Lycabettus Outdoor Theatre
Lycabettus Hill, Athens, 1964-65
Architect
Takis Ch. Zenetos (1926-1977)
This 3000-seat open-air theatre was built on the
site of an old quarry on top of Lycabettus hill, on the initiative of
the great tragedian Anna Synodinou, to provide facilities for her company
Hellenic Stage to give performances of ancient plays. This project by
the talented visionary Takis Zenetos, who harmonised architecture with
technology and the Thespian art in an exemplary fashion, constitutes
a milestone in Greek modernism. In addition, despite the technological
middle road of the architectural solution and the fact that Anna Synodinous
Hellenic Stage was ejected from the theatre by the junta of the colonels,
the open-air theatre on Lycabettus has been justified culturally, since
it has evolved into one of the most highly frequented cultural venues
in Athens, one that favours experimentation and innovation.
This is a prefabricated metal grid in the form of an inverted parabolic
cone, which was systematically designed so that all seats would have
an unhindered view and good acoustics.
The theatres facilities and auxiliary spaces are under the stage,
at a level lower than the orchestra. Today Zenetoss work has been
aesthetically degraded by its improper refurbishment.
TRANSPORTATION