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C o l u m b i a U n i v e r s i t y RECORD April 19, 2002 5

SIPA Professor Mark C.Gordon, CC ’81, SIPA ‘82, hasbeen named dean of the Univer-sity of Detroit Mercy School ofLaw, effective August 1. Since1996, Gordon has been an asso-ciate professor in the Practice ofPublic Affairs at SIPA.

While at Columbia, Gordonfounded and directed the UrbanHabitat Project, which worked inpartnership with the UnitedNations, the World Bank and oth-ers to identify and analyze cre-ative approaches to addressingthe challenges of urbanizationaround the world. He also createda student-run, non-profit Alliancefor Community Enhancement,which has worked with religiousinstitutions in Harlem to enhancethe flow of tourist revenues to thecommunity.

Antonio Freitas, valedictori-an of the School of GeneralStudies class of 1997, has beenappointed an assistant professorat Columbia’s Department ofPsychology. Freitas, who iscompleting his doctoral disserta-tion at Yale University, beginshis appointment on July 1, 2002.His research interests includegoal-directed action and cogni-tion. Freitas has co-authoredresearch published in journalssuch as “Psychological Science”and “The Journal of Personalityand Social Psychology.”

Dean Bernard Tschumi to Build New Acropolis Museum in Athens;Greeks Hope It Will Facilitate Return of Controversial Elgin Marbles

Rarely does an architecthave to consider factorslike international politi-

cal debate and the history of west-ern civilization when designing abuilding. However, BernardTschumi, dean of the School ofArchitecture, Planning and Preser-vation, had to pay close attentionto both before submitting his planfor the new Acropolis Museum,which will break ground this sum-mer in Athens, Greece.

Set only 800 feet from the leg-endary Parthenon, the museumwill be the most significant build-ing ever erected so close to theancient temple and was commis-sioned by the Greek government tobe completed in time for the 2004Summer Olympic Games inAthens. The structure will also beused in an attempt to help bring theElgin Marbles back to the city aftertwo centuries in a foreign country.But to understand the importanceof the future museum, one first hasto examine the history of the land.

In 479 B.C.E., after two bloodyyears of fighting, the Greeks drovethe Persians out of Athens thusreclaiming the city and its sacred,yet ravaged structures. Severaldecades later, a decision was madeby Pericles to build a new templeatop the Acropolis—the highestpoint in Athens—that would glori-fy both the goddess Athena and theGreek capital, which had becomethe state’s largest and wealthiestcenter. It would house a grandAthena statue and other elaborateidols in tribute to the Greek gods.By 432 B.C.E., the Parthenon wascompleted after fifteen years ofconstruction, and though the build-ing would eventually endurenumerous attacks and religiousincarnations, it has remained per-haps the world’s foremost exampleof mathematical precision andclarity in Greek architecture.

Then, 200 years ago, somethinghappened that continues to troublethe Greeks to this day.

In the early 19th Century, Eng-lishman Thomas Bruce, the sev-enth Earl of Elgin, traveled toAthens with the intent of bringingback some historic Greek pieces toput on display in London. Heobtained permission from hisfriend, the Turkish Sultan (the

Ottoman Empire controlled Greeceat the time), to remove whatever hewanted for a small price. Elgintook the Sultan up on his offer,essentially looting the Parthenon ofits idols and taking as much as hisships could fit. The haul of sculp-

tures, housed in London’s BritishMuseum since, would come to beknown as Elgin’s Marbles.

Thus, most of the top floor ofTschumi’s new museum will bedevoted to space anticipating thereturn of the treasures Elgin took,many which date back to theParthenon’s earliest days. He willcreate a rectangular “Parthenon

Gallery,” enclosed in glass to pro-vide ideal light for sculpture view-ing and with a direct view of theAcropolis above. Lower floors inthe museum will house a range ofgalleries from the archaic period tothe Roman Empire. There will alsobe a multimedia auditorium and amezzanine bar and restaurant.

The Greek government choseTschumi’s design in part becauseof the prominence his building willgive these pieces. For years, one ofBritain’s strongestarguments againstreturning the mar-bles has beenGreece’s lack of afitting place tohouse them.

Nicos Papadakis,a spokesman forthe Greek Embassyin London told theBritish Broadcast-ing Corporation,“This is the clearestmanifestation ofour commitment tohave [the marbles]returned. Thisshows that we mean what we say.”

However, the English govern-ment still maintains the right topossession of the marbles, withPrime Minister Tony Blair recentlystating his intention to keep themin London. The British cite severalreasons for refusing to return thepieces, most notably the fact thatthey possess a bill of purchase(though from an Ottoman official,which some consider akin to areceipt for stolen goods) and alsobecause if the marbles werereturned, they say, it would set aprecedent for demand that piecesfrom all museums be returned totheir countries of origin.

Still, some members of theBritish Parliament, along with sup-port from public figures likeactress Vanessa Redgrave, contin-ue to argue vehemently for thereturn of the marbles. In fact, atelevision poll taken several yearsago proved that 90% of British cit-izens favored sending them back to

Greece. Indeed, the debate willlikely intensify as the Olympicsdraw closer and Athens finds itselfunder an international spotlight.

For Tschumi, several otherunique challenges exist on the pro-ject. He has to build the museumvery carefully on top of an excava-tion site where an ancient Christiantown was recently unearthed. Offi-cials will monitor the process tomake sure none of the structuresare disturbed. To complicate mat-ters, he has to consider and accom-modate for the regularity of earth-quakes, which the area suffers. Ofcourse, there is also the pressure ofbuilding a major structure that willstand right in the shadow of theParthenon itself.

“The Parthenon was the highestpoint of culture and worship,” saysTschumi. “The museum is a placethat records those achievements.The museum will stage the workof that era while asserting a newidentity.”

The commission is one of thehighest in profile that Tschumi hasever worked on, but his commit-ment to presenting a strong designwas the only focus he had whenpreparing for the competition.

“We asked, ‘How can we pro-vide a building which is as repre-sentative to our contemporary sen-sibility and technology as theParthenon was at its time,’ ” saysTschumi. “Architecture is notabout form, but about defining agoal or concept. There is no senti-mentality in it. You cannot beintimidated.”

And, clearly, Tschumi was not.Still, he entered the contest withlow expectations, believing theprospect of winning almost“impossible” because he thought

technical andbureaucratic con-straints would notallow him to real-ize his vision. Buthis commitment tothe idea of makingthe building “firstand foremost amuseum of naturallight,” pleased theGreek governmentmore than anyother. When thecall carrying goodnews came fromhis assistant inNew York, he was

on a site visit in Florida. “I’m gladI was already sitting down when Iheard,” says Tschumi. “I wasstunned.”

Now that the celebration is over,the work has begun. Tschumi saysthe time frame he has to completethe museum in is “unbelievablyshort,” but that finishing is possi-ble.

“Indeed, it requires major effortsfrom both the bureaucrats and con-struction companies, but it can bedone. [Construction] can be a veryfast process, but sometimes slow atthe same time.”

Tschumi feels certain that theapproval stages will be a top prior-ity for the Greek government asthe finished museum and theOlympics will present an opportu-nity for the country to show a freshface to the rest of the world.

“Clearly it is part of an ambitionon the part of Greece to modernizeitself,” says Tschumi. “This is thefirst step.”

BY JASON HOLLANDER

The New Acropolis Museum will be set just below the Acropolis inAthens, only 800 feet away from the legendary Parthenon.

A model view of the new museum from above. The Greek governmentcommissioned the building to be completed in time for the 2004 Sum-mer Olympic Games in Athens.

Dean Bernard Tschumi

Following are commentsmade by Columbia experts onissues of public concern:

“Despite superficial warm-ing, the relationship betweenIran and Iraq is as hostile and asmistrustful as ever. In the eventof a U.S.-Iraq militaryencounter, I would expect Iranto maintain official neutrality –as it did before – or even coop-erate tacitly with the U.S. – as itdid in Afghanistan.”

—Gary Sick, senior researchscholar, Middle East Institute,The Washington Times, March25, 2002.

“It would only be a humor-less economist who would sayyou have to stick to free trade atany cost. I think the Presidentwas caught between a rock anda hard place. The best freetraders don’t say you have tojump off a cliff.”

—Jagdish Bhagwati, profes-sor of economics, on PresidentBush’s recent decision toimpose tariffs on steel imports,The Washington Post, March29, 2002.

“While it is very hard to sayscientifically that this is globalwarming happening right here,it is exactly what the projec-tions of global warming show,in particular warmer wintersand less snow because of that.It also shows more droughtsand floods.”

—Cynthia Rosenzweig, cli-mate scientist, WABC-TV,March 1, 2002.

QUOTES

PEOPLE

“We asked, ‘How canwe provide a buildingwhich is as representa-tive to our contemporarysensibility and technolo-gy as the Parthenon wasat its time?’ ”

—Bernard Tschumi