Anatolia College in Thessaloniki building, Macedonia higher education design development, Greek architecture news
Anatolia College in Thessaloniki Building
Anatolia College, Thessaloniki, Greece
28 March 2024
Design: Bennetts Associates
Location: Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece – on the Aegean Sea
We recently covered news of Bennetts Associates work in Greece on the Syggrou Office Complex in Athens. Now we bring you another Greek architectural design by this British architectural studio:
Bennetts Associates wins international competition for Anatolia College, one of Greece’s most distinguished academic institutions.
image : Grant Associates
Anatolia College Thessaloniki, Greece
Bennetts Associates has been appointed to reimagine the campus of Anatolia College in Thessaloniki. The practice was selected through a rigorous process from a final shortlist with UNStudio and NADAA and an original longlist including Foster + Partners, BIG and Gensler.
Established in 1886, Anatolia College is celebrated as one of Greece’s most distinguished educational establishments. The private, non-profit organisation that caters to all levels of education has identified a need for a future vision that will enhance the student experience, better reflect its preeminent academic reputation (both national and international) and allow significant expansion of the student population at its tertiary division, ACT – The American College of Thessaloniki.
Set in a beautiful and historic location in the hills above Thessaloniki, the campus covers c.22 hectares in total. In addition to reimagining the campus identity and refining the quality of place/architecture, other key objectives include future-proofing educational space for students and staff, cherishing the local heritage, further embedding sustainability, celebrating nature and improving key functional aspects of the estate.
Bennetts Associates will be supported by acclaimed landscape architects Grant Associates, as well as Buro Happold: Athens (sustainability/highways), Alexi Marmot Associates (educational briefing) and Betaplan (Greek partner architects). As part of the tender process, design concepts by Bennetts Associates and its collaborators build on a theme of a ‘forest campus’ by unifying the site through a sensory and experiential journey. They also include major new entrances, reworked ‘heartspace’ quads, doubling of nature, a new rooftop events space with panoramic sea and mountain views, and a 600-seat state-of-the-art auditorium. Completion and approval of the framework masterplan is targeted for Summer 2024.
Albert H. “Chip” Elfner III, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Anatolia College, said: “This is an exciting moment for Anatolia College, as we celebrate our centenary of moving to the current site. As well as marking the journey to where we are, it is the ideal time to envision an exciting future, with this new masterplan at the heart of the process. We look forward with eagerness to where this might lead.”
Dr Panos Vlachos, President of Anatolia College, said: “We are delighted to appoint Bennetts Associates. As well as their extensive expertise, they demonstrated great imagination and commitment through the selection process, together with a desire to help us express who we are and where we are located. We really liked this combination and look forward to working with them further.”
Julian Lipscombe, Director at Bennetts Associates, said: “We felt a strong rapport and shared vision with the College from the outset so it is a great honour to have been appointed. Our intention is to consolidate the scheme so that it fully expresses the College’s identity and history, as well as celebrating the natural beauty and culture of Northern Greece. We hope the end result will be an exceptional campus that delivers the objectives and inspires generations of ‘Anatolians’ to join. We have operated in Greece for a number of years and relish the opportunity to work on such a prestigious project – our first in Thessaloniki.”
Anatolia College
Founded in 1886 in Merzifon, Asia Minor, and relocated to Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1924, Anatolia College is a private, non-profit, international learning community imbued with the best ideals of Greek and American education. As one of the few leading institutions in the world that offer quality education from pre-K all the way to postgraduate studies, Anatolia prepares eager learners from all over the world for the challenges of professional life and beyond through its various academic divisions.
Bennetts Associates
Bennetts Associates is one of the UK’s leading architectural practices, known for its pioneering approach to sustainability and dedication to achieving Net Zero Carbon. A founding member of the UK Green Building Council, the practice is the first in the world to secure Science Based Target approval and commit to the UN’s Climate Neutral Now campaign. Other firsts in the UK include the publication of LETI carbon ratings for projects, and certification under the NABERS scheme.
Bennetts Associates is responsible for numerous prominent projects, such as the Royal College of Pathologists and the Meta Office in London, the Edinburgh Futures Institute, Storyhouse in Chester, and the JLR Global HQ in Warwickshire. An employee-owned trust and certified B Corp, Bennetts Associates operates from studios located in London, Edinburgh, and Manchester.
Bennetts Associates in Greece
This project builds on Bennetts Associates’ presence and established track record in Greece, having recently completed the Syggrou Office Complex in central Athens for major Greek developer DIMAND in partnership with Divercity Architects. The award-winning scheme consolidates a new commercial and cultural destination and has been awarded a LEED Platinum rating for one of the two eight-storey buildings comprising the complex.
www.bennettsassociates.com
@BennettsAssocs
Anatolia College in Thessaloniki, Greece property design images / information received 280324
https://www.bennettsassociates.com/
Location: Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia, Greece, southeast Europe
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