The Acropolis Museum third in the world, according to The Sunday Times
The Acropolis Museum in the third place within the list of the top 50 museums in the world, according to the British newspaper The Sunday Times.
The Athens Acropolis Museum was constructed in order to house the unique masterpieces found up on the sacred rock of the Acropolis and at its foot. The new building of the museum, opened its doors to the public on the 21st of June 2009 and hosts approximately 4.000 precious artifacts in a space of 14.000 square meters. Following an international competition which was launched in 2000 and after a review by an international committee, the project was assigned to the architectural firm of Franco-Swiss Bernard Tschumi and to the Greek office of Michalis Fotiadis 'Architecture Co LTD'.
Bernard Tschumi based his designs of the new building on three distinct concepts: motion, light and architectural planning.
• The motion: The visitor's path forms a three-dimensional loop, providing an architectural and spatial experience starting at the archaeological excavation and as far as the Parthenon hall and back.
• The light: The museum relies almost totally on the natural light, since it is mainly presenting sculptures that require a different lighting compared to other types of museums.
• The architecture: The building of the museum is constructed around a core of concrete measuring to the exact dimensions of the Parthenon. Placed within the core are the areas for its support, while around the core the atrium which is created hosts the exhibition spaces of the museum.
One of the most important elements of the Acropolis Museum is the empty spaces which we count among the original sculptures of the Parthenon, that are located in European museums, such as the British Museum or the Louvre and within other academic collections.
The list’s top ten, includes:
1. Smithsonian Museum in Washington
2. British Museum in London
3. Acropolis Museum in Athens
4. Sir John Soane Museum in London
5. American Museum of Natural History in New York
6. Imperial War Museum in London
7. Topkapi Palace in Istanbul
8. Palace of Versailles in France
9. Victoria and Albert Museum in London
10 National Museum of China in Beijing
