Building icons of sustainable construction in Athens

Athens is a mythic city with buildings that inspire us all and tell stories from long ago. One of the world’s oldest cities and the cradle of Western democracy, it has attracted architects, craftspeople and the best builders for millennia.

The modern story of Athens inspires us further. This cosmopolitan metropolis – which includes Piraeus Port, one of the world’s busiest – is the engine of the Greek economy and underpins the nation’s economic, financial, industrial, political, cultural and maritime life.

With over 17,000 residents per square kilometer, and an additional 5.5 million tourists annually, sustainable construction in Athens isn't just important – it's imperative.

Driven by our vision to be the leading partner for sustainable construction, �鶹��ý is helping Athens build in a way that is circular, low-carbon, climate-resilient, energy-efficient and smart. With our high-value building solutions – serving customers across the built environment, from infrastructure and industry to buildings – we are helping Athens build icons of sustainable construction.

As both new builds and renovation projects, these iconic projects represent �鶹��ý's innovative and sustainable building solutions in action, as Athens inspires us to follow our purpose of building progress for people and the planet.

Iconic �鶹��ý projects in Athens

The Ellinikon

Europe’s largest urban regeneration project, The Ellinikon covers 6 million m², and is being built with �鶹��ý’s end-to-end low-carbon solutions. With ECOPlanet cement, ECOPact and DYNAMax concretes and more, we are currently providing solutions for 90% of The Ellinikon and enabling the creation of Greece's first LEED Gold pre-certified residential building and a truly "modern, green" city.

The Riviera Tower, the highest residential skyscraper in the Mediterranean and the first LEED Gold pre-certified residential building in Greece, is designed by Foster + Partners. Alongside ECOPact and ECOPlanet, 7,000 m³ of DYNAMax, �鶹��ý’s ultra high-performance concrete, has been used so far in the tower’s structural core and reinforced beams.

The 1.5 km Poseidonos Avenue Underpass will connect the Ellinikon Park to the coastal front, greatly relieving traffic congestion. Up to now, we have supplied over 300,000 m³ of low-carbon concrete and this number is increasing every day.

Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

The multi-award winning Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) – designed by architect Renzo Piano – is a local symbol of education, culture and sustainability that’s open and accessible to everyone.

The SNFCC is also home to the Greek National Opera and the National Library of Greece, and �鶹��ý supplied 165,000 m³ of concrete for the building’s fair-faced concrete facade.

At the heart of this public domain lies the Stavros Niarchos Park, the largest public Mediterranean garden in the world. It slopes upwards from ground level to a height of 32 m, offering a stunning view of the Mediterranean Sea. At 25,550 m², the roof was completely greened with �鶹��ý’s .

Acropolis Museum

Located at the foot of the Acropolis – Athens’ most important historical attraction – the new Acropolis Museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and on the surrounding slopes, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece.

Designed with spare horizontal lines and utmost simplicity, the Museum’s architectural beauty is deliberately understated, to ensure that the attention of visitors is focused on the extraordinary works of art inside.

�鶹��ý provided Artevia Stone for concrete paths at the Acropolis Museum, as well as new paths that have been designed to accommodate visitors with accessibility needs.

Athens International Airport

Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos is the largest international airport in Greece. Opened in 2001, it covers 164.7 km², and creates significant economic value as well as employment, while enhancing the country’s connectivity and attractiveness as a destination.

In the first six months of 2025 alone, the airport’s passenger traffic totaled 15.07 million, representing a massive 7.6% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

The airport has two terminals and is being extended using a modular approach, with the sixth and final planned phase allowing for an annual traffic of 50 million passengers. To date, �鶹��ý has supplied this demanding construction project with all of its cement needs.

Attica Tollway

Attica Tollway is one of the biggest co-financed road projects in Europe. This modern motorway extends along 70 km and forms the main backbone that links all the modes of transportation and infrastructure in the Attica region: road, air, rail and sea.

In European terms, Attica Tollway is a unique piece of infrastructure, since it is a closed toll motorway within a metropolitan capital where traffic congestion is acute. Over the past 22 years it has changed road transportation in Greece, significantly improving traffic conditions in Athens.

The tollway absorbs a significant amount of daily traffic moving across the Attica basin, while contributing to the residential and business development of more remote areas. This important infrastructure project was enabled with 100% �鶹��ý cement.

Pocket parks in Kolonos

Our team transformed a corner of downtown Athens into a green area and donated it to the city. The 100m² park in the Kolonos district was built using Hydromedia and Artevia. Our permeable concrete Hydromedia allows the water to return directly to the ground, enriching the natural water underground reservoirs to bring nature into the city and tackle the urban heat island effect. Parts of the ground, the perimeter benches and the sidewalk were created with Artevia products.

HOLCIM PRODUCTS USED

ECOPact

ECOPact low-carbon concrete delivers 100% performance offering at least 30% lower CO₂ emissions compared to standard (CEM I) concrete, without offsets. With ECOPact, we are committed to helping our customers reduce the footprint of their buildings and infrastructure to build better with less and decarbonize construction at scale.

ECOPlanet

ECOPlanet low-carbon cement delivers 100% performance offering at least 30% lower CO₂ emissions compared to ordinary (CEM I/OPC) cement, without offsets. The world needs to build, and ECOPlanet low-carbon cement is meeting this demand as the backbone of sustainable construction in 34 markets worldwide.

DYNAMax

Customers can build better with less using DYNAMax, our ultimate high-performance concrete. Characterized by high strength, outstanding durability and superior rigidity, DYNAMax reduces buildings’ carbon footprint by lowering material demand and minimizing maintenance and lifecycle costs, while giving customers greater design freedom.

Hydromedia

Hydromedia is a water management system that rapidly absorbs rainwater off streets, parking surfaces, driveways and walkways – reducing the risk of flooding. This permeable solution combines the properties of concrete and advanced drainage technology, enabling urban green spaces and minimizing the urban heat island effect.

ZinCo

is a leader in advanced green roofing systems based in Germany, with global operations across Europe, Asia and the Americas. The company has been working on long-term, effective solutions for rooftops across the world for over 40 years. ZinCo’s systems inspire architects and clients to plan private and large public buildings in a holistic and sustainable way.

Artevia

Artevia is a collection of decorative concretes for indoor and outdoor applications that combine freedom of design with low maintenance and durability. Available in an array of vibrant colors, patterns and textures, Artevia is a stunning design material with all the traditional advantages of concrete such as durability and resistance to wear and tear.

Proudly local operations

While �鶹��ý's high-value building solutions are being used in landmarks across Athens, we also produce many of our products locally. Our sites in and around Athens stand out for their commitment to innovation, sustainability and care for nature. And with much of the production happening in the region, we help close the transport loop and promote circularity.

Ready-mix plant at The Ellinikon

To ensure a reliable, high-quality supply of concrete for our customers in large volumes, and to meet their evolving needs, �鶹��ý has built the world’s first EPD-certified ready mix plant on the site of The Ellinikon.

The plant achieves 25% energy saving and lower energy consumption per produced cubic meter of ready-mix concrete, while also boasting an integrated system for concrete waste recycling and water reuse, guaranteeing compliance with the highest environmental standards.

The first zero-emission electric mixer trucks in Greece serve the plant’s area as �鶹��ý Greece transitions to using only 100% electric trucks.

Geocycle Hellas

As a dedicated part of �鶹��ý, Geocycle provides sustainable waste management solutions to municipalities and industries worldwide that transform waste into resources.

With integrated and technologically advanced solutions for optimal solid waste management and a processing capacity of over 150,000 tons of municipal waste annually, our two state-of-the-art Material Recovery Facilities, in Fyli and Koropi, operate in line with the latest international standards.

By combining Geocycle’s expertise in recycling packaging waste and �鶹��ý's expertise in the management of bulk waste and construction demolition materials, we are creating a local leader in the circular economy, a key pillar of �鶹��ý’s sustainability strategy.

Project OLYMPUS (Milaki plant)

With a groundbreaking ceremony held on May 29, 2025 at our Milaki plant in Greece, �鶹��ý officially kicked off its OLYMPUS project. OLYMPUS is a flagship carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in �鶹��ý’s

European decarbonization roadmap. It will lead to the development of storage capacity in southern Europe.
The project was selected for a grant from the EU Innovation Fund, and aims to produce 2 million tons of near-zero cement per year from 2029. At the regional level, OLYMPUS is expected to create more than 1,000 direct and indirect jobs, contributing to regional economic development.

In addition to being a key carbon capture and storage project, OLYMPUS will also serve as a knowledge hub where relevant stakeholders can share insights and best practices.