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Updated Monday, February 16, 2009 11:12 am TWN, Bloomberg

Greece sets opening date for New Acropolis Museum

Greece will formally inaugurate the New Acropolis Museum, showcasing sculptures from the 2,500 year— old Parthenon temple, on June 20, Culture Minister Antonis Samaras told reporters in Athens Friday. Designed by Swiss-born architect Bernard Tschumi and Greece's Michael Photiades, the glass-and-concrete museum at the foot of the temple has been built to press Greece's case for a return of the Elgin Marbles, the fifth-century BC sculptures taken from the Parthenon and now housed in the British Museum.

Although an international competition to design the museum was called in 1989, court challenges by residents, the discovery of more ruins on the site and political disputes have hampered completion of the building. Greece missed the opportunity to press its case for the return of the marbles in 2004, when the world's attention was focused on Athens for the Olympic Games.

Samaras didn't say whether a planned 6 million-euro (US$8.5 million) program of events to promote the museum was still scheduled. Some Greek media have reported the original plans will be scaled back, due to the global economic crisis. “We're making the necessary cuts where we can,” said Samaras, who spoke after meeting Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis. “On the other hand, basic needs will be fully met.”

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