The internationally acclaimed Renzo Piano Building Workshop has revealed the first detailed images and design plans for an ambitious new cultural center currently under development in Piraeus, Greece's historic port city adjacent to Athens. The project, commissioned by The Dinos and Lia Martinos Foundation (DLMF), represents a significant investment in Greece's cultural infrastructure and aims to establish a world-class international hub that will connect with similar art centers around the globe.

The cultural complex, officially named KYKLOS, has been designed in collaboration with Athens-based Betaplan Architects and renowned Paris landscape architect Camille Muller. The project is specifically intended to serve as an open and accessible space for the local community, students, and international visitors while contributing meaningfully to the urban and cultural fabric of the greater Athens metropolitan area. Construction planning extends through the final quarter of 2028, with the project having been officially initiated in 2023.

KYKLOS is envisioned as a comprehensive center for exploring global contemporary art and its continuously evolving narratives through both immersive physical experiences and cutting-edge digital engagement platforms. Strategically located near the Neo Faliro electric train station, the architectural design thoughtfully integrates building structures with carefully planned landscape elements to encourage visitors to slow down, engage meaningfully with the art, and connect with both the cultural content and surrounding community.

According to Renzo Piano Building Workshop's design philosophy, the complex emphasizes three core principles: spatial clarity, exceptional environmental performance, and strong civic presence within the urban landscape. The building concept presents the structure as a protective shelter for art, carefully situated within an authentically Mediterranean garden setting. The design features fully glazed exhibition galleries that face westward toward one of the city's major avenues while also opening eastward to a quieter, more contemplative garden space.

Approximately 62 percent of the entire site will be dedicated to public planted spaces, designed in collaboration with landscape architect Camille Muller. These green areas are intended to ease the transition between the built environment and the surrounding city while making a positive contribution to the local urban ecosystem. Multiple layers of architectural components and carefully selected vegetation work together to filter natural light and frame views outward, maintaining strong connections to both urban and natural surroundings.

The interior spaces feature a flexible layout specifically designed to allow exhibitions, cultural events, and educational activities to coexist and evolve organically over time. Transparency, both visual and functional, shapes the circulation patterns and overall visitor experience throughout the complex. Beyond permanent and temporary exhibitions, KYKLOS will regularly host lectures, film screenings, and innovative digital programs, significantly broadening its cultural and educational reach within the region and internationally.

This significant cultural development in Piraeus joins other major international architectural projects currently making headlines. Recent news includes the groundbreaking of Tadao Ando's National Museum of Uzbekistan in Tashkent, marking his first major project in Central Asia, and the success of Milan and London-based a-fact architecture factory in winning the international competition for Podgorica's Museum and Cultural Park in Montenegro. These projects collectively demonstrate the continued global investment in cultural infrastructure and the role of world-renowned architects in creating spaces that serve both local communities and international audiences.