Athenian Riviera: The chronicle of the transformation – 70 km in 70 years

Early in the afternoon, around 4:30-5:00 pm, is a great time of day to gaze at the progress being made on the Riviera Tower from the highest point of Carea Avenue, facing the sea. This is an opportune time for spotting the far horizon, as at that stage traffic on that particular roadway is progressing, barely, at a slow pace.

So whoever happens to be driving, moreover, has plenty of time to focus on the silhouette of the skyscraper under construction, perhaps the most iconic building within the Ellinikon Project. And the Riviera Tower leads, by its name alone, by association to the occasional transformations of the Athenian Riviera, the coastal front of Athens on the Saronic Sea, from Piraeus to Sunni and over a distance of 70 kilometers. After all, it is 70 years since the term “Athenian Riviera began to make sense.

A part of Attica that, behind its cosmopolitan aura, which is even soaring to stratospheric heights lately, is characterized by a peculiar connection with the political history of Greece: The refugees of the Mikrashian Catastrophe in 1922 who were forced to settle between Anavyssos and Palaia Focaea – even though they came from the interior of Anatolia and had no idea how to survive by the sea. The Symbiosis of Varkiza in 1945 (although it was signed in the area of Vari).

The infamous “Tripes”, by Constantine Karamanlis’s vision for the tourist development of the country in the 1950s. The attempted assassination of the dictator Georgios Papadopoulos by Alexander Panagoulis in 1968. These are just a few of the prominent events that are identified with the path of the Athenian Riviera through time.

The Riviera Tower, however, has currently reached the 15th of its 50 floors, although it is still some way from its final height of 200 m, it somewhat resembles an oversized totem as it looms on the edge of the land, implicitly conveying the message that on the Athenian Riviera, the conditions of life are changing forever. But the question that arises is whether such a multi-dimensional investment for Greece as the Ellinikon Project is properly framed, with the corresponding upgrading of basic public infrastructure, etc.

The futuristic Riviera Tower, the tallest coastal residential building in the Mediterranean, with its 170 dream apartments, which have already been pre-sold for 3.6 million euros on average, bears no responsibility for the bottlenecking in Kareas. On the contrary, a sizable portion of the total, colossal by Greek standards, expenditure of the Ellinikon Project is being channeled into infrastructure projects. Some of these, such as the undergrounding of the Poseidon coastal avenue, are aimed at improving road traffic conditions given the increased traffic that will in the future be heading south precisely because of the investment in the old Athens airport site and its surroundings.

The project of sinking a section of Poseidonos Avenue 1.5 km below the ground surface, between Alimos Beach and Agios Kosmas Marina, is proceeding normally towards its completion. With the new tunnel, the current alignment of Poseidon will be diverted diagonally, with an expected significant reduction in congestion, since six traffic lights are removed and three lanes of traffic are created in each direction. More generally, the official forecast of the contractor Lamda Development for the Ellinikon Project, the largest urban regeneration project in Europe, states the attraction of 1 million tourists per year, additional economic benefits for the Greek state with revenues of €14 billion, a contribution to GDP of 2.4%, and the creation of 85,000 new jobs.

Population movement

The Athenian Riviera is regenerating at a frenetic pace. And it is reinventing itself as a pole of attraction for a huge number of people, who now have a number of reasons (personal, family, business) to move regularly to the coast of Athens, or even relocate to the area, mainly from Paleo Faliro to Vouliagmeni.

The extensive changes in the urban landscape faithfully illustrate the explosive interest in the south. The architectural and aesthetic quest is not limited to the Riviera Tower and the other buildings of the Ellinikon Project. On the contrary, a simple random tour of the Glyfada, Voula and Vouliagmeni section attests that the reconstruction is in a prolonged orgasm. The apartment buildings being erected create the impression that a massive population movement is taking place in the southern and eastern suburbs of Athens, which, in some ways at least, is true.

Helped by the suspension of the VAT obligation for construction, but mainly due to high-profit expectations from developers, the design of buildings in the southern suburbs is producing spectacular results. Several of the apartment blocks or complexes of independent residences being erected in the centre of Glyfada, Kavouri, Vouliagmeni etc. are awe-inspiring with the eccentric shapes devised by the architects, the complexity of the construction from a purely technical point of view and certainly the cost – both of construction and of purchase. In any case, the southern suburbs of Athens are becoming a living gallery of avant-garde architecture – no matter if the avant-garde pursuits are not always tasteful.

At 3,800 euros/sq.m.

Not counting the brief visits, probably tens of thousands of people daily, to the shopping center and other public facilities (wellness, entertainment, sports, etc.) of the “Paradigm City”, which is being created on the premises of the old Athens airport, Ellinikon’s prognosis seems accurate since a proper new city is being born, which will necessarily have to be integrated into the existing one.

In this light, it doesn’t matter if the apartments on the 50 floors of the Riviera Tower were sold, bringing in about 630 million euros for the developer. The occupants of each of these impressive residences will inevitably have to share the same road network, at least occasionally, with the countless others who move daily along the Riviera and in the inner city municipalities, which are already feeling the pressure of increased demands from transient and permanent residents.

At the “cursed” traffic light of Eleftheriou Venizelou, the avenue leading to Vouliagmenis from Poseidonos, following the perimeter between Glyfada Golf and the old airport, the congestion is and will forever remain the same, whether crowded in endless queues of humble city cars or premium limousines. And whether in a Cinquecento or a Bentley, the annoyance of excessive delay is also the same. Something similar applies to, say, a smooth electricity supply.

Residents of Glyfada, for example, know that power cuts during peak periods are common. But common does not mean tolerable, especially in an area where current land values are the most expensive in Attica (over 3,800 euros/sq.m. to buy, almost 13 euros/sq.m. to rent), with massive purchases of property by foreigners with a prominent financial standing, etc.

Automatically, the spectacular increase in the flow of visitors brings to the surface the finite potential of basic public infrastructure, while prescribing a future for the southern suburbs in stark contradiction to the bold spirit, megaproject approach, and sheer volume of investment being implemented at multiple points along Attica’s coastal front.

The transformation of the hitherto neglected Athenian Riviera into a modern and competitive tourism, consumer, and residential destination of world-class status is emerging from an orgiastic barrage of investment and development. The Ellinikon Project leads the general trend as by far the most ambitious, but certainly not the only project in the region.

The strong interest of businessmen and conglomerates, both from Greece and abroad, contributes to the Athenian Riviera being projected as a late-discovered Greek “El Dorado”. That is, as a sought-after place where business opportunities thrive – not so much for post-modern gold-diggers as for serious and strong players in the tourism market. As an indication, the investment in Elliniko is in the order of 2.1 billion euros – and only for the first phase of the projects.

The American businessman Prem Wacha is reported to have invested the astronomical sum of 300 million euros in One&Only, the new ultra-luxury hotel complex in Glyfada. The same figure of 300 million euros will reportedly be disbursed by shipowner Giorgos Prokopiou for the acquisition of a stake of more than 30% in the management company of Astera Vouliagmeni, namely the “Four Seasons” hotel, the marina and the organized beach of the same name.

500 million euros is the total investment of Mr Prokopios within the Ellinikon Project, with the acquisition of land where the businesses of the prominent Greek shipowner will construct residences, office buildings, a higher maritime school, etc. Also, George Prokopiou is part of the Athens Beach Club S.A. consortium along with TEMES of Achilleas Konstantakopoulos, Intracom and others, which undertook the redevelopment of the abandoned B’ Coast of Voula for 16 million euros.

On the part of the state, the regional governor of Attica, Nikos Hardalias announced a few days ago that a 541-acre Metropolitan Park will be created in Falirikos Ormos with funding of 370 million euros from the European Commission. At the same time, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has shown a direct personal interest in the fastest possible implementation of the project “Athenian Riviera – Urban Walk” with a 22 km long cycle path, which will cross six municipalities: Kallithea, Palaio Faliro, Alimos, Elliniko – Argyroupolis, Glyfada, and Vari – Voula – Vouliagmeni.

The Heliopolis Tunnel

However, in contrast to the steady progress of private investment and the generous funding of the required works in the Ellinikon Project, the Greek government side is falling short in initiatives and planning of critical projects. For example, the much-discussed Heliopolis Tunnel, which – supposedly – will connect Messogeion and Vouliagmeni avenues, opening a rapid access corridor between the two ends, currently exists only as an idea.

Rather as wishful thinking to relieve the traffic congestion that causes suffocation, often from Ilioupoli to Glyfada and vice versa, depending on the time of day. What is the case every morning, between 07.00 and 09.30, when the flow of vehicles is northbound is reversed in the afternoon on the descent. Thus, the prospect is that traffic on the roads, especially on Alimou–Katechaki and Poseidonos will become increasingly congested as the works at Elliniko progress.

The regional governor of Attica, Nikos Chardalias, as someone who has oversight of the whole picture from his position, expresses his reservations and concerns. As he states to “THEMA”, “The Ellinikon Project is an extremely important project and from the point of view of the Attica Region it goes without saying that we want everything to go well. We want the sign of the investment in Ellinikon, the imprint it will leave on the local community and the entire Attica basin to be positive.

However, I feel the need to stress that although the project is going ahead, although we are present and we are in favour of the investment, we are concerned. Because we notice that there is no overall staff approach to the project. There are traffic issues, and there are operational issues, which absolutely must – in the next few weeks, in the next few months – be resolved. There has to be a comprehensive planning. Not every investor can plan alone and according to their own perceptions.”

The Riviera in the Times

As an illustrative example of the situation prevailing on the coastal front of Athens, the current picture of a relatively small part of the Riviera could be taken: from the “Stars” of Glyfada to the confluence of the Poseidonos Avenue and Vouliagmeni in Voula, the new modern and ultra-luxurious hotels, the private beach clubs and even the beaches under total reconstruction have completely transformed the landscape. And the scope, either for the facelift of existing facilities or the smart creation of new ones, has not been exhausted.

This fact certainly does not escape international attention. In a recent feature, the prestigious “Times” of London noted that “Greece’s most underrated (but also luxurious) coastline is on the rise. The secret is out: The Athenian Riviera is the hot destination for autumn holidays” etc. The British Times article focuses on a retro-style beach, that of Asteras Vouliagmeni, as well as 91 Athens Riviera in Glyfada, a post-modern glamping (i.e. luxury tents) complex. Note that 91 Athens Riviera, along with C Beach, are the brand new tourist complexes that have sprung up next to PIKPA Voula.

“The Athens Riviera,” writes Times editor Kathy Adams, “for Athenians who knew how to live has long been a place for short weekend getaways. In its heyday, music stars (Jimmy Hendrix), politicians (Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela), and haughty legends (Jackie Onassis) frequented this shoreline. Along with them, the area was frequented by the Athenian middle class, who were looking for a way to escape their crowded city. For them, the Attica coast never lost its glamour. However, adding the word “riviera” to anything is a crude publicity stunt, something designed to put the area in question on the radar of northern Europeans, making it sound sexy and French.”

The Times’ description is overly harsh, perhaps with a touch of arrogance, since the term “riviera” has long since ceased to be used exclusively for the original Ligurian coastline in Italy. Since the French and subsequently many others (e.g. Bulgarians, Turks, Chinese, Swiss) borrowed it to attract an air of cosmopolitanism, the word ‘riviera’ has acquired a more general meaning. So, it is not only abusive, as the Times implies, to use it to identify the Athenian Riviera. By the end of July 1953, the then-allied Athenian press was praising the visionary plans of the then Minister of Communications and Public Works, Constantine Karamanlis, especially for the Attica coastline. Back then, land access to the areas from Varkiza and beyond, to Sounion and Lavrio, was only possible by crossing the Mediterranean.

“The coast of the Saronic Gulf, from Piraeus Castellan to Glyfada, is acquiring its true value thanks to the works of Karamanlis,” said one publication in a furiously rapturous tone. Adding that “after a few months, not years, Athens and the Falira, thanks to the activity of the Ministry of Public Works, will have changed their form. Whatever was in the dream area, Karamanlis is making it a beautiful reality. And his works are a positive contribution to the whole building programme of the Government of the Coalition”.

And when the works for the opening of the coastal road to Sunni, including the “hole” in the solid rocky slope above the beach of Loubarda, were now underway, in February 1955, the news reported that “by order of the Minister of Communications and Public Works, K. Karamanlis, the architectural department of the ministry commissioned a study on the definitive future shape of the Saronic coast, from Kastella to Sounion. In particular, the locations for the construction of hotels, casinos, bathing facilities, nautical facilities, leisure centres, etc. were identified, and wide scope for the development of the coastal zone was provided under the new urban planning programme. Along with the tourist promotion of the Saronic beach, where the new coastal road Vouliagmeni – Varkizis – Lomvarda – Anavyssos – Sounio is being constructed, the ministry provided measures to serve the main tourist purpose of the coast.”

New Era

The road was fully completed in 1957 and after 41 million drachmas had been spent, a not exorbitant budget. Having succeeded Papagos as prime minister, Konstantinos Karamanlis had correctly discerned that Greece could claim a lucrative share of incoming foreign exchange by attracting tourists. Karamanlis aspired, rightly, to divert the flow of foreign tourists from the antiquities to the other attractions of Attica, an idea that coincided with the international trend toward the massification of tourism.

And, indeed, from the late 1950s and with greater momentum in the 1960s, the idea of travel experienced an explosive rise, which led to the need for the proliferation of modern hotels. So, as a chain reaction, the blasting of the rocks at Loubarda for the Karamanlis Hole opened, literally and figuratively, the way for the development of the Athenian Riviera. With famous VIP guests or (relatively) permanent residents, such as Aristotle Onassis and his respective cohabitants in his legendary villa in Lagonisi, as well as the one that the Greek Croesus granted to the junta’s champion C. Papadopoulos.

The Athenian Riviera became the natural canvas for astonishing experimentation with architectural modernism, expressed in complexes and residences that adorned the arid seaside landscape. But perhaps the most distinctive and memorable trace in domestic popular culture is a lasting celebration of a “dolce vita” à la Greek on the coast of Attica, from Faliro to Sounion. Just as it was immortalized in countless films of the classic Greek cinema, which honored, to a degree of worship, the Athenian Riviera.

The benefits, according to the official forecast of LAMDA Development

+1 million tourists per year
€+14 billion in revenue for the state
+85,000 new jobs
+2.4% to the country’s GDP

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