Athens The Academy

The building was designed by Theophil Hansen, a Danish/Austrian architect with a classical training. Hansen had previously worked on the University Building with his brother Christian and he would later also design the National Library. These three buildings, all built next to each other, form the so-called Athenian Trilogy.

The Academy is the most acclaimed of the three buildings. It was constructed in pentelic marble between 1859 and 1885 under the supervision of architect Ernst Ziller, a student of Hansen. The wealthy businessman Simon Sinas, founder of the National Bank of Austria and Greek Consul in Vienna, provided the necessary funds.