The Stavros Niarchos Foundation, (SNF, named for one of Greece’s most beloved entrepreneurs and a “master of ships”) is a philanthropic organization offering arts, culture, and health related grants to vulnerable societies. Over the last 20 years, they’ve provided $1.8 billion to nonprofits in 111 countries across the world. Their largest gift—of over 550 million euros—was giving back to Greece itself with the decade-long project.

The Cultural Center (SNFCC) was proposed in 2006 as a facility and resource for Greek education and culture. In 2008, the SNF teamed up with world-famous architect Renzo Piano to create dynamic spaces for three Athenian institutions: the renovated Greek National Opera, the National Library of Greece, and the Stavros Niarchos Park. Titan creator Piano, whose past projects include the multi-pavilion Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center in New Caledonia and the wave-shaped Kansai International Airport Terminal, describes the center in a virtual tour as a place of discovery: “We don’t celebrate power. We don’t celebrate money. We celebrate the idea that the land should breathe. The idea was to take the land—Athens—and lift it up.” In the face of economic crises, the center was completed June 2016, with the addition of the Agora, a community-oriented visitor’s center.

An endless calendar of events gives citizens and visitors constant opportunities to invest and immerse themselves in a hopeful environment. From opera galas and latin jazz concerts, to film screenings and yoga workshops for children, not a week goes by that the center doesn’t offer artists an outlet for thriving, and community members a place to watch it happen.

Click here for more information about the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Source: Thecreatorsproject.vice.com