A timescale has now been released, for the transfer of the contents of the existing Acropolis Museum in Athens to the New Acropolis Museum.

From:
Earthtimes

Transfer of antiquities to new Acropolis museum to begin next month
Posted : Mon, 24 Sep 2007 17:51:11 GMT

Athens – The process of transferring priceless artefacts currently housed in a small museum atop the Acropolis in Athens to a new state-of-the art Acropolis Museum will begin next month, Greece’s culture minister said Monday. Mihalis Liapis said it would take three months for all of the 340 priceless artefacts to be loaded onto three special cranes from atop the Acropolis and to make the 400-metre journey to the new modern glass and steel structure.

The entire operation, at a cost of 2.5 million euros (3.5 million dollars), is expected to start on October 14 and last until the end of the year, as the new Acropolis museum is scheduled to open in early 2008.

“A great vision is being carried out, an ultra-modern museum that has a dialectical relationship with the Acropolis,” Liapis said, adding that Greece would continue to press for the return of the Parthenon Marbles, also called the Elgin Marbles, to Athens.

“We are all obliged to intensify our efforts for the return of the Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum because only then will we have fulfilled our historic duty,” he said.

The top floor of the new museum is constructed entirely of glass which will allow visitors the ability to view the structures on the Acropolis while at the same time view pieces of the Parthenon’s spectacular friezes which will be on display.

On the ground floor, visitors will have direct contact with the archaeological remains of an ancient Athenian neighbourhood which were uncovered during the museum’s construction.