Comments on: Bernard Tschumi’s New Acropolis Museum design http://www.elginism.com/20081212/1632/ Elgin Marbles (Parthenon Marbles or Sculptures) Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:10:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Peter Hancock, PhD http://www.elginism.com/20081212/1632/comment-page-1/#comment-5362 Peter Hancock, PhD Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:57:43 +0000 http://www.elginism.com/?p=1632#comment-5362 It is significant that virtually all comments on the architectural design of the New Acropolis Museum refer to the interior design and lighting. Hardly anyone appears to have made a critical aesthetic assessment of the exterior design, with its skewed top floor plan, orientated parallel to the Parthenon. Firstly, the whole urban environmet is totally unsuitable for the location of the New Acropolis Museum building, surrounded as it is, by mediocre urban development, except on the north, Acropolis-facing side. The ancient Greeks loved SPACE, as for the Acropolis ('City on a High Place'). Secondly, the provison for displaying the remaining metopes is fragmentary, as they are to be displayed totally unrelated to the actual Parthenon design, in which they were meant to be seen from 10 metres below, not at eye level. Thirdly, there is virtually nothing in the New Acropolis Museum design to identify it with either ancient or modern Greece. Is there anything Greek about it, other than the name 'Acropolis'? The present writer agrees that the Parthenon Sculptures should be returned to Athens, eventually; but not until such time as a more appropriate New Pathenon Mueum design is created, whatever the cost, It is significant that virtually all comments on the architectural design of the New Acropolis Museum refer to the interior design and lighting. Hardly anyone appears to have made a critical aesthetic assessment of the exterior design, with its skewed top floor plan, orientated parallel to the Parthenon.

Firstly, the whole urban environmet is totally unsuitable for the location of the New Acropolis Museum building, surrounded as it is, by mediocre urban development, except on the north, Acropolis-facing side. The ancient Greeks loved SPACE, as for the Acropolis (‘City on a High Place’).

Secondly, the provison for displaying the remaining metopes is fragmentary, as they are to be displayed totally unrelated to the actual Parthenon design, in which they were meant to be seen from 10 metres below, not at eye level.

Thirdly, there is virtually nothing in the New Acropolis Museum design to identify it with either ancient or modern Greece. Is there anything Greek about it, other than the name ‘Acropolis’?

The present writer agrees that the Parthenon Sculptures should be returned to Athens, eventually; but not until such time as a more appropriate New Pathenon Mueum design is created, whatever the cost,

]]>