Lamda Development has broken ground on The Riviera Tower, the tallest building and first ever skyscraper in Greece, set to rise by March 2026.

Designed by Foster + Partners, the 200-metre high-rise will feature a collection of one-to-five-bedroom residences and penthouses near the beach and is pre-certified with LEED v4 BD +C at a Gold Level.

The tower will rise along the Athenian Riviera coastline within The Ellinikon, one of the largest urban regeneration projects in the world. A 6.2 million square metre sustainable, smart city on the grounds of Athens’ old abandoned international airport, the project nearly doubles the amount of green space in the Athens Metropolitan Area and creates the largest coastal park in Europe at two million square metres.

Developers have planned a net zero carbon footprint economy through energy conservation strategies and emission-reducing systems. The Ellinikon will also be self-sufficient in irrigation and electricity needs and feature a mix of uses.

The Ellinikon will become a ground-up, environmentally conscious smart city in Athens.

Some features are the luxury-geared Riviera Galleria retail complex, a commercial hub that  will offer the first mall to earn LEED Gold Certification in the country, Greece’s tallest commercial building, hotels and a casino resort with convention spaces. Other plans include a 310-berth marina, electronic vehicle infrastructure, AR navigation, IoT in residential and commercial spaces, and smart water-level sensors for coastal resilience.

“We are at a moment in history when sustainable development and investment need to be bold to meet the need for change in how we conceive of urban experiences,” said Odisseas Athanasiou, CEO of Lamda Development. “The Ellinikon will have a transformative effect on both Greece and the world, providing a new benchmark for smart, inspiring indoor and outdoor spaces that excite people, while also significantly advancing sustainability in the places we live, work, and enjoy ourselves for the long term.”