The Ellinikon Masterplan transforms the former airport into a vibrant waterfront district connected by expansive green spaces © Foster + Partners
Curated by ArchiRev Editorial | Published September 1st, 2026 | Source: Foster + Partners
Project Details
Architect: Foster + Partners
Location: Athens, Greece
Typologies: Masterplan, Mixed-Use, Residential, Commercial, Public Realm
Themes: Urban Regeneration, Waterfront Development, Sustainable Design, Landscape Architecture, Mixed-Use Planning
Status: Masterplan
Client: Lamda Development
The redevelopment of such large-scale sites in the urban environment is a rare chance to change the approach to the development of a city in terms of its relation to the natural environment. The Ellinikon Masterplan by Foster + Partners converts the area of the former international airport of Athens into a completely new waterfront district where houses, working spaces, leisure areas, and other places will be combined in the system of the big landscape design. Instead of the separate developments, this master plan creates a unified urban environment that brings the city closer to its coast.
As one of the largest regeneration sites in Europe, this master plan proposes an interconnected urban environment with the help of the parks, pedestrian paths, and the public transport. This interconnected urban system promotes walking and cycling while increasing access to the waterfront.
A continuous metropolitan park forms the green heart of the master plan, linking neighbourhoods with the coastline © Foster + Partners
The focal point of the concept is the huge metropolitan park, which runs throughout the entire area of the site, offering ample opportunity for recreation while promoting biodiversity and enhancing the microclimate of the site. Gardens, wetlands, sport facilities, and public open areas offer a continuous green belt that links residential zones to commercial zones and to the coastal area.
The park also retains elements of the past of the site and brings forward new civic destinations, allowing people to use this park on a year-round basis.
Mixed-use districts combine homes, workplaces, retail, and cultural destinations within walkable neighbourhoods © Foster + Partners
Master planning arranges the development in such a way that creates zones of mixed use for creating balance in urban lifestyle. The residential areas can be arranged beside the offices, retail space, hospitality, and cultural activities to create shorter distances and encourage activities around the clock.
Activity on the ground floor will reinforce the public realm and create vibrant streets. Planning will be done in a flexible manner to allow growth in each zone of the development without disturbing the overall urban plan.
The waterfront is revitalised through new promenades, marinas, and public recreational spaces © Foster + Partners
One of the key aspects of the design is the development of the Athens coastline into a publicly accessible area. New coastal walks, beaches, marinas, and other leisure zones provide access to the city’s waterfront, allowing citizens to enjoy the recreational potential of the zone, which was previously out of reach.
The interaction between the landscape and the water bodies is well considered within the masterplan and allows the open space to naturally expand from the metro park towards the coastline.
Landmark architecture and sustainable mobility shape the identity of the new district © Foster + Partners
The master plan includes a set of landmark buildings that are located in an urban structure with emphasis on human scale and accessibility. The streets include provisions for pedestrians, cyclists, public transport, and vehicles in order to promote sustainable movement within the development.
This type of mobility system will result in a liveable urban environment with less reliance on private motor vehicles.
Environmental strategies are embedded throughout the master plan to create a resilient and climate-responsive community © Foster + Partners
Sustainability is at the heart of everything that goes into this development—whether landscape design, water strategy, energy-efficient buildings, or environmentally responsive public places. Planting will enhance biodiversity and cooling effects, while the orientation of buildings will optimize natural lighting and ventilation within the communities.
Adaptive reuse of existing infrastructure wherever possible, along with the installation of environmental systems, creates a sustainable urban framework that will be able to accommodate future growth in response to environmental changes.
The completed Ellinikon Masterplan establishes a new model for sustainable waterfront regeneration in the Mediterranean © Foster + Partners
In other words, the Ellinikon Masterplan is an expression of what Foster + Partners think the future of mega-scale urban regeneration projects will look like, where the elements of landscape, infrastructure, architecture, and public realm work together through master planning. By having its metropolitan park, mixed-use neighbourhoods, rejuvenated waterfront, mobility system, and climate-responsive solutions, the project provides a new district that links Athens to its coastline and at the same time ensures resilience in the future.
Ellinikon goes beyond being just the transformation of an old airport into something more. It is an example of how masterplanning can bring life into previously underutilized lands.