The main building of the Academy is a
neoclassical building between
Panepistimiou Street and
Akadimias Street in the centre of Athens. The building was designed as part of an architectural "trilogy" in 1859 by the Danish architect
Theophil Hansen, along with the
University and the
National Library. Funds had been provided by the magnate
Simon Sinas specifically for the purpose, and the foundation stone was laid on 2 August 1859. Construction proceeded rapidly, after 1861 under the supervision of
Ernst Ziller, but the internal tumults during the latter years of King
Otto's reign, which resulted in his ousting in 1862, hampered construction until it was stopped in 1864. Works resumed in 1868, but the building was not completed until 1885, at a total cost of 2,843,319 gold
drachmas, most of it provided by Sinas, and, after his death, by his wife Ifigeneia. The Greek neo-classical sculptor
Leonidas Drosis sculpted the principle multi-figure
pediment sculpture, on the theme of the birth of Athena, based on a design by painter
Carl Rahl. ) This brought first prize at the
Vienna Exhibition of 1873. Drosis is also responsible for the figures of
Athena and
Apollo with lyre on the Academy's flanking pillars, and the seated marble figures of
Plato and
Socrates, which were executed "by the Italian sculptor Piccarelli". Interior murals and paintings were done by the Austrian artist
Christian Griepenkerl. On 20 March 1887, the building of the "Sinaean Academy", as it was called, was delivered by Ziller to the Greek Prime Minister,
Charilaos Trikoupis. In the absence of a national Academy, the building was used for housing the
Numismatic Museum in 1890, and in 1914 the
Byzantine Museum and the State Archives. Finally, on 24 March 1926, the building was handed over to the newly established Academy of Athens.
2004 commemorative coin issue |alt=The Academy of Athens was recently selected as main motif for a high value euro collectors' coin; the €100 Greek
Academy of Athens commemorative coin, minted in 2004 to commemorate the
2004 Summer Olympics. In the obverse of the coin, a close view of the building is depicted. The intention was to highlight the premise that in the city of Athena, the Olympic Games should not only be the most important athletic event, but also reflect equal importance toward intellectual and cultural activities. All three should be equivalent to the style and character of the city that was the birthplace and the matrix for the revival of the modern Olympic Games. == Gallery ==