The gold of the Macedonians is set to shine once more in a series of glittering exhibitions
Anyone who thinks the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki has lost its luster since the treasure of Vergina was returned to the royal tombs will soon see that the reverse is true. «The Gold of the Macedonians» has quickly filled the gap with equally high-quality finds (second half of the fourth century BC). Together with the innumerable works of Macedonian art that have been handed down from antiquity, the artifacts are certain to win the admiration of the most demanding visitor to the new exhibition. Old finds that were on display back in the 1960s and new finds on which conservation work has been done are the basis of an exhibition that will highlight aspects of the ancient world in 2,000 square meters of renovated exhibition halls. The firm that undertook the task of renovation has respected every last detail of the innovative architect Patroklos Karantinos’s work. But it is a new museum that is rising from the bowels of this exceptional example of modernist architecture, which combined postwar neoclassicism and Mediterranean features in the atrium. Renovation work is due for completion now, and the first two permanent displays in the inner rooms will be ready in time for the Olympic Games. The external rooms, which surround the inner rooms in the shape of a Greek Pi, will remain closed. According to the contract, the external rooms are to be renovated by the end of 2005, when the permanent exhibition will take on its final form with more than 2,000 finds on show.
