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.

Tours at the Stavros Niarchos Park

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Labyrinth

The SNFCC Labyrinth is an integral part of the Stavros Niarchos Park. Planted with grass and surrounded by olive trees, it is a lush, peaceful circular area, where visitors arrive following the Western Walks. These natural qualities, enhanced by its location in a relatively isolated, elevated part of the Park, make for an ideal setting for escaping from the rush of everyday life. Unlike the three-dimensional labyrinths aimed at disorientation, in SNFCC’s one-dimensional labyrinth there is only one trail, leading to its center. The Labyrinth invites visitors to walk on it and spend some time in serene reflection.
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Vegetable Garden

In 2017, Vegetable Garden was created as a point of the Park that is used both for urban cultivation of organic vegetables and for the education of children and adults. A typical example is the favorite program for children, Park’s Little Gardeners, which introduces them the flora of Stavros Niarchos Park, sensitizes them about the importance of green spaces in the heart of a city and initiates them into the concept of sustainability, through motoring activities, practical gardening and games that promote environmental protection.
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Great Lawn

The Great Lawn is the heart of the Stavros Niarchos Park. Right in the Park’s center, this is the point where all of its paths cross; in the summer months, it hosts an extensive range of events and activities, such as screenings, concerts and other. The Great Lawn grass is natural and, compared to other varieties, is drought tolerant and hardy. Suitable for the Greek climate, it is low-maintenance and requires less irrigation. It is surrounded by coniferous and olive trees and herbs that thrive in the Greek climate, making for an impressive passage from shade to the resplendent Attic light.
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Playgrounds

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. Rather than with a typical fence, the SNFCC Playgrounds are enclosed by shrubs, enabling children to discover their own boundaries and the world in a safe environment.

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