INCREDIBLE plans have been revealed to transform a huge abandoned airport, three times the size of Monaco, into Europe’s biggest “smart city”.
Once filled with rusting jumbo jets and rotting buildings, Ellinikon International Airport in Athens, Greece, now has ambitious plans to become a sprawling urban metropolis.
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Located just a 20-minute drive from Athens, Ellinikon will transform both the Greek coast and the country.
It is being dubbed the first urban regeneration project in Europe – and will be transformed into a “smart” and “green” city.
The masterplan aims to combine residential towers, shopping centers, workplaces and entertainment centers into a vast two million square meter park.
Residents will be able to access schools, parks, offices, shops and even the beach – all in less than 15 minutes.
To make it a smart city, unique software will be introduced that will oversee water supply and waste management systems.
Each of the buildings will be equipped with smart energy services.
Odisseas Athanasiou, head of the development project, said: “It is a smart city from end to end.
“We like to call it ‘Zip Code Paradise’.”
One of the megacity’s main attractions will be the Riviera Tower – which will be Greece’s first residential skyscraper.
Designed by renowned architecture firm Foster + Partners, the architectural landmark will feature 150 homes – each with stunning views of the city.
For those looking to move to the city, around 243 units have already been put up for sale in one of the Little Athens neighborhoods.
Authorities expect the city to house around 20,000 people in around 10,000 homes within the next 13 years.
However, by the end of this summer, at least seven new condominium buildings will be visible from the shore, alongside the high-rise under construction, Bloomberg reports.
The developers have intensified the project and by next year they intend to build up to 15 new residential colonies, alongside a sports center with football pitches, tennis courts courts and swimming pools.
History of Ellinikon International Airport
Per TOM MALLEY
Ellinikon International Airport once served about 11 million passengers a year – and recorded 13.5 million passengers during its final year of operation.
Located six kilometers south of the center of Athens, the airport was initially built in 1938, just before the Second World War, at a time when the area was sparsely populated.
But shortly after its opening, the Third Reich invaded Greece and after 1941, the airport served as a Luftwaffe air base during the occupation.
In 1945, Greek authorities had to sign an agreement with the United States Air Force that allowed them to use the airport for flights between Italy and the Middle East.
From 1 October 1945 to 1969 the airport became Hellinikon Air Base.
A command and control center, as well as a passenger and cargo terminal, were opened at the airport.
In 1958, the airport changed its name to Athens International Airport when its purpose was changed to civil aviation.
In 1988, however, Greece refused to renew its agreement with the US Air Force, which conducted its last operation at the airport in 1991.
After its official closure ten years later, abandoned planes, empty hangars, overgrown runways and crumbling infrastructure formed part of the enormous monstrosity that was once an important international airport.
“By Christmas 2026, we want residents to live in their homes,” Athanasiou said in an interview.
The 600-acre park will revitalize the airport area that has been vacant for nearly two decades.
The restorative landscape will feature a children’s playground and a cultural center, with 31,000 trees and more than 3 million plants native to Greece covering the park.
Part of Ellinikon Airport’s history will be preserved as the 1960s-era terminal will remain untouched along with the runway’s huge lamp posts.
Meanwhile, more than 300,000 square meters of concrete and asphalt will be transformed into benches and paving.
Michael Grove, a landscape architect with Sasaki, the Boston-based firm responsible for the project’s design, told CNN: “We’re using what we have on site through all this beautiful concrete — these foot-thick concrete slabs with aggregate. marble the size of golf balls.”
He added that the site will have a lot to offer for everyone, from sculpture parks, sports centers, open-air theaters to cycle paths stretching for 29 kilometers.
“This is a generational and transformational project for Greece,” Grove said.
The designer wants people to enjoy the scenery and engage with nature while walking along the 30-mile hiking trails.
He envisions the park becoming the Athenian version of New York’s Central Park – a landmark that will stand the test of time and transform the way Athenians use public space.
“Looking at the history of Athens, we expect this park, in one form or another, to have existed for a thousand years,” Grove said.
The idea for the project was born long before the airport went out of operation, but economic turbulence continually delayed it.
It was finally awarded to property company Lamda Development, which estimated it would cost a whopping £6.4 billion to achieve.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
