National Glypthotheque

The National Glyptotheque is housed in the twin buildings of the former Royal Stables at the Army Park, Goudi. Moreover, it covers an outdoor area of 6.500㎡, which hosts a sculpture park, where large-scale works are on display. The buildings were leased from the Ministry of National Defence, renovated with the help of EU funding and converted into exhibition venues thanks to a Stavros Niarchos Foundation grant.

The National Glyptotheque was inaugurated on 26 July 2004, with a retrospective exhibition of Henry Moore and monumental wood sculptures by Christos Kapralos. On 27 June 2006, the Modern Greek Sculpture Permanent Display was inaugurated, providing, for the first time, a complete overview of the sculpture collection in a dedicated space. Also for the first time, a comprehensive catalogue was published, available in English.

The cost of the sculpture display and the catalogue publication was once again borne by The Stavros Niarchos Foundation. The exhibition consists of eleven sections, which trace Modern Greek sculpture from its earliest beginnings to the present day. Each section is accompanied by explanatory texts; furthermore, digital information stations and QR codes for mobile devices make more information about each sculpture available to visitors. In addition to the Greek artists’ works in the galleries, six iconic sculptures by major international artists are on display at the exhibition entrance.