Athens Cradles A New Civilization- A decade ago, Greece was bankrupt. Today, it is building the US$8 billion smart city of tomorrow.

A decade ago, Greece was bankrupt. Today, it is building the US$8 billion smart city of tomorrow. The project aims to incorporate the highest sustainability credentials and cutting-edge smart technology. All buildings will be designed to prioritise natural ventilation and lighting, while being covered in vegetation to help with natural cooling, as well as solar panels to make the most of Athens' year-round supply of sunshine. Cutting-edge water, waste management and smart energy systems will also be employed to improve sustainability.

- By Tamsin Cocks

A decade ago, Greece was bankrupt. Today, it is building the US$8 billion smart city of tomorrow.

A fleet of cranes and diggers toil away on a vast 6.2 million sqm construction site along the Athens Riviera, 20 minutes south of Athens. It's the former home of Ellinikon International Airport, which closed in 2001 when Athens International Airport opened. Several structures from the old airport remain, including hangars, terminals and signage, but soon the area will be unrecognisable, transformed into The Ellinikon- the largest smart city in Europe.

The Elinkon´s Experience Centre.

The US$8 billion project, led by LAMDA Development, is the kind of thing you might expect to see in the Middle East or China - not the sleepy coast of one of Europe's ancient capitals. But the futuristic city will be a major boost for Athenians and visitors alike, and a gleaming testament to modern Greece. The first phase of The Ellinikon is due to open in 2026, with the project due for final completion in 2037.

At three times the size of Monaco, the new 'city within a city' will encompass everything from luxury accommodation and superyacht marinas to schools, shopping centres and an enormous green space bigger than Hyde Park, with a 50km path network for pedestrians and cyclists.

Driving around the dusty site by car it's far too large to wander in a hard hat - gives you a sense of the scale. The first floors of the 50-storey Riviera Tower (Greece's first skyscraper) are already visible, along with the foundations of a new state-of-the-art sports centre.

CGI of the Elinkon coastline.

Further along the coast, a cluster of luxury waterfront villas are starting to take shape. The 350 seafront villas in the Cove Residences have already sold out, but a further 1,115 residential units under construction in Little Athens offer exciting real estate opportunities.