Checking in on Europe’s largest urban regeneration project

Called the Courtyards, the 324-unit residential neighbourhood is formed of 11 buildings designed by Audo Architects and developed by Lamda.

GCR spoke to Lamda about the stages of development, difficulties renovating a former airport and the ongoing project phases.

What is the role of the Courtyards in The Ellinikon project, and what other development phases are planned?

The Ellinikon masterplan brings together residences, commercial and hospitality destinations, workplaces, sports areas, cultural facilities, public infrastructure and the two-million-square-meter Ellinikon Park.

Rather than functioning as a standalone development, each component is being planned as part of an integrated, walkable urban environment connected to the surrounding municipalities and the wider Athens metropolitan area.

The Courtyards is the newest residential development within Little Athens, The Ellinikon’s emerging parkside neighbourhood. Conceived as a model 15-minute city, Little Athens brings together residences, retail, dining, green space and everyday services connected to the wider ecosystem of The Ellinikon.

Demand has been strong both locally and internationally, with 85% of the residences brought to market already sold or reserved.

The Courtyards joins a growing and architecturally diverse collection of residential developments within Little Athens, including Park Rise, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, as well as Pavilion

Terraces, Promenade Heights, Trinity and Atrium Gardens and Sunset Groves.

The Courtyards’ design reinterprets the traditional Mediterranean courtyard for a contemporary residential setting, using landscaped communal spaces, shaded spaces, plus indoor and outdoor living areas.

Five of the buildings will also incorporate publicly accessible retail and dining spaces along arcades, helping connect the residences with the surrounding neighbourhood.

Within the larger masterplan, the Courtyards contributes to the creation of a complete, connected community rather than an isolated residential enclave. Residents will be within walking distance of green space, recreation, retail, dining and public transportation, supporting the Ellinikon’s broader vision for a walkable and sustainable urban district.

Are there any setbacks to working on the site of the old airport?

Working on the site of a former airport naturally comes with complexities, but Lamda Development has viewed them less as setbacks and more as a responsibility to regenerate the land properly.

We have invested significant time and resources in decontaminating and preparing the site, while finding ways to preserve and reuse as much of the existing material as possible.

95% of excavation and demolition materials are being reused on site, and at least 75% of construction waste is being diverted from landfills. This allows parts of the former airport to take on a new purpose within the development.

We have built sustainable features such as an underground network for rainwater collection, treatment and flood protection, permeable surfaces and a wastewater treatment plant that will reuse reclaimed water for the park’s irrigation.

All of this requires additional effort and investment upfront, but it means it’s possible to transform a long-unused brownfield site responsibly and create a district designed to serve Athens for generations.

How is the design of traditional Mediterranean courtyards integrated into the project?

Rather than treating landscaping as a secondary feature, the 11 buildings are organised around a series of private, planted courtyards with pathways, seating areas and recreational zones.

These spaces provide residents with areas for relaxation, exercise and family activities, while also creating shade, supporting natural ventilation and providing a gradual transition between the homes and the wider neighbourhood.

The development has also been designed as a holistically connected part of Little Athens. Five of the buildings incorporate publicly accessible retail and dining spaces arranged along arcades, helping connect the residential community with the surrounding neighbourhood and create an active, walkable streetscape.

How will The Ellinikon be project-managed to ensure all the areas are linked to one another and to existing infrastructure and nearby communities?

Integration begins with the masterplan. The Ellinikon has been designed as a single urban system, with its neighbourhoods, commercial destinations, public spaces, parkland and coastal areas connected through a coordinated network of roads, pedestrian routes, cycleways, public transportation and utility infrastructure.

At the program level, Lamda is working with dedicated project teams and international program-management expertise to coordinate design, procurement, construction sequencing, interfaces and delivery across the site.

Common standards for design, sustainability, digital coordination and infrastructure help ensure that individual projects contribute to the same overall framework. Building Information Modelling and other digital coordination tools are being used where appropriate to identify interfaces between structures, utilities and public-realm works before construction.

Delivery is also phased so that the infrastructure required to support each neighbourhood is coordinated with the buildings and public spaces coming into use.

Externally, The Ellinikon is being connected to the existing road, public-transport and utility networks, while new pedestrian and cycling connections will help reduce the physical separation historically created by the former airport. The intention is for The Ellinikon to operate as an extension of Athens and its neighbouring municipalities, not as an enclosed development.

The Riviera Tower is due to become Greece’s tallest tower. Have you faced any difficulties during design and build work?

Riviera Tower is the first building of this height and complexity to be constructed in Greece, so its delivery has required a combination of international high-rise expertise, local engineering knowledge and detailed coordination across the design and construction teams.

Delivering a project of this scale has also required introducing new construction methods and capabilities to the Greek market.

While that has presented challenges, it has created an opportunity to combine international high-rise experience with the expertise of Greece’s construction industry and establish new benchmarks for tall-building delivery in the country.

Designed by Foster + Partners, Riviera Tower recently reached its full 50-story height. Upon completion at 200 meters, it will be Greece’s tallest building and the country’s first LEED pre-certified sustainable residential skyscraper.

Once completed, how will The Ellinikon improve life in Athens?

The most immediate change will be access. A former airport site that separated surrounding communities from a substantial section of the Athenian coastline is being transformed into an open, connected part of the city.

The Ellinikon Park plus other public areas create amenities and improve access to the waterfront. New transport and utility infrastructure will support the development while improving connections within existing urban fabric.

Bringing mixed-use facilities together will reduce reliance on long daily journeys and create neighbourhoods where many everyday needs can be met locally for the entire community to benefit from.

Its contribution is also economic. Construction is supporting employment and skills development, while the completed district is expected to create over 70,000 new jobs, and attract more than one million additional visors to Athens each year, as well as new businesses and investment to the country. Upon completion, the wider development is expected to double Athens’ green space and contribute roughly 2.5% of Greece’s total GDP.

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