Athens Heralds Major Urban Regeneration Project

One of Europe’s most ambitious urban regeneration projects, The Ellinikon in Athens, Greece, has taken a large step forward, reports Abode2. Developer Lamda has opened a new “Experience Centre” to showcase the €8bn, six million square metre scheme, which promises to become “a new blueprint of modern city living.”

Once complete, The Ellinikon will deliver 10,000 new homes alongside the world’s largest coastal park (two million square metres), 50km of walkways and cycling paths, three retail destinations, a 400 berth Marina, three hotels, a casino, office space and more. A Foster + Partners-designed residential tower called Riviera Tower occupies the prime seafront spot, in a 3.5km stretch of rejuvenated coastline that includes a 1km beach.

It’s all located about 20 minutes from Athens city centre, on a former Air Force base. The project “is bringing to life a new city that places Greece prominently at the forefront of smart living, sustainability, and innovation that lifts up communities and citizens,” trumpets Odisseas Athanasiou, Chief Executive Officer at Lamda Development. “The Ellinikon city reflects a new paradigm of living, working, and enjoying life by the sea.”

Phase One is the newly-opened vast Experience Centre, which occupies a 4,800 sq m former airplane hangar, designated as a Modern Monument by the Greek Ministry of Culture. It features five “thematic areas” (Living a New Era, Living in Nature, Living the Future, Living Smart, and Living by the Sea) and 22 exhibits detailing the whole masterplan, include a 1:625 scale model. There’s also a simulated speedboat ride along the future coastline, and mocked-up views from four yet-to-be-built residences.

“The Ellinikon Experience Centre showcases a project with global impact that will also generate tremendous investment value and create thousands of jobs for the Greek economy. The Experience Centre is an inspiring symbol of what’s to come for Greece and the world,” says Athanasiou.

Technology and sustainability are baked into the masterplan, from a “next-generation transportation network” to “bioclimatic, indoor-outdoor hybrid architecture” and green facades that provide thermal insulation, carbon dioxide reduction and air purification, plus measures to help coastline resilience and prevent flooding through environmentally engineered sensors.

The company behind the €8bn project, Lamda Development, is majority-owned by the Latsis Group, founded and run by the billionaire shipping and banking Latsis family.