Acropolis Museum: Power of Wishful Thinking

A report yesterday by the CBC says that the $182-million Acropolis Museum, under construction in Athens to house the Parthenon marbles, "will be ready 'in the first half of 2007,'" according to Greek prime minister Kostas Karamanlis, who visited the site on Monday.

Don't bet on it.

The Athens News Agency puts it a little differently: It says that construction is "slated for completion in the first half of 2007."

We've heard all that before: When I wrote in 2002 for Art in America magazine about this project, then estimated to cost only $78 million, the deadline for completion was 2004, in time for the Olympics. Architect Bernard Tschumi had told me that the 2004 deadline imposed a "mad schedule," but was, nevertheless, "entirely feasible."

Here's another thing not to bet on: that the new state-of-the-art facility will, as the Greeks hope, inspire the British to return to Greece the so-called Elgin marbles, reuniting what remains of the Parthenon frieze. As I've written on the NY Times Op-Ed page, I hope that will happen. But I doubt it.

Do we know where Tony Blair's heir apparent, finance minister Gordon Brown, stands on this issue?