Contract for the new Metropolitan Park in Ellinikon is awarded to AKTOR – Here’s what The Ellinikon Park will look like

The contract for the new Metropolitan Park in Ellinikon is awarded to AKTOR, a member of Intrakat Group of companies.

This is the first green park in the country. The project, with a cost of 80 million euros, underwent a competition organized by Lamda Development and involves the first phase of its development. The total cost of developing the park reaches 250 million euros, making it the largest exclusively green project of all time for our country.

The project for the Metropolitan Park is expected to be signed within 2024 and completed by the end of 2026. It will be seamlessly integrated into the overall developments and will serve as the focal point of the investment in Elliniko.

“The Elliniko Park is more than just a large green park. It is a new proposition that introduces to our country and internationally a new way of life where nature, people, and advanced technology applications coexist harmoniously. The Elliniko Park will be constructed and operated exclusively with the investor’s funds and will be a park-experience focused on citizens of all ages,” stated Odysseas Athanasiou, CEO of Lamda Development, during the project presentation in 2022.

How the new Park will look like

The Olympic Square will serve as a showcase for the Olympic heritage, while the amphitheatre in the area will be able to host concerts and other events. At the highest point of the park, outdoor galleries will be created to exhibit sculptures and works of modern art, with an emphasis on Greek artists.

Over an area larger than the Field of Mars, thematic zones such as vineyards, olive groves, and fields will be created, inviting visitors on a journey of discovery into Greek agriculture.

In the Saarinen area, the central building of the East Airport of Elliniko dominates, which for decades served as the gateway to Athens. The historic building is given a new lease of life as an exhibition centre and a venue for cultural events. The Trachones Stream is defined, and its bed is freed, resulting in the revitalization of the local ecosystem and the transformation of the surrounding area.

The reformed Canoe-Kayak Lake of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games will be a space where one can enjoy the breathtaking view from the observation point and explore the lake.

Finally, an integral part of The Ellinikon Park is the Experience Park, located in the area of the three Hellenic Air Force shelters. It has already become the new destination for relaxing moments in the southern suburbs.

A “smart” park of the future

The Ellinikon Park will be the first “smart” park in Greece that will incorporate intelligent solutions for visitor safety and the preservation of the natural environment. This includes lighting systems that adjust intensity based on the season and time of day, as well as continuous monitoring systems for environmental conditions, energy conservation, and water savings. Lamda Development aims for the smart infrastructure of Elliniko to serve as a model at both national and international levels.

The project pertains to the first phase of the development of the Metropolitan Park. The design of the Metropolitan Park, also known as “Hellinikon Park,” has been carried out by the globally renowned architectural firm Sasaki in collaboration with the Doxiadis office. Lamda’s goal is to develop the largest urban green space in Athens.

The park will start from the foothills of Mount Hymettus and extend to the sea, connecting the surrounding municipalities and uniting the new neighbourhoods that will be created. Already, a portion of it, the Experience Park, covering a total area of 75 acres, opened to the public in December 2021, much earlier than expected. Starting from the Experience Park, the Ellinikon Park will continue to grow until it becomes the largest coastal park in Europe, covering a vast area and offering unique experiences to those who visit it.

At its full extent, it will cover an area of 2,000,000 square meters. It will be 14 times larger than the National Garden, larger than London’s Hyde Park, covering 1/3 of the total development. A key component of the planned project for the Elliniko Pole is the creation of an extensive network of pathways exceeding 50 kilometres, including pedestrian walkways, bike paths, and roads for gentle traffic. This will include a unique pedestrian walkway 56 meters wide and over 2.5 kilometres long, connecting Vouliagmenis Avenue to the Coastal Front through Ellinikon Park.