At the unveiling of the Ark of National Memory, the Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, referred to the “identity elements of the New Greece,” in the presence of the President of the Parliament, Nikitas Kaklamanis, former Prime Ministers and Presidents of New Democracy, Antonis Samaras and Kostas Karamanlis, ministers, Members of the European Parliament, a multitude of MPs from all political parties, and representatives of the business community, at the unveiling of the Ark of National Memory by Kostas Varotsos at the Ministry of National Defense.

“We aim to incorporate the example of self-sacrifice through the possibilities of modern art,” said Dendias, adding that “the collective identity has strong elements” that make it distinct. In this direction, the Minister of National Defense highlighted the identity elements of New Greece, including homeland, religion, traditions, family, and language. He also emphasized that progress and preservation do not oppose each other but rather constitute the two faces of Hellenism.

Kostas Varotsos, who oversaw the entire renovation of the Ministry of National Defense’s spaces, recalled that “only the flag has the right to be raised,” quoting Stavros Xarchakos, while noting that one remains humble upon exiting the labyrinth of the monument.

The entire military leadership attended, along with businesspeople Mariana Latsis, Vangelis Mytilineos, and politicians from New Democracy, PASOK, and SYRIZA. Among those present were Eliza Vozemberg, Dimitris Kairidis, Notis Mitarakis, Giannis Kefalogiannis, Irini Agapidaki, Olga Kefalogianni, Giorgos Vlachos, Paris Koukoulopoulos, Kostas Bouras, Petros Pappas, Panos Rigas, Theodoros Karaoglou, Petros Pappas, Panos Rigas, and Michalis Katrinis.

With donations, the Ark of National Memory is part of a broader project that includes the bioclimatic new façade (donated by Vangelis Mytilineos), the under-construction Cyberwarfare building (donated by Thanos Laskaridis), and the newly completed entrance and space for high-profile guests (donated by George Peristeris/GEK TERNA).

The Ark of National Memory is surrounded by two groves with 25 and 28 olive trees, symbolizing March 25, 1821, and October 28, 1940, respectively. Additionally, a program to plant 400 trees in Papagou Military Base, symbolizing the 400 years of Ottoman rule, is underway, which will also serve as a green lung for the area.

A design for an underground garage with 1,232 parking spaces has also begun, which will allow for the use of the above-ground space as an additional green area.

Varotsos’ note about the project:

“Renovation of the surrounding area of the Ministry of National Defense”

This is a comprehensive approach to the building and its surrounding area as a unified aesthetic. Two key elements are the evolution of the Monument to the Immortals of the Nation and the new appearance of the building installations.

The monument consists of vertical glass columns on which the names of the fallen in Greece’s battlefields from 1830 to 1974 are presented. The structure starts from the ground and rises to six meters.

It is a large labyrinth where the names of the fallen float in space and move upward toward the sky, creating a sensation of suspension in an eternal void. The monument embraces the visitors without hiding the view, allowing the space to express itself and light to pass through it. The monument will also have internal lighting that will pass through the glass, giving it a different, imposing appearance at night.

The addition of a shell, consisting of vertical white sunshades, to the building’s external façade gives it a modern and elegant aesthetic. These sunshades are part of a bioclimatic design intended to improve the building’s energy efficiency. They help reduce the solar radiation entering the interior, thus reducing the need for air conditioning during the summer months and saving energy. Additionally, the sunshades contribute to creating a more comfortable and cooler interior environment for the building’s users, improving their quality of life and promoting sustainability. The vertical structure of the shell is done in the base zone, corresponding to the height of the glass monument of the Fallen, and in three other zones. From the bottom up, the elements in these zones become denser, gradually concealing the existing façade. In the three upper zones, the three branches of the Armed Forces are symbolically projected.