the ellinikon: greece's coastal plan taps kengo kuma, foster, BIG

GREECE’s SMART CITY TAKES SHAPE

New details have been revealed of The Ellinikon, Greece’s planned ‘smart city‘ with one of Europe’s largest coastal parks, to show a star-studded cast of participating architects. The news follows the unveiling of the Foster and Partners-designed Riviera Tower in 2021, which will rise over the masterplan as the tallest building in Greece and the tallest green beachfront high-rise building in the Mediterranean. Now, LAMDA Development offers a closer look at the new district, which includes designs by Kengo Kuma and Associates, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), Aedas, SAOTA, and Oppenheim Architecture.

The Ellinikon Riviera | visualization © Sasaki

the ellinikon: a 15-Minute mediterranean City

The Ellinikon project sets its sights on becoming a pioneering example of integrated and sustainable living on the coast of Greece. Rooted in the principles of a ’15-minute city,’ it offers a comprehensive 360-degree experience to its residents, tenants, guests, and employees. This transformation will revive the former site of the Athens International Airport, which operated from 1938 until 2001 before the Marina was developed to host the Sailing Centre for Athens’ 2004 Summer Olympics. Now, this diverse masterplan will combine residential spaces, shopping, workplaces, leisure, entertainment, and cultural activities, all centered around a sprawling two million square-meter park.

Ellinikon Park Rise at Little Athens | visualization © Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)

diverse clusters of programming

As with any thriving 15-minute city, Greece’s the Ellinikon will be shaped by diverse spaces for living, working, gathering, and relaxing. A landmark for the district will be the Riviera Tower, a luxury residential high-rise designed by Foster and Partners which will be dripping with suspended gardens (see designboom’s coverage here).

Along the waterfront, an undulating Riviera Galleria will take shape with architecture by Kengo Kuma and Associates. This area will become a premium destination for luxury retail, dining, and leisure, all overlooking the Marina dotted with sailboats.

The developers have announced that Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has contributed its vision to the project with the Ellinikon Park Rise building as part of the neighborhood of Little Athens, a vibrant residential neighborhood which will comprise over one thousand high- and low-rise homes. The clustered buildings will take on BIG’s familiar stepping forms, and will be infused with gardened courtyards throughout.

Ellinikon Park Rise at Little Athens | visualization © Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)

The Beijing-based architects at Aedas have designed a sprawling Commercial Hub, which will become the largest retail, entertainment and business complex in Greece — and one of the biggest in Southern Europe — spanning over 185,000 square-meters. This area will be divided between workspaces, a retail park, a mixed-use tower, and what will become the largest shopping mall in Greece. The developers envision this hybrid model to stand as the ‘shopping center of the future.’

Riviera Galleria | visualization © Kengo Kuma and Associates

Other areas include a strip of Cove Residences behind a row of waterfront Cove Villas. The Residences — designed by two prominent Greek architects ISV Architects and Bobotis+Bobotis — will include 115 luxury apartments and duplexes, complete with landscaped gardens and courtyards, rooftop terraces, and private swimming pools for the ground floor units and penthouses.

The Villas will more limited in number, with just twenty-eight plots to be built. This more exclusive collection of homes will be designed by a selection of world-renowned architects — including SAOTA, Oppenheim Architecture, and Tombazis & Associates Architects — and will be supervised by Foster and Partners to ensure cohesion within the overall masterplan.

A Mandarin Oriental Athens will introduce a landmark coastal hotel with an exclusive Luxury Resort together with Branded Residences, for a total of two hundred rooms.

Riviera Galleria | visualization © Kengo Kuma and Associates

the smart city of tomorrow

With the Ellinikon, LAMDA Development Group hopes to shape the future of Greece by prioritizing sustainable infrastructure. The group aims for the urban renewal project to introduce a state-of-the-art smart district to the Athens Riviera. By leveraging advanced ‘smart city’ technologies such as an ‘Internet of Things,’ data analytics, ultra-high-speed fiber optics networks, and full 5G connectivity, it will lend a digitally assisted daily life for its residents.

To ensure the sustainability and environmental consciousness of The Ellinikon, a cutting-edge infrastructure has been proposed. Integrated renewable energy sources, including solar panels and an advanced underground power grid, will focus on renewable energy to significantly reduce the district’s environmental footprint. The commitment to sustainability extends to mobility. An array of smart mobility-sharing schemes will be available to all visitors, including bikes, e-bikes, and scooters. This approach should both ease transportation and contribute to reducing the district’s carbon footprint.

Riviera Tower | visualization © Foster and Partners

water and waste management

The Ellinikon sets new standards in water management. An advanced smart water management system, incorporating the latest technologies, will ensure efficient water usage and optimized irrigation. The district is committed to achieving the minimum required water consumption. A smart irrigation system will recycle sewage water, purified to the highest standards, to nourish the park and green spaces across the district.

Within The Ellinikon, both residential and commercial buildings will host smart systems designed to optimize energy and water consumption. These intelligent structures both contribute to sustainability and enhance the quality of life for their inhabitants.

At the core of sustainability lies waste management. The Ellinikon takes waste separation to the next level, with all waste being sorted at the source. The organic waste is transformed into compost, providing a valuable resource for fertilizing the park and nurturing the local flora. This approach will turn waste into a vital source of fertilizer for the district’s landscaped parks.

a new coastline and landscape regeneration

The Ellinikon Riviera will signal a new era of the Athenian Riviera, designed to become a global sustainable waterfront destination enjoyed by local and international visitors alike. It stretches along 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) and will include a range of developments from luxury residential, exclusive hospitality to a high-end Marina and signature retail, blended with a lush amount of landscaped open areas. With a pedestrian bridge, this beach will connect directly to the two million square-meter Ellinikon Park, which is set to be one of the largest coastal parks in the world.