New Acropolis Museum
The Acropolis Museum is an archaeological museum dedicated to the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis, the Athens citadel. Built on the archaeological site of Makrygianni and the ruins of a part of Roman ans early Byzantine Athens, the controversial modernist and hi-tech building by deconstructivist architect Bernard Tschumi houses every artifact found on the Acropolis rock and at its base.
Photos provided by Panoramio are under the copyright of their ownersTscumi's "simple and precise" museum design revolves around the concepts of light, movement, and a tectonic and programmatic element, applied with the mathematical and conceptual clarity of the ancient Greek buildings.
The geometrical structure finished with glossy and contrasting light gray and dark surfaces develops on 3 levels housing the collections and a fourth middle level accommodating the museum shops, the cafe and the offices. The first level displays the findings of the Acropolis slopes, many belonging to former sanctuaries. The hall, whose long and sloping floor reminds of the ascension of the rock, houses artifacts and sculptures from the Erechteum, the temple of Athena Nike and the Propylaea, as well as findings from Roman and early Christian Athens. The last floor, oriented the same way as the Parthenon, displays a range of Parthenon marbles.
The inner furnishing materials are hard, sleek and glossy, reflecting to a high degree, from marble to steel and transparent glass floors which grant insight to the excavations of the archaeological site below.
Other exhibitions encompass reliefs of Athenian decrees, impressive portraits, Roman copies of classical masterpieces, depictions of philosophers and historical figures, votives from the Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods, from the 5th century BC to the 5th century AD.
The archaic gallery displays sculptures and statues which can be viewed from all angles. They belong to the 7th century BC. Among them are depictions of young women, the Korai, of the horse riders and many others.
The Propylaea collection holds important and well-known exhibits such as the Nike apteros bas-relief, a depiction of the Goddess of Victory tying her sandal, the head of Hermes from Pentelic marble, and the Caryatids, statues of women each dressed differently which have been built to support the architrave of the Erechteon loggia.
The museum also provides an amphitheatre, a virtual theatre and a hall with temporary exhibitions.
