Europe’s Flagship Coastal Regeneration Turns a Corner
Rising on the grounds of Athens’ former international airport, The Ellinikon has crossed a visible threshold: Riviera Tower now stands at the mid-build mark. With 25 of roughly 50 floors structurally complete, the tower is about 113 m tall on its way to a final height near 200 m. Phase 1 remains on a defined schedule, with handovers targeted in early 2026.
What Phase 1 Actually Delivers
The opening phase assembles the pieces of a complete waterfront district rather than a single building. Along a 3.5 km stretch of shoreline, plans call for a next-generation coastal park measured in millions of square meters, a modern marina designed for large yachts, new hospitality offerings, and thousands of homes across a range of unit types. Early job creation figures are strong, and long-term projections indicate a measurable boost to national output once the district is fully activated.
A Residential Tower with a Performance Brief
Riviera Tower is conceived as a high-rise neighborhood in the sky: one-bed apartments, larger family-sized layouts and penthouses positioned for sea and city views. The specification targets energy and water efficiency, with envelope, systems and materials selected to meet recognized green-building benchmarks. Daylight, thermal comfort and acoustic performance are treated as core living-quality metrics rather than add-ons.
Park-First Urbanism and Reuse of the Site’s DNA
Design across the district favors a “park-first” logic: pedestrian connections, shade, planting and microclimate improvements precede traffic patterns. Materials from the old runways and service infrastructure are being repurposed where feasible, reducing embodied impacts while preserving a tangible link to the site’s aviation past. The landscape strategy prioritizes biodiversity, storm-water handling and heat-island mitigation.
Mobility, Access and Everyday Convenience
Phase 1 syncs with regional transport spines and local multimodal routes. Residents and visitors are planned to move easily between the coastal park, the marina, retail streets and homes without relying solely on private cars. Daily needs—groceries, fitness, cafés, services—are distributed within comfortable walking distances.
Outlook: From Construction Site to Mixed-Use Waterfront
With the tower at mid-height and earthworks advancing across the waterfront, the cadence shifts from foundations to fit-out. As facades close and interiors progress, the first addresses at The Ellinikon are set to transition from construction data points into lived-in city fabric—housing, leisure and employment concentrated on a reclaimed piece of Athens’ shoreline.
