Greek landmark may be razed

Greece’s culture minister has angered architects and conservationists by clearing the way for the demolition of a landmark Art Deco building to improve the view from the new Acropolis museum.

George Voulgarakis revoked his ministry’s protection of the 1930s building, saying that tearing it down would “allow an unimpeded view of the Acropolis” from the new museum. He also argued that excavating the site could “reveal antiquities whose existence is considered highly likely.”

The building’s defenders have launched an international e-mail campaign to save it, accusing the government of sacrificing Greece’s modern treasures to showcase its ancient history.

The four-story building, with its pink marbled facade, stands about 300 yards from the Acropolis on a carefully landscaped pedestrian street facing the ancient citadel’s southern slopes. A mosaic of Oedipus and the Sphinx adorns the top story, and marble statues of women in traditional dress flank the wrought-iron door. It was designed by Greek architect Vassilis Kouremenos, a Paris-trained friend of Pablo Picasso.