“The Monument to the Unknown Soldier will soon take on a new form, serving the unity and common path of our people”
The project of the bioclimatic facade and the surrounding area of his building Ministry of National Defense and of the General Staffs of the Armed Forces was inaugurated today, Wednesday 29 October, in the presence of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
“The new image of the ministry reflects the bold and ambitious transformation and the necessary modernization of the Armed Forces” the Prime Minister emphasized in his greeting.
The new look, he said, reminds everyone that “defending the homeland is not only about the power of arms but also about the power of our heritage and identity.”
Regarding the site of the Unknown Soldier, he explained that soon “it will acquire the new form, serving the unity and the common path of our people”.
For members of the Armed Forces, he said that “defending the independence of our country is an absolute priority” in the difficult times we are experiencing globally.
“For the next twelve years, the resources reserved for investments in the National Defense exceed 28 billion euros”, stressed the Prime Minister.
He also explained in detail the additions to weapons systems that have been made and are planned in the future in the Army, Navy and Air Force.
“The national armor is being upgraded by enriching its tasks and deepening the ties of the Armed Forces with society”, pointed out Mr. Mitsotakis.
Addressing the officers of the Armed Forces, he emphasized that they are at the center of “the patriotism of responsibility and the result” served by the country’s government.
Finally, he thanked the donors who “generously support the effort to modernize the Armed Forces”.
During his speech, Minister Mr. Dendias announced that “very soon a competition will be announced for the elevation of the Monument to the Unknown Soldier”.
Regarding the new bioclimatic aspect, he said that “buildings that house institutions are witnesses of culture” and explained that “the evolution of a building-institution constitutes progress and signals the new image of the Armed Forces”.
“The transition to the new era is a necessary condition for the freedom and prosperity of Greece”, the minister stressed, referring to the “Agenda 2030” reforms that are already being implemented.
He did not fail to thank Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis “for his support for the “Agenda 2030″”, stressing that this support “is not without political costs”.
“The rationalization of the hierarchical and organizational structure of the Armed Forces brought increases in the executives without burdening the state budget and the Greek taxpayer”, clarified Mr. Dendias.
He emphasized the importance of vision and a stable framework for the careers of Armed Forces officers, while adding: “We must overcome the culture of static. To intervene whenever required and to codify the methods of intervention, so that they become perceived by the citizens. The symbols must draw our fellow citizens along to understand that the world around us has definitely changed.”
For the new look, he said, among other things, that the white blinds (which are placed around its perimeter) symbolize with the triple horizontal distinction the horizontal branching of the three Arms of the Armed Forces.
Regarding the entrance staircase, “the largest in Greece”, as he said, Mr. Dendias described it as a “work of art” that symbolizes the “transition of Greece from the past to the future ordered from above”.
Referring to the project, Professor Mr. Varotsos underlined that it is a “cultural proposal of an institution (of the civil military leadership of the Ministry of National Defense) of the Greek state”.
“The institutions must”, he said, “express the culture of the geographical area called Greece”.
“We tried to open a window into the future,” he explained, referring to the ministry’s face.
“This building refers to an ancient Greek story with the folds created by the large columns and which also allow light and energy to pass around them” he explained.
At the event, a musical activity was held with the theme “Polychronous day in Hypermacho”, while songs were performed by Manolis Mitsias and Angelos Papadimitriou.
Among others, ministers and deputy ministers of the government, MPs, MEPs, representatives of Local Government, religious authorities, ambassadors, consuls and Defense Attaches, as well as the military leadership of the Ministry of National Defense attended.
The new bioclimatic view
The new project, ministry sources said, is expected to be a point of reference for the wider area of the capital, as it is visible to those moving along Mesogeion Avenue.
The southern face of the building, the same sources note, has a total length of more than 340 meters and was covered externally in its entirety with white aluminum blinds.
Specifically, there are 730 vertical rows of blinds, where each one is 30.5 meters high
These blinds do not have equal distances between them, but thicken and thin following a constant rhythm, which is interrupted at the entrance points of the General Staffs, where each one has its own coat of arms (General Staff of National Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force).
In the center of the building, dominates the staircase of the central entrance, which is approximately 75 meters long, is elliptical in shape and consists of a total of 20 steps, a large landing and two access ramps.
In particular, the project of the bioclimatic aspect was combined on the one hand with the project of Kostas Varotsos, the “Ark of National Remembrance”, inaugurated on March 26, 2025 by the Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias and on the other hand with the addition of two olive groves on either side of the monument.
It is recalled that the “Casket of National Memory” is a collection of glass columns placed in a curve.
They start from a height of about one meter and reach up to six meters, while they bear the names of the 121,692 fallen of the National Games of Greece engraved on them.
The names “float in space”, while the evening lighting of the glasses gives them special color highlights.
The two olive groves that frame the project have the highly symbolic numbers of 25 and 28 olive trees, symbolizing the national anniversaries of March 25, 1821 and October 28, 1940, respectively.
In addition, in the surrounding area, in the southern part of the “Papagou” camp, car parking sheds were removed and hundreds of new trees were installed, creating green spaces.
This unique approach to the appearance was made by the sculptor and professor Costas Varotsos, who with his partner, architect Chrysanthi Asproulopoulou, designed not just the cladding of the building to protect it from the sun, but a way to cover both the necessary safety requirements and the functionality of the building for the workers in it.
Already, sources from the Ministry of National Defense point out, the extension of the bioclimatic aspect for the energy upgrade to the rest of the building as well as its interior (entrances, corridors, common areas and offices) has been planned, with the aim of further increasing the environmental footprint of the “Papago” camp in the area.