National Gallery on track to being toast of the town

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni visited the construction site of the National Gallery in central Athens, on Tuesday. Work on the ambitious revamp is reportedly progressing at a rapid pace so that the opening can take place next March, as planned. The aim is to make the National Gallery a defining architectural feature of the Greek capital, aligned with the adjacent Hilton Hotel, Lycabettus Hill and Kostas Varotsos’ iconic glass statue of "The Runner." The new design has not only increased the museum’s surface area but has also created much larger spaces to showcase the museum’s collection of 19th and 20th century paintings and visiting exhibitions. [ Culture Ministry/ANA-MPA]