(Credit: Foster + Partners)
Most people prefer to spend their time surrounded by nature, and it is good for your health after all. That’s why we see more and more buildings covered in greenery. Foster + Partners’ Marina Tower is among them. It’s also Greece’s first green high-rise building and its tallest, reaching 200 m (656 ft) in height.
Lamda Development will be the developer of Marina Tower, which will be located in Agios Kosmas, near Athens. The building will bring an innovative design approach to the region with its dominant green features, water features, natural light, and unimpeded sea views.
Foster + Partners’ press release said:
Located in the Agios Kosmas marina area and one of Ellinikon’s first architectural landmarks, Marina Tower will be the tallest building in Greece and the tallest green beachfront high-rise building in the Mediterranean. The building brings an innovative design approach to the region with dominant green and water features, natural light, and unobstructed sea views.
The green and water elements on every floor enhance the building’s bioclimatic nature. It’s a model of sustainable design, incorporating cutting-edge international safety protocols and the best environmental practices.
Marina Tower will have 200 apartments spread over 45 floors. All apartments will have excellent environmentally friendly construction materials, pioneering services and amenities, and specifications of a smart building.
The greenery will offer insulation and shade. That, in addition to the natural ventilation, will keep the interior comfortably cool. Furthermore, residents will have superb views of the rugged coastline thanks to balconies and generous glazing.
The tower will be one of six buildings included in Foster + Partners’ more extensive Ellinikon Masterplan development, which will transform the site of an abandoned airport into a new thriving district with retail, residential zones, cultural activities, and leisure and entertainment space. The Ellinikon Masterplan seeks to redefine the future of Mediterranean coastal development in Greece.
Antoinette Nassopoulos-Erickson, a Senior Partner at Foster + Partners, said:
Ellinikon Masterplan gives new direction to urban development in Athens, bringing together new ways of living, working, and playing centered around a metropolitan park – a generous amenity for local communities and the city of Athens. Our proposals for Marina Residential Tower build on these sustainable principles to generate a new paradigm for high-rise living and a green beacon in the landscape.
The site will feature one of the largest coastal parks in Europe, and each neighborhood will be self-sustaining and linked to the metropolitan park. It is serviced by tram and metro lines and is located near the heart of the city on the Athenian Riviera.
The park is so large that it will increase the allocation of open space per Athenian by 44% and plays an integral role in the city’s greening overall. In addition, the city officials, developers, and architects envision the park becoming a commercial and tourist destination.
Marina Tower is situated at the heart of the Ellinikon Masterplan and embodies its core principles to create a sustainable exemplar for contemporary living.
The project should open sometime in 2026 as there is still lots of work to be done.