I recently returned from a trip to Italy and Greece and one of the destinations I made a point of visiting while in Athens was the new Acropolis Museum. The museum was opened June 20, 2009 and I was able to visit it on July 2, 2009 – so the paint was still fresh and the gleam was shiny as was the glass in the structure.

Designed by a Swiss architect Bernard Tschumi, the structure of the new Acropolis Museum is very modern with a stunning combination of glass and concrete that seems to serve as the perfect silent background to the star of the show – the classical remains from the Acropolis itself.

The museum has three basic levels for the visiting patrons, featuring sculpture dating from the archaic period around the acropolis to the classical period. The museum is littered with korai and kouroi, on the 2nd floor in particular you can see up close the famous “archaic smile” featured on each piece as well as see the paint still lingering. One of the main characteristics throughout the museum is the combination of simply geometric lines and textures with a legion of repeating dots to break up the lines. In fact, on all the glass there are these tiny dots as well as larger ones in the walls making the interior have a domino kind of presence.

An innovative feature, and destined to be the trademark of what is going to be possibly one of the great museums of the world, is the glass flooring. This is a unique experience as it leaves one feeling as if you are floating on air and beneath your feet are the archaeological remains of the area. In fact, the entire museum seems to be more like a giant UFO, with strong symmetry of course, hovering over the site in order to learn more about the area and the slice of time it is framed within. For archaeologists, this is particulary exciting as they can see for themselves the remains and the random museum goers fluttering about can take stabs with their imagination at what they are looking at.

The relationship between the new museum and its environs seems very well thought out as the glass floor not only lets you view the past of the area, but the glass surrounding the building provides a beautiful vista of the present state of the acropolis and the city. It is a place where all time strands meet and interlock into the simplicity of a modern structure but with the grace of a dancer carefully stepping over the precious remains which abound the area.

A thrill for any afficionado of classical sculpture and Greek culture would be the presence of the caryatides from the porch of the Erectheion on the acropolis. The maidens stand tall and proud, vestiges of the past relieved of the burden of supporting the ancient roof from the busy temple that once housed one of the main cult statues of Athena and her peplos. Noticeable still is the empty space of one of the missing sisters, which was taken by Lord Byron and has yet to make its way back home to Athens. Another point of contention between the Greeks and the English.

If you travel to Athens, you must make the time to visit the new Acropolis Museum. It is extremely affordable, only 1 euro, and can bring you up close to classical Athenian civilization in a way you have not experienced. You can tour the remains which lay under your feet and ponder the mastery of the beauty of the sculpture. Also available to you is the simple splendor of modern architecture, focused on quite elegance and pragmatism, it serves as the perfect stage for classical sculpture.