Built on the land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation
On the Acropolis of Athens, the ruins of the Parthenon glow white. But according to archaeologists, the building was once highly decorated in bright shades of red, blue and green. Over the almost 2,500 years since the temple was built in dedication to the goddess Athena, the effects of weather and human activity have caused the colours to fade.
Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang’s reimagining of the Parthenon for the 2022 NGV Architecture Commission is, then, at once disrupting and is one-third the size of the original Parthenon and displays the work of several local artists of diverse backgrounds and styles. The architects are interested in the idea of palimpsest – “The more layered an urban realm, the more interesting it is,” says Newman.
