On Thursday, February 18th, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Mr. Paolo Gentiloni, during his official visit to Athens, visited the construction site of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC).
The Minister was accompanied by the Ambassador of Italy to Greece, Mr. Luigi Marras, as well as by representatives of the Ministry, the Embassy, and other Italian educational and cultural organizations based in Greece. The mission was offered a guided tour of the Stavros Niarchos Park, and the new premises of the Greek National Opera and the National Library of Greece.
The SNFCC, designed by the internationally renowned, Italian architect Renzo Piano, is the largest single gift of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation with a total budget of $831mil (€596mil). The construction of the project is undertaken by the joint venture between the Italian company Salini Impregilo and the Greek counterpart TERNA. The construction of the project will be completed within the first half of 2016, and the SNFCC will then be donated to the Greek State, which will be fully responsible for its management and operation.
