greek, travertine limestone on the
façade of the contemporary addition, Dematiou green-grey marble for the floors of the communal areas and oak wood floors in the permanent exhibition spaces. How will natural lighting be used?
While in the permanent exhibition areas the use of natural light will be very limited and closely monitored, at the core of the vertical movement areas which connect the three
underground and the seven above-ground floors which are accessible to the public, we have made every effort to utilise the diffused natural light with its myriad advantages.
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INTERVIEW WITH PROJECT MANAGER NIKOS MALATESTAS
TWENTY METRES BELOW GROUND When and who did work begin?
Excavation work began in August of 2014 by mechanical means avoiding hammer
drills so as not to damage the adjoining structures. Naturally, this was followed up by
implementing the necessary structural reinforcements to protect the adjacent buildings. What problems did you encounter during the excavation?
The main problems we faced were shoring up the excavation slopes and the discovery
of subterranean water which forced us to build a completely secure, watertight drainage
basin to protect the building. At the same time, we devised a way to make use of this underground supply for the purposes of watering and grounds maintenance.
Despite this, there have been no delays. When will the project be completed? The project will be finished by the summer of 2017.
How far down does the building go below ground?
It descends 20 metres below ground and stands 29 metres tall above ground. Let’s talk about the Museum’s outdoor space.
The museum’s outdoor areas include the courtyard which forms the continuation of the
café and the square of Agios Spyridon, the renovation of which has been funded by the Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation as a gift to the Municipality of Athens.
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Top, bottom left: Work for the construction of a secure, watertight drainage basin for the protection of the building. Bottom right: Excavation work.
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B. & E. GOULANDRIS FOUNDATION ATHENS
Top left: Having reached the furthest point of the excavation, 20 metres below the ground surface. Right: the listed building and its reinforcement.
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INTERVIEW WITH THE ARCHITECT NIKOS MOUSTROUFIS
THE MUSEUM’S AMPHITHEATRE The new museum includes the creation of an amphitheatre. Can you describe it for us?
The Museum’s amphitheatre, which seats 187 people has a total of ~300m², of which ~210m² forms its main area, including the stage, with a surface area of ~35m². The remaining ~90m² includes a wing for auxiliary uses such as simultaneous interpretation and a control room, as well as a backstage area. What activities will the amphitheatre feature?
The space is intended mainly for lectures, seminars, film screenings or small theatre, music and dance performances, given the relatively small size of the stage. There is the infrastructure for a full array of audio-visual equipment for the servicing of a plethora of events, as well as interpretation booths at the back.
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Photorealistic renderings of the amphitheatre
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Does it have its own foyer?
There is a foyer, bar and restrooms area at the entrance to the amphitheatre. What types of materials dominate this space?
The main characteristic of the architectural composition of the amphitheatre is the
conversion of a spatially linear hall into a three-dimensional volume dominated by free
forms and powerfully curved shapes. The stage is raised 75 cm above the main floor and its backdrop is a dark, embossed, curved wall.
The general morphology and intended definition of the materials and their profile stem not only from the compositional dimension but also from the heightened acoustic demands
of the space. We encounter the same compositional inspiration in the stretch of flanking walls. A white undulating “screen”* of irregular
shape on the upper section delineates the main
room and is followed, lower down, by a dynamic linear motif created by vertically-placed wooden slats of equal dimensions.
The sweeping curve is echoed in the form of the amphitheatre’s suspended ceiling. The white
wave-like shape of the ceiling is interrupted at
intervals by transverse black slits, which fully integrate the lighting of the main room. Apart from
the sinuous ceiling and the dynamic elements on
the side walls which will be light coloured, the amphitheatre will be dominated by dark hues;
from the carbon-coloured vinyl floor to the tinted windows separating the interpretation booth.
In combination with targeted hidden lighting which will emphasise the plasticity of the forms and
volumes,
the
amphitheatre
typifies
a
contemporary space with its intense dynamism and unique architectural character.
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“The main characteristic of the architectural composition of the amphitheatre is the conversion of a spatially linear hall into a threedimensional volume dominated by free forms and powerfully curved shapes.”
B. & E. GOULANDRIS FOUNDATION ATHENS
Photorealistic renderings of the amphitheatre
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Work for the construction of the foyer
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B. & E. GOULANDRIS FOUNDATION ATHENS
Photorealistic rendering of the amphitheatre, which also shows the Foundation’s library.
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INTERVIEW WITH MARIE KOUTSOMALLIS-MOREAU HEAD OF COLLECTIONS
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AT THE SERVICE OF THE NEW MUSEUM At the Foundation’s headquarters, the pace of preparations for the new museum is everaccelerating: the digitization of the collection is almost complete, the museological study is progressing, the guide systems and educational programmes are under planning. Marie Koutsomallis-Moreau, responsible for the Museum’s collections, offers a detailed description of everything visitors will behold. What will the new Athens Museum house? From the very start, the new Athens Museum was designed to house the Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation’s collection of artworks. The collection which focuses on modern and contemporary art by Greek and foreign artists will assume around 80% of the Museum’s overall capacity. There is also a polyvalent space for hosting temporary exhibitions of works by Greek and foreign artists, within the framework of the exhibition policy observed by the Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation over the last thirty- five years. With what frequency will the temporary exhibitions change? The temporary exhibitions will adhere largely to the themes we have developed over the years; we anticipate organising around two exhibitions per year. Let me add that the Museum includes an amphitheatre which can host lectures, conferences and other cultural events and its foyer can also be used for the display and presentation of artwork. How do you plan to present the Goulandris Collection? The museum’s first floor will be dedicated to the collection’s masterpieces. The second floor will feature the work of modern and contemporary foreign artists with particular
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attention paid to drawings but also to monumental works. The third and fourth floors are reserved for Greek artists, both modern and contemporary. The narrative for each of the aforementioned sections remains, largely, chronological. Finally, the first underground level will host the museum’s temporary exhibitions. Most organisations throughout the world are investing heavily in educational programmes and digital technology. How are you following these two parameters? Very much aware of the dictates of contemporary trends in museology, we have also placed great emphasis on a variety of educational programmes; for adults, for specific audience groups, for children and visitors of all ages. Especially for children, there will be a special area in the Foundation’s library for creative interaction while at the same time we are planning special guided tour programmes for children accompanied by teachers or parents. A large section of the Museum shop will also be devoted to children. What about digital technology? Today digital technology is indispensable to realizing the full range of activities a museum can offer. We are also digitizing and referencing our entire collection in order to connect it to all international community platforms and make it accessible to all researchers. The efficient management not only of the pieces in the collection but also of all the information that contributes to their understanding, interpretation and use increases the museum’s capacity to facilitate the research, education and entertainment needs of its public in which we are heavily investing. We are also developing a new, state-of-the-art website that will make the collection and exhibitions available to viewers everywhere. We are making headway with the design of a guide system using new technologies, and, finally, we are preparing guide apps which anyone will be able to install on their personal smart phones. Athens enjoys extensive sunshine. Does this natural resource figure into the architectural design? Athens has this unique privilege which we sought to take advantage of by opening windows in the exhibition halls. On the other hand, in order to protect the artwork, we installed a modern photometric system, which monitors light conditions and automatically closes or opens the blinds in order to maintain the ideal lighting conditions.
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B. & E. GOULANDRIS FOUNDATION ATHENS
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THE NEW PROJECT IN
NUMBERS
The museum’s exhibition spaces cover
1654
sq. m. while its total surface area extends
7250 6 5 1124 sq. m. over
and
below.
floors above ground
sq. m. are reserved for
the permanent exhibitions and
530
sq. m. for
temporary presentations. The new amphitheatre seats
187
people. 35
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Architectural design I. & A. Vikelas and Partners Architectural design for amphitheatre and shop Nikolaos Moustroufis Static planning G. Lambrou & Partners Electromechanical planning L.D.K. Consulting Engineers S.A. Lighting Design Anastasia Filippopoulou and Katerina Partheniou Acoustics Gottfried Schubert Outdoor/landscape design Studio 75 Signage Mikri Arktos Project Management N.K. Malatestas & Partners Construction Management Frank E. Basil
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