Greece mall recruited for use in Olympics

Greece's biggest shopping centre is to be used as the media centre for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, before being reconverted to retail space after the games.

The 125,000 sq m retail and leisure scheme at the Olympic Village in Marousi, Athens, is now under construction by the Greek company Lamda Developments.

Designed by the UK-based S&P Architects, the centre will be built over four levels and will include a supermarket, restaurants, a health club, family entertainment centre and a range of individual shops aimed at international brands, as well as local retailers.

The scheme has 2,600 car spaces with direct access from the new motorway linking Athens Airport with the port of Piraeus. It also has two stations on the surface rail link and one on the Athens Metro system.

As part of Athens' Olympic bid, the centre has been designated for use by the International Olympic Committee during the games, before being handed back to the developer for completion.