POLITICAL personalities, artists and architects were all in attendance at the Ministry of Education and Culture’s formal unveiling of its plans for a new cultural centre in the heart of Nicosia.
The presentation of the designs that the ministry has in store were made in front of a packed auditorium at the Cultural Foundation of Cyprus, with head of the board of directors Kikis Lazarides describing the planned building and its surrounding grounds as “the largest cultural infrastructure project in the country.”
He also extended his appreciation to all the different companies and organisations that had played a role in the development of the plans, which have been in the making for the last two years. Four companies had been engaged in developing the designs – each one specialising in the fields of architecture, mechanics, theatre design and acoustical engineering.
Clearly pleased with the final blueprints and keen to highlight the viability and usefulness of the estimated €85 million project amongst an underlying tone of economic crisis, Lazarides said the Cultural Centre of Cyprus will serve as a “catalyst of artistic creation and cultural enrichment, with significant advantages being yielded to the sectors of education, town planning, architecture, urban development, the economy and tourism”
“Basically, it will constitute a comprehensive elixir in enhancing the quality of life for citizens. “
Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, General Manager of the project Tassos Angelis explained how 85 per cent of the €85 million cost would be covered by EU funding, while he expressed total confidence that the returns made to Cyprus over the years as a result of possessing such a cultural asset would be much greater than the mere remuneration of funds.
Angelis explained how the centre will be located in the area stretching from behind the Opel showrooms (on Dimosthenis Severis Ave) to the area currently occupied by the old Interior Ministry buildings.
Asked about when he believed work would start on the project and how long it would take to complete, he replied: “If all goes to plan, work can begin by the end of this year, and should theoretically be done by the end of 2012.”
During the presentation of the plans, Lazarides highlighted that the impressive project does not simply constitute a mere building, but an “urban-cultural network, which in effect will not be just one, but many edifices together; a concert hall with the capacity to be converted into a venue for opera, ballet, and musicals; a space for conventions; a training centre; exhibition room; a space for ‘personal focus’ and social gatherings, and a large square with adjacent park.”
The benefit to the general public in the creation of this centre will be felt in a large number of ways; a fact that is not lost on Angelis, who describes the square that will form part of the grounds as “the first real pedestrian square in Nicosia.”
