KYKLOS will bring international art, learning, and green space to Piraeus, located a few kilometers from the heart of Athens. It is a new cultural center currently under development, near the Neo Faliro metro station. Instigated by the Dinos and Lia Martinos Foundation (DLMF) and designed by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop, this project will host art collections and cultural programming with a global outlook. It will contribute to the urban and cultural fabric of the greater Athens area through its architecture and its local integration.
KYKLOS, standing in a generous Mediterranean garden, is designed as a shelter for art. Approximately 62% of the area will be given over to public, planted spaces designed in collaboration with landscape architect Camille Müller. A careful lighting concept for the landscape and the surroundings of the cultural center will balance the garden atmosphere and the role of a public place.
The building, housing the fully glazed exhibition galleries, faces one of the city’s largest avenues on the western side and a quiet garden on the eastern side. The structure will rely on natural light and energy-efficient materials to minimize its environmental footprint and achieve a high standard of environmental performance and resilience. The interior layout and lighting structure is flexible, allowing exhibitions, events, and learning spaces to co-exist and evolve over time.
In the fully glazed exhibition galleries, natural light plays a central role. The lighting concept, designed in close cooperation with all participants, integrates daylight and artificial lighting throughout the entire building. It is also part of the shading strategy for all necessary adaptions to weather and natural light conditions, as well as to the requirements for varied use of the spaces. Accompanying the planning processes, we are applying our special expertise and innovative tools to get a deep understanding of these complex processes and to create optimized solutions.