Britain has for many years maintained that Greece has nowhere to exhibit the Elgin Marbles & that they are better displayed in the British Museum. The New Acropolis Museum represents a challenge to these claims that can not easily be brushed aside any longer.

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Wallpaper

Thursday 16 July 2009
The Acropolis Museum, Athens
Chris Sullivan

It’s impossible to over-emphasize just how important the newly built Acropolis Museum is to the Greek people. Suffice to say that on approaching the brand new £110 million construction my companion for the day, Tina Daskalantonaki, owner of Athen’s King George Hotel, was in tears.

Opening five years behind schedule, the Acropolis Museum is situated on the sacred rock East of the Parthenon and houses the greatest sculptural treasures of the ancient world including works from the temple of Athena Polias on the Acropolis and parts of the Parthenon by Phidias.
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In this interview, Bernard Tschumi makes it very clear that he believes that the Elgin Marbles will return to Athens, stating that the return will make sense to everyone once they see the facilities created within the New Acropolis Museum.

From:
Wallpaper

Bernard Tschumi Q&A exclusive
Architecture
8 August 2008

After nearly 30 years of planning, and eight years since the international competition was launched for the project, the New Acropolis Museum in Athens is ready: the collections are carefully being moved in as we speak, and the official opening is expected with much anticipation towards the end of the year.

Proudly headed by architect Bernard Tschumi, the new museum project team also comprises local architect Michael Photiadis and the museum’s director Professor Dimitrios Pandermalis, who showed us around the new bright and airy building, where we had the chance to meet Swiss-born Tschumi, and discuss his concept, the design, Athens and the Parthenon sculptures.
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