Reg.Nr. HA-2010/GR/05

The National Observatory on the Hill of the Nymphs, Athen

The historic building of the National Observatory of Athens was founded in 1842 and has been in continuous operation since 1846. In it more than 160 year history, the building designed by Theofilos Hansen has had several different uses. It started out as an obeservatory with ...
Read more

Project details

Title:The National Observatory on the Hill of the Nymphs, Athen
Entr. year: 2010
Result:Award
Country: Greece
Town: Athens
Category type: group of buildings
Notes:Type also: cultural landscapes; historic parks and gardens; archeological sites; urban setting
Building type/ Project type: education/research building
Former use:Observatory
Actual use:Geoastrophysics Museum, specialized historic library
Built: 19th century
Architect / Proj.leader: Theophil Hansen, Ernst Ziller , National Observatory of Athens
The Jury's citation: "The project has been awarded for the exemplary restoration a conservation of a very important historic complex situated in the centre of modern Athens on the ancient hill of the Nymphs. The complex, which is constituted by four historic buildings designed by the famous European architects Theophil Hansen and Ernst Ziller and a surrounding historic garden, has until recently maintained its original use as the National Observatory of Greece. The awarded intervention converted it to a geoastrophysics Museum, which integrally preserves in situ, the original equipment (geoatrophysical instruments) as well as a historic library containing hundreds of specialized in geastrophysics volumes, published from 18th century."
GPS:37°59'2,1"N; 23°43'45,7"E
Web, Links:

www2.noa.gr/indexen.html

Description:
The historic building of the National Observatory of Athens was founded in 1842 and has been in continuous operation since 1846. In it more than 160 year history, the building designed by Theofilos Hansen has had several different uses. It started out as an obeservatory with accompanying offices, then reused as research offices until a year ago when it has transformed into a Museum for Geological and Astrophysics Sciences. Before its reuse as a Museum, an extensive restoration effort has taken place including structural, decorative and functional preservation work. The building has been connected to the other historical buildings in the National Observatory of Athens Thission Site, as well as historical observation sites by a newly designed landscape, which focuses on the education of the 19th century applied sciences, while exhibiting archaeological findings of site.