Foster + Partners has released designs for what will be the tallest building in Greece. Located near Athens, Marina Tower will also be the first green high-rise building in Greece and the tallest green beachfront high-rise building in the Mediterranean. 

The building is the centerpiece of a massive master plan, led by Foster + Partners and funded by Lamda Development, called the Ellinikon Masterplan. The project will sit on the site of the vacant Ellinikon International Airport and will include the construction of mixed-use districts as well as five other new skyscrapers. 

The Marina Tower will stand at 650 feet tall and will contain 200 apartments on 45 floors. The high-rise is slender with a façade defined by balconies and hanging gardens. The extensive greenery reportedly allows the building to blend in with the surrounding natural environment and “the special character of the Mediterranean landscape.” 

According to Foster + Partners, Marina Tower is a model of sustainable design that incorporates the best environmental practices and safety protocols. The firm states that all apartments will feature pioneering services and amenities, excellent environmentally friendly construction materials, along with smart building technology. The apartments will also have dual aspect and provide unobstructed panoramic views of the coastline and natural ventilation.

“Ellinikon Masterplan gives new direction to urban development in Athens, bringing together new ways of living, working and playing, centered on a metropolitan park – a generous amenity for local communities and the city of Athens,” said Senior Partner at Foster + Partners, Antoinette Nassopoulos-Erickson. “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 Marina Tower is just one component of the Ellinikon Masterplan that seeks to totally reinvent coastal development in Greece. With sustainable living at its core, the metropolitan park, as stated by Foster + Partners, is expected to increase the allocation of open space per Athenian resident by 44%. Walkable, self-sustained, mixed-use neighborhoods that are integrated with nature and the existing urban fabric will make up the plan. The project is still a long way from reality, expected for completion in 2026.