The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) was first conceived in 2006 and took eight years to design and build. Ten years since its conception, it is finally being inaugurated in a sprawling new park, complete with an exquisite 1,400-seat opera, national library and exquisite park complete with water jets and fancy pathways that gives the nation “hope” after a six-year economic crisis.
“We thought it was very important to give hope,” Andreas Dracopoulos, co-president of the Stavros Niarchos foundation that funded the project, told a news conference.
The new SNFCC will be fully functional in mid-2017, however four days of events that began on Thursday, including guided tours, give the public a sneak peek into the offerings of the 20-hectare building near the coast of Faliro, south of Athens.
The state now has the obligation to maintain the SNFCC and there are already concerns that the cash-strapped Greek state will not be able to run a project of this magnitude. The Contemporary Museum of Modern Art and Olympic facilities have been left to disrepair and vandalism.
Meanwhile, visitors to the SNFCC can enjoy the brand new facilities with free events.
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