A museum is born

Tsolakis Architects have won the top prize among 17 proposals in the architectural competition launched in August for the new Athens Archaeological Museum in Akadimia Platonos, inside a recreational park and archaeological site in western Athens which was the site of Plato's Academy. Most of the 13,500-square meter design envisaged in the winning proposal will be built below ground so as to showcase the precious finds documenting the evolution of the city's history without disrupting public space in what is a green-deprived area. Most of the artifacts have for decades been in storage for lack of exhibition space.