Tallest tower in Greece breaks ground

An illustration of the proposed Riviera Tower project. Image: Foster+Partners

The Riveria Tower – part of the €8 billion Ellinikon urban regeneration project in Athens – is designed by Foster+Partners and the 45-storey building is expected to top 198m in height.

Currently, the tallest building in Greece is the Athens Tower, which stands at 103m in height.

It is reported that the Bouygyes/Intrakat consortium – awarded the build contract by Lamda Development – has already broken ground on the tower, with piling work said to be underway. The tower’s completion is slated for the first half of 2026.

The wider Ellinikon ‘smart city’ project is expected to cover an area of approximately 6.2 million m², and its ESG-aligned ethos could see it almost double the green space within the metropolitan area of Athens.

Solid and sustainable design

The tower itself has been pre-certified with LEED v4 BD +C at a Gold Level for sustainability.

The building is designed to be 30% more energy efficient than the average new build construction in the country, in part due to the use of low-carbon-emission materials specified to lower its embodied carbon footprint.

Masterplan for the Ellinikon urban regeneration project in Athens. Image: Foster+Partners

The engineering consultancy firm Buro Happold said its experts had also used cutting edge digital modelling technology to ensure the tower was both highly efficient and resilient to local seismic activity.

The planning laws in Athens state that no structure should overshadow the city’s ancient Acropolis. Thus, according to the developer, no building will ever be taller than the Riviera Tower.

Alexandros Exarchou, vice president & CEO of Intrakat, said, “By participating in this flagship project, we are taking part in an important initiative, focused on sustainable development, which will boost the country’s economy, create new job positions, boost tourism and attract capital and investment worth billions.”

Chairman & CEO of Bouygues Bâtiment International, Pierre-Eric Saint-André, said, “The Riviera Tower is a great opportunity for us to express our historical expertise in the construction of complex high-rise buildings, with ambitious low-carbon requirements.

“We are especially excited to be part of the bold vision of Lamda Development and we are convinced that our team will demonstrate their passion for challenging projects so that our work can have a positive impact for Greece and the Greek people.”