This summer should see the opening of Greece’s $325 million new Acropolis museum. I say ‘should’ because the opening date has been something of a moveable feast. It is now set for 20 June – initially it was supposed to be 2004.
Unusually, this is a museum that has been built to accommodate certain exhibits that will not be on show, in particular a significant part of the 160-metre Parthenon frieze (a remarkable ancient sculpture featuring men and horses) which currently resides in the British Museum in London.
The opening of the Athens attraction is sure to intensify debate over whether this missing segment (known as the Elgin Marbles after the 18th-century aristocrat who took a shine to them and transported them back to the UK) should be returned to Greece. One argument against such a course of action has always been that Athens had no suitable place in which to display them. That won’t hold water very soon. Swiss architect Bernard Tschumi has designed the new museum to allow the sculptures to be seen in natural light, but technologically advanced glass and climate-control should ensure they are not damaged by sunlight.
They will be dramatically displayed, too. Once visitors have climbed to the top floor of the museum, they will be able to see the frieze, then turn around to look at the Parthenon itself. It should be a memorable experience with, for now, copies filling the place of the London-based section.
What happens next in the saga of these artworks remains to be seen, but lively discussions are to be expected over the next few months.
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