Greece has approved the museographic preliminary study for the new exhibitions of the National Archaeological Museum of Athens and the Epigraphic Museum of Athens, marking a key step in the ongoing modernisation of both institutions.
The Ministry of Culture announced that the maturation of studies for the upgrade of the two museums had progressed rapidly and remained within scheduled timelines. The museums formed part of a wider architectural complex defined by the city block of Patission, Tositsa, Bouboulinas and Vasilissis Herakleias streets.
Following the approval of the final museological study, the Museums Council unanimously endorsed the corresponding museographic preliminary study for the new exhibitions. The Atelier Brückner architectural studio prepared the designs in collaboration with the museums’ internal teams, as well as David Chipperfield Architects and Tombazis and Associates Architects, who led the broader architectural redevelopment. Engineering firms Kardoff Engineering, Werner Sobek and WHP contributed to lighting, electrical, mechanical and structural studies.
Culture Minister Lina Mendoni stated that the museographic pre-study built upon all approved architectural, structural and mechanical studies for the expansion and upgrade of the museums. She said the design focused on spatial organisation, exhibition layout and the integration of curatorial requirements, aiming to develop a world-class museum environment. She added that cooperation among all specialists and museum staff had remained continuous and effective, supporting strict adherence to timelines under the donation agreement framework.
The ministry explained that the exhibition strategy aimed to align and complement both museums within the upgraded complex. At the National Archaeological Museum, the design established a main visitor route linking key exhibits across both the historic building and the new extension, creating a unified narrative flow through the collections.
For the Epigraphic Museum, the proposed design organised the exhibition into thematic zones and introduced a guided visitor pathway. It incorporated open-storage elements into the display structure and combined chronological presentation with thematic groupings of inscriptions. The new exhibition presented up to 650 inscriptions across approximately 1,400 square metres.
The museographic study also defined key principles for exhibition organisation, including object classification, spatial layout, display systems, lighting design, signage and accessibility. It emphasised the creation of a coherent visual identity, functional display structures and improved physical and cognitive accessibility for visitors.
At the National Archaeological Museum, selected sculptures were planned for 360-degree viewing, while sensitive artefacts were placed in protective display cases. The design promoted independent visitor navigation, limited use of multimedia applications and a mixed lighting system combining vitrines and gallery illumination.
At the Epigraphic Museum, the exhibition structure incorporated shelving displays, free-standing monuments and panoramic elements to enhance thematic interpretation across historical periods.
