ATHENS – Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday visited the central building of the National Gallery-Alexandros Soutsos Museum, where he was given a tour by Culture & Sports Minister Lina Mendoni around the wings currently under reconstruction and expansion.

He welcomed the fact that construction work continues uninterrupted despite the pandemic but "without any shortcuts on security and health safety", and he stressed that the new National Gallery "will be an emblematic reference point for our culture."

The expanded National Gallery will include upgraded facilities, more galleries, an amphitheater, a large exhibition hall and underground storage areas.

Upon reopening, the building complex will feature a surface area spanning 21,200 square meters, more than double the original. Funding has been provided by private donors, including the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.