The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) is an international, environmentally sustainable public space for expression, culture and entertainment, created through the initiative and exclusive donation of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). Designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano and his firm the Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW), it was handed over to the Greek State and citizens in February 2017.
It includes the new central facilities of the National Library of Greece and the National Opera, as well as the 210-acre Stavros Niarchos Park. Through the continued support of the SNF, the SNFCC continues to fulfill its role as a space open and accessible to all.
As a global architectural landmark, an environmental model, and a metropolitan cultural destination that is home to three cultural organizations, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center aims to be a common place where everyone is welcome and has access to learning, the arts, and events and activities that inspire and encourage the public to be active and engaged.
The SNFCC is one of the most sustainable building complexes of its size in the world. In November 2016, thanks to its innovative architecture and green technology, the SNFCC received the highest international and high-profile award for environmental sustainability in design and construction – LEED Platinum Certification. Finally, as part of its “Recharging the Youth” initiative, the SNF offers people aged 18-35 the possibility of a paid internship at the SNFCC and in its joint actions with the National Opera and the National Library of Greece.