Elinikon is one of several new high-tech cities being built around the world.
This city of the future is being built on the site of the former Athens airport and is located on the coast of the Aegean Sea.
The smart city got its name from the abandoned Elinikon International Airport, located a little more than 6 kilometers south of Athens, which was closed in 2001. Construction was originally supposed to begin in 2008, but was significantly delayed due to the global financial crisis that brought the Greek economy to the brink of collapse.
Work on the project, described by contractors as the largest urban regeneration project in Europe, finally began in July 2020. They highlight the fantastic view of the Aegean Sea as a major asset and one of the main priorities is the regeneration of the coast, which is just over 3 kilometers long.
Last year, construction began on the Cove Residences cluster of luxury villas. Lamda Development, named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential companies, says it has already sold 350 waterfront properties and recently revealed plans to start work on a second site called Little Athens, which will have another 1,115 residential units.
A large coastal park is a key part of the project. The idea of opening a metropolitan park on the site of an abandoned airport has been in the works since 2005, and the location has 650 hectares.
The developers of the project described the Riviera Tower as the “crown jewel” of Ellinicon. This will be the first skyscraper in Greece and the tallest building, and will have 180 apartments on 50 floors.
Lamda CEO Odysseus Athanasius previously told Elinikon “puts Greece on the map for the right reason”, but not all Athenians agree with him. Some residents of the capital fear that the project will turn Athens into a “mini-Dubai” full of mega-yachts and casinos, while others have complained about the destruction of historic buildings connected to the old airport, reports Business Insider.
E2 portal (Business Insider)
Source: www.e2.rs
