Architecture

When architect Renzo Piano first visited the area where the SNFCC was to be built, he immediately realized that the link between the urban and the natural landscapes had been cut; that the coastal avenue had separated the neighborhood from the sea. Renzo Piano was inspired by the name of the local area (Kallithea, which literally means "beautiful view’’) and decided to give back to the local people the beautiful view towards the sea. This idea was implemented conceptually in the most simple and effective way by lifting one side of a piece of paper and showing the gradual rise of the land towards the sea.

Biodiversity

Occupying 85% of the SNFCC’s total area, Stavros Niarchos Park stretches over an area of 21 hectares. It is home to a rich variety of flora, including olive trees, evergreen shrubs, carob trees, laurels, cypress trees, as well as an extensive selection of indigenous Greek aromatic plants. Plants were selected and arranged with an eye to providing a variety of seasonal blooming and creating exciting color schemes and textures. The Park includes 16 tree species and 161 shrub species, a variety of grasses and bulbs. Greece’s strong horticultural tradition is celebrated in the open, sunlit Mediterranean Garden. The plant palette alone makes the garden a destination: evergreen and other endemic plants such as boxwood, coronilla, cistus, and lentisc, salvia, oregano, thyme, lavender, rosemary, roses and euphorbias – all add to the sensual pleasure of a visit. Each month brings a new color, and each season introduces a different combination of flowers or foliage.

Playgrounds

Playgrounds and Water Jets at the Stavros Niarchos Park are open for our visitors. The liveliest and most fun places in parks all over the world, playgrounds are dedicated to children of all ages, hosting endless carefree hours of fun, sports and socializing, bustling hubs of activity and creativity. Designed in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner, the facility is provisioned with wood-based equipment derived from logging based on sustainable forestry. 

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