New Acropolis Museum

Marking the opening of the New Acropolis Museum, this book is the first to examine both its architecture by Bernard Tschumi and the archaeological treasures it was built to house. A comprehensive look at Bernard Tschumi's eagerly anticipated New Acropolis Musuem and the celebrated collection it houses.

The museum, opened June 20, 2009, is located at the southern base of the Acropolis hill, set only 280 meters from the Parthenon. Tschumi's innovative design revolves around three concepts: light, movement, and a tectonic and programmatic element,which together "turn the constraints of the site into an architectural opportunity, offering a simple and precise museum" with the mathematical and conceptual clarity of ancient Greek buildings. The building addresses the dramatic complexities of the collection and the site with minimalist simplicity. The design is about the clarity expressed through three materials--glass, stainless steel, and concrete. "There's no way at the beginning of the 21st century you can try to imitate even superficially the art of 2,500 years ago," Tschumi says. The "precision of the concept was really what counted."The book provides an in depth look at the creation of the building as well as the restoration, preservation, and housing of the exhibits it displays through over 200 photographs, drawings, and texts by Dimitrios Pandermalis, Yannis Aesopos, BernardTschumi, and Joel Rutten.