Renzo Piano goes beyond Texas, to Greece

By

Michael Granberry / Reporter

3:19 PM on Fri., Mar. 20, 2009 | Permalink

Famed architect Renzo Piano designed the Nasher Sculpture Center. And he's designing the much-vaunted expansion of the Louis Kahn-designed Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth. He also is designing the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens, Greece. It will be home to the Greek National Library and the Greek National Opera and will, organizers say, provide the largest green space in the city. The project is being funded by a private entity, which will then turn it over to the government after its completion. In Greece, Piano has been praised for "a pivotal design element" in the form of an "innovative roof -- a series of interconnected photovoltaic cell panels which will cover the structure's needs, taking advantage of the pure 'green' solar and wind energy." He also is taking advantage of Athens' proximity to the sea through a canal running parallel to the existing Esplanade. The project is expected to open in 2015. Estimated cost: 450 million Euros.

Photo: Architect Renzo Piano's new design in Greece

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Archived Comments

Posted by Khara Krueger @ 8:27 PM Sat, Mar 21, 2009

Renzo is a great architect, and I love the Nasher Sculpture Center here in town. This sounds like an interesting project...have they released any renderings of what it will look like yet?

Posted by Michael Granberry @ 9:18 PM Wed, Mar 25, 2009

Thanks, Khara. I just updated this blog post with one of the design drawings. Enjoy!

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