The intended new resting place for the Elgin Marbles has caused political and architectural controversy
The new Acropolis Museum opened in Athens over the weekend amid further controversy. The 鈧�130m (拢113m) building by Bernard Tschumi has space reserved for the Elgin Marbles and at the opening of the museum Greek prime minister Costas Karamanlis called again for the UK to return the 2,500-year-old sculptures, which were taken from the Parthenon鈥檚 frieze 200 years ago. If you weren鈥檛 able to make it to Athens over the weekend, this video shows the museum鈥檚 interior and exhibits coming together.
The 210,000ft虏 structure has provoked a clash between neo-classicists and modernists similar to that surrounding the development of Chelsea Barracks. Action group Acropolis Now accused the government of 鈥渁rchitectural vandalism鈥� by putting such a modern building only 280m from the Parthenon.
Tschumi has said in the building鈥檚 defense: 鈥淚鈥檓 not interested in imitating the Parthenon. I鈥檓 interested in achieving that level of perfection in my buildings, and for early 21st-century architecture to match it in its own way.鈥�
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