The Defense Ministry on Thursday started work to knock down the former Badminton arena in central Athens, which was built for the 2004 Olympics and reinvented as a successful music and theater venue before falling into decline.
A ministry statement said Defense Minister Nikos Dendias gave the go-ahead for demolition of the building in the capital’s Goudi park, much of which belongs to the ministry and formerly contained a variety of military installations.
The building hosted the badminton event for the 2004 Games and had been initially meant as a temporary structure that would be disassembled and removed after the Olympics – badminton never having caught on in Greece.
Instead, it was leased for 20 years as an indoor cultural venue. Following an extensive overhaul, it opened in 2007 with a capacity of about 2,500 spectators. It later fell into disuse and suffered extensive damage from a fire last month.
As far back as 2012, Greece’s top administrative court had ruled that the theater should be demolished as it contravened building regulations. The Council of State found that a 2005 decision allowing the initially temporary structure permanent status had ignored the impact an entertainment venue would have on the park.
