Mansion of the Duchess of Placentia, today the Byzantine Museum

Vas. Sofias Ave, Athens, 1848, conversion to Byzantine Museum 1928-1930, enlargements 1949-50 and 1987-93

Architects
Stamatios Kleanthis (1802-1862)
Aristotelis Zachos (1871-1939)
Vassileios Douras (1904-1981)
Manos Perrakis (1937-)



The core of the Byzantine Museum was the Villa Ilissia, an outstanding historicist building in mid-19th century Athens. It was constructed in 1848 near the banks of the then open Ilissus River, as the winter residence of the philhellene French woman Sophie de Marbois-Lebrun, known as the Duchess of Placentia. The design of this mansion is attributed to architect Stamatios Kleanthis (according to others, to his Danish colleague Christian Hansen). After the duchess died in 1854, this building devolved to the Greek State. For many years it accommodated the Naval Academy and other military authorities.
In view of its use as the Byzantine Museum, it was remodelled in 1928-30 by its archaeological director Georgios Sotiriou and architect Aristotelis Zachos. Kimon Lascaris landscaped the surrounding area. In 1949-52 the Museum was enlarged by the addition of a wing for folklore exhibits and icons, designed by architect Vassileios Douras.
The second, much larger addition was recent. It was designed (1987-92) by the architect Manos Perrakis and the foundations were laid in November of 1994. Perrakis’ architectural design met the complex museum demands. It left the old Museum buildings untouched and visible from all sides.
After the transfer of the collections to the new building, the old one will be used for the reception of officials and as a venue for periodic exhibitions.
The old mansion was designed in the neo-Renaissance architectural style. It consists of neoclassical elements, such as the dominance of the horizontal line and the low, closed towers, but also romantic features including vaulted colonnades, unplastered stone masonry and projecting roof. The elevations of the mansion have a tripartite division – an emphasised middle with towers on both corners – and colonnades on its upper floors. Its exterior walls are faced by Hymettus marble. The main building is on one side of an internal section that is supplemented by subsequent lateral wings and the entrance gatehouse.
The new addition to the Byzantine and Christian Museum of Athens starts from the basement and extends down to a depth of three levels, exploiting the natural slope of the terrain between Vas. Sofias and Vas. Konstantinou avenues. This slope makes natural lighting possible and the direct contact with the surroundings in the large exhibition halls, despite the fact that they are lower than the Duchess of Placentia’s mansion. The exhibition areas, with an area of 4500 m2, have been laid out on successive levels, which are interconnected by stairs and lifts. The original entrance to the museum, through the colonnade of the old complex on Vas. Sophias Ave, is used as the visitors’ entrance; a second entrance has been created on Vas. Konstantinou Ave. Apart from the main exhibition areas in the 12,660 m2 addition to the museum, halls are created for special collections (the Loverdos Collection), workshops for all specialisations, research areas, storage space for collections, shelters for the protection of works, information and educational areas, an underground parking facility for Museum workers and a comprehensive surveillance system. The entire lowest level is occupied by the special electrical and mechanical installation that controls atmospheric conditions.

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