New National Library waiting for a home
The 200 million euros donated by the Niarchos Foundation for the construction of the new National Library have yet to be put to good use as the government has been unable to find a suitable plot. Different locations have been examined – the university campus, Plessa army barracks and Goudi – and ambitious plans have been announced each time, but the new National Library has yet to be seen, even on paper. The historic neoclassical Vallianeios building housing the library on Panepistimiou Street has been struggling to respond to the demands of a modern national library. Thousands of books are collecting dust in storage, the electricity installations date back to 1930, the fire safety is out of date, the garden is overgrown with weeds, the rented storage areas suffer from water leaks and the management is unable to classify the huge number of new books and digitize the national treasure. Finding a temporary venue to house the library and renovate the neoclassical Vallianeios building are urgent priorities for the president of the supervisory committee, Athanassios Fokas. The 6 million euros needed to the purchase the new building have been secured. The plans for the aesthetic and architectural renovation of the building designed by Theophilus Hansen exist, but the necessary funds are not available while the donated 200 million euros remain inactive and unused.
