The Badminton Theater ( el, Θέατρο Badminton) is a venue utilized for the staging of medium- and large-scale

multiplex Multiplex may refer to: * Multiplex (automobile), a former American car make * Multiplex (comics), a DC comic book supervillain * Multiplex (company), a global contracting and development company * Multiplex (assay), a biological assay which measu ...

events. Situated inside the metropolitan park of Goudi in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

, the theater was originally designed to host concerts, plays, dance performances and musicals. As of 2012, conferences, meetings, presentations and corporate events are also held at the venue due to the construction of additional facilities.

History and architectural transformation

The venue was initially built and used for the sport of

Badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players p ...

during the

2004 Olympic Games The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...

, opening immediately before the games. As the venue became further established, the facility was made available for leasing, with the management utilizing a

public tender Government procurement or public procurement is the procurement of goods, services and works on behalf of a public authority, such as a government agency. Amounting to 12 percent of global GDP in 2018, government procurement accounts for a subst ...

process, and "Athens Badminton Cultural Development S.A." (ABCD) outbid. ABCD acquired the premises for a 20-year timeframe, and subsequently embarked on radical reform and development of the property. The building was eventually converted into a versatile facility, suitable for medium- and large-scale events. The remodeling work began in the summer of 2006 and was completed in 2007, with investment exceeding 16 million euros. The post-industrial style of the exterior and the venue's large open spaces were the only things that remained intact. The interior was entirely rebuilt to create a modern

auditorium An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theatres, the number of auditoria (or auditoriums) is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoria can be found in entertainment venues, community ...

, capable of seating 2,430 people, surrounded by foyers and halls. The Badminton Theater has been used in several major international theater, dance and television productions and conferences. File:Badminton Theater preconstruction 3.jpg, Pre-Transformation File:Badminton_Theater.jpg, Phase 1 File:Badminton Theater preconstruction.jpg, Phase 2 File:Badminton Theater preconstruction 2.jpg, Phase 3

The Theater

The main areas of Badminton Theater are:

The Auditorium

The Badminton Theater Auditorium is the largest of its kind in Greece. The stage is 30-meter wide, with a depth of 18 meters, while the ceiling height is 15.5 meters, and is equipped with a programming console (''Vatalpha'' Type) that is capable of changing the scenery appearance in a matter of seconds. For conferences and corporate events, the stage accommodates panels of speakers and presentations, with a central podium also available to guests. The image viewer can also be used to convert the scene into a viewing area. High quality projectors are employed for the lighting of the area; lighting equipment includes 200-inch dimmers, a "Congo ETC" lighting console, and five

LED panel A LED display is a flat panel display that uses an array of light-emitting diodes as pixels for a video display. Their brightness allows them to be used outdoors where they are visible in the sun for store signs and billboards. In recent ...

s for displays and the projection of subtitles. The ergonomic design of the theater provides unobstructed visibility and, for events that require a greater immediacy for a smaller audience, a mobile partition can be employed. The acoustics of the venue are capable of an average reverberation time of less than 1.1 seconds

audio Audio most commonly refers to sound, as it is transmitted in signal form. It may also refer to: Sound * Audio signal, an electrical representation of sound *Audio frequency, a frequency in the audio spectrum * Digital audio, representation of sou ...

in the room is evenly distributed to within ± 2 decibels (db) from point-to-point and the central console is a digital 96-channel " MIDAS XL 8". The acoustic design of the theater was completed by Theodore Timagenis, an acoustic design consultancy firm founded in 1975.

The Foyer

The foyer consists of two multi-use areas that collectively occupy more than 1,500 square meters (sq. m.) of space. The Upper Foyer, the main reception area for visitors, consists of banners with an internal lighting mechanism and flat screens for the viewing of video material. The Upper Foyer also overlooks Army Park and is illuminated by natural lighting. This main reception area is connected to the lower level by two open stairwells and an

elevator An elevator or lift is a cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or decks of a building, vessel, or other structure. They a ...

. The Lower Foyer connects with the lower tier of the amphitheater and consists of allocated smoking rooms. Badminton Theater lower foyer

The Hallway

The Hallway is the main reception area for visitors. The most common uses for the receipt of tickets, registering participants and screened. In this area there are 8 service counters, hung flat screen TFT panels and illuminated system (banners), buffer flow control for the increased attendance and lift for the disabled. In March 2012, Badminton Theater implemented an electronic

barcode A barcode or bar code is a method of representing data in a visual, machine-readable form. Initially, barcodes represented data by varying the widths, spacings and sizes of parallel lines. These barcodes, now commonly referred to as linear or o ...

check-in system. Badminton Theater entry hall

Additional Support Infrastructure

Apart from the aforementioned areas, Badminton Theater features additional infrastructure, serving the diverse needs of individual events, including: * Administration offices * Backstage Space * Dressing Rooms * Rehearsal Room * Technical Amphitheater * Green Room * Meeting Hall (maximum capacity: 300 people) * Press Room (70 people) * Large storage areas File:Badminton Theater Dressing Room.JPG, Badminton Theater Dressing Room File:Badminton Theater Lift.jpg, Badminton Theater Lift File:Badminton Theater Press Room.jpg, Badminton Theater Press Room File:Badminton Theater Rehearsal Room.jpg, Badminton Theater Rehearsal Room File:Badminton Theater Booth.jpg, Badminton Theater Booth

Access

The Badminton Theater is located inside the area of the metropolitan park of

Goudi Goudi (, since 2006; formerly Γουδί ) is a residential neighbourhood of Athens, Greece, on the eastern part of town and on the foothills of Mount Hymettus. History The name of the area derives from the 19th century Goudi (Γουδή) famil ...

, at the junction of Mesogeion and Katechaki/Kanelopoulou Avenues ( Goudi area), with easy access from "Katehaki" Metro station (Line 3) and bus lines. The outdoor space around the complex can host more than 800 vehicles, or more than 70 buses, through the entrances from Mesogeion Avenue (Former Police Academy) and Katechaki/Kanellopoulou Avenue.

Events

2007

*''

Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake Matthew Bourne's ''Swan Lake'' is a contemporary ballet based on the Russian romantic work '' Swan Lake'', from which it takes the music by Tchaikovsky and the broad outline of the plot. Bourne's rendering is best known for having the traditi ...

'': 31 January – 11 February 2007 *Dean Perry's ''Tap Dogs'': 20 – 25 March 2007 *'' Jesus Christ Superstar'': 18 April – 14 May 2007 *'' Tiger Lillies'': 1 – 10 June 2007 *'' Lord of the Dance'': 18 – 28 June 2007 * Cristina Hoyos - ''Viaje al Sur'': 26 – 28 September 2007 *''BoccaTango'': 4 – 8 October 2007 *''Caetano Veloso'': 25 October 2007 *''Pilobolus'': 29 October – 2 November 2007 *''

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...

'': 7 – 25 November 2007 *''MOMIX'': 1 – 7 December 2007 *

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

and his New Orleans Jazz Band: 28 – 29 December 2007

2008

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

Gypsy Symphony Orchestra: 4 – 6 January 2008 *''FUEGO!'': 23 – 27 January 2008 *''TABLÒ'': 6 – 17 February 2008 * Michael Nyman: 4 March 2008 *'' Mamma Mia!'': 6 May – 15 June 2008 *

Polly Jean Harvey Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments. Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined loca ...

: 30 June 2008 *''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play '' Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid ...

'' 50th Anniversary World Tour: 10 – 29 September 2008 *

Roger Hodgson Charles Roger Pomfret Hodgson (born 21 March 1950) is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the former co-frontman and founding member of progressive rock band Supertramp. Hodgson composed and sang the majority of the band’ ...

- The Voice of Supertramp: 11 October 2008 *

Tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...

Fire: 15 – 20 October 2008 *''Kitaro - Love and Peace'': 23 October 2008 *'' Carmen'': 30 October – 2 November 2008 *''Le Quatuor!'': 12 – 16 November 2008 * National Theatre Prague Ballet's ''Solo for Three'': 19-23 November 2008 * National Theatre Prague Ballet's '' Romeo and Juliet'': 26-30 November 2008 *

Cirque Éloize Cirque Éloize is a contemporary circus company founded in Montreal in 1993 by Daniel Cyr, Claudette Morin, Jeannot Painchaud and Julie Hamelin. Since 2004, it has its headquarters and creation studio in Old Montreal inside the former Dalhousie ...

- Rain: 4 – 21 December 2008

2009

* Tiger Lillies Freakshow: 13 – 23 January 2009 *''

Edward Scissorhands ''Edward Scissorhands'' is a 1990 American fantasy romance film directed by Tim Burton. It was produced by Burton and Denise Di Novi, written by Caroline Thompson from a story by her and Burton, and starring Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Antho ...

'' (dance): 27 January – 8 February 2009 * Budapest Gypsy Symphony Orchestra: 13 – 18 February 2009 *

Tindersticks Tindersticks are an English alternative rock band formed in Nottingham in 1991. They released six albums before singer Stuart A. Staples embarked on a solo career. The band reunited briefly in 2006 and more permanently the following year. Th ...

: 21 February 2009 *

Max Raabe Max Raabe (born Matthias Otto, 12 December 1962) is a German jazz singer. He is best known as the founder and leader of the Palast Orchester. Career Raabe developed an interest in the sound of German dance and film music of the 1920s and 193 ...

Palast Orchester The Palast Orchester (literal translation, Palace Orchestra) is a German orchestra, based in Berlin, constituted in the manner of dance bands of the 1920s and 1930s. Its repertoire specialises in cabaret and popular songs of the Weimar period in G ...

: 24 March 2009 *

Don Quichotte ''Don Quichotte'' (''Don Quixote'') is an opera in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Caïn. It was first performed on 19 February 1910 at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo. Massenet's ''comédie-héroïque'', like many dramatiz ...

: 3 – 12 April 2009 *Nuevo Ballet Español: 5 – 10 May 2009 *Rhythm Of The Dance: 22 – 31 May 2009 *

Pasiοn: 9 – 14 June 2009 * Bertolt Brecht's '' Kurt Weill'': 18 – 20 June 2009 *

Antony & The Johnsons Anohni and the Johnsons (previously known as Antony and the Johnsons) is an American music group presenting the work of Anohni and her collaborators. Career British experimental musician David Tibet of Current 93 heard a demo and offered to r ...

: 29 June 2009 * David Byrne: 6 July 2009 *Grupo Compay Segundo: 16 July 2009 *Archive: 11 September 2009 * Spaghetti Western Orchestra: 16–25 September 2009 * Kevin Costner & Modern West: 14 October 2009 *'' Singin' in the Rain'': 21–25 October 2009 *

Universal Ballet The Universal Ballet was founded in Seoul, South Korea in 1984. One of only five professional ballet companies in South Korea, the company performs a repertory that includes many full length classical story ballets, together with shorter contempora ...

- ''

Nutcracker A nutcracker is a tool designed to open nuts by cracking their shells. There are many designs, including levers, screws, and ratchets. The lever version is also used for cracking lobster and crab shells. A decorative version portrays a person w ...

'': 24 November – 13 December 2009 *

Chicago Mass Choir The Chicago Mass Choir is an American gospel choir from Chicago, Illinois. The ensemble was founded in 1988 by James C. Chambers, who was also the founder of the Ecclesiastes Community Choir. Their debut album was issued in 1991; that year they w ...

: 15 December 2009

2010

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

Magic Festival: 5 – 17 January 2010 *

Patricia Kaas Patricia Kaas (; born 5 December 1966) is a French singer. Her music is a mix of pop, cabaret, jazz, and chanson. Since the appearance of her 1988 debut album '' Mademoiselle chante...'', Kaas has sold over 17 million records worldwide. She h ...

: 6 February 2010 *St. Petersburg State Ice Ballet - '' The Sleeping Beauty'': 3–21 March 2010 *

Béjart Ballet The Béjart Ballet Lausanne is a Swiss ballet company. It is based in the city of Lausanne and performs all over the world. The Béjart Ballet Lausanne was founded in 1987. It was established by Maurice Béjart, a well-known choreographer who ha ...

- Lausanne: 27 – 28 March 2010 *

Matthew Bourne Sir Matthew Christopher Bourne (born 13 January 1960) is an English choreographer whose work includes contemporary dance and dance theatre. Choreographer In 2007, Bourne contemplated a gay version of ''Romeo and Juliet''. Despite the succ ...

's '' Swan Lake'': 14 – 25 April 2010 *'' Evita'': 11 – 30 May 2010 *

Shen Yun Performing Arts Shen Yun Performing Arts (, "divine rhythm arts troupe") is a United States-based non-profit performing arts and entertainment company that tours internationally, producing dance performances and symphony concerts. It is operated by the Falun G ...

: 3 – 4 June 2010 *

Ana Moura Ana Cláudia Moura Pereira (born 17 September 1979), known as Ana Moura, is a Portuguese fado singer. An internationally recognized singer, she was the youngest fadista to be nominated for a Dutch Edison Award. Early life and career Ana Mo ...

: 14 – 20 June 2010 *'' Thriller – LIVE'': 9 – 21 June 2010 *Barbara Mendes: 21 – 26 June 2010 * Nnena Freelon: 28 June – 3 July 2010 *Maria & Alba Serrano: 14 – 17 July 2010 *'' The Cherrt Orchard'':1 – 3 October 2010 *

Rasta Thomas Rasta Kuzma Ramacandra (known professionally as Rasta Thomas) was born on July 18, 1981 in San Francisco and is a dancer, martial artist, gymnast, and choreographer. Thomas is the founder of the Bad Boys of Dance and director/owner of the Show ...

- ''Rock The Ballet'': 10 – 13 November 2010 *''

STOMP Stomp may refer to: *Stomp (strike), a downwards kick using the heel Music and dance * ''Stomp'' (album), by Big D and the Kids Table, 2013 * Stomp (jazz), a type of rhythmic jazz tune popular in the 1920s *Stomp (theatrical show), a percussive p ...

'': 30 November – 5 December 2010

2011

Eva Yerbabuena Eva María Garrido García, known professionally as Eva Yerbabuena, is a Spanish flamenco dancer. She formed her own dance company in 1998Sanjoy Roy"Step-by-step guide to dance: Eva Yerbabuena. By injecting traditional moves with bold theatrical ...

's ''Ballet Flamenco'': 15 – 16 January 2011 *''Bolero Chopiniana'': 4 – 6 February 2011 *2nd International Magic Festival: 9 – 20 February 2011 *

- Lausanne's ''Ballet for Life'': 25 – 28 February 2011 *'' Alice in Wonderland'': 18 – 20 March 2011 *''Forever Tango'': 29 March – 3 April 2011 *''

Patito Feo ''Patito Feo'' (in English, Ugly Small Duck) is an Argentine telenovela produced by Ideas del Sur that aired on Disney Channel between July 2007 and March 2011 in Latin America, Europe and Asia. ''Patito Feo'' originally debuted in early April ...

'': April 2011 *

Ottmar Liebert Ottmar Liebert (born 1 February 1959) is a German guitarist, songwriter and producer best known for his Spanish-influenced music. A five-time Grammy Award nominee, Liebert has received 38 Gold and Platinum certifications in the United States, as ...

& Luna Negra: 4 April 2011 *''Los maestros del Tango'': 13 – 14 May 2011 *

Laurie Anderson Laurel Philips Anderson (born June 5, 1947), known as Laurie Anderson, is an American avant-garde artist, composer, musician, and film director whose work spans performance art, pop music, and multimedia projects. Initially trained in violin and ...

's ''Delusion'': 8 June 2011 *''Shaolin Legend'': 24 September 2011 *''

Spartacus Spartacus ( el, Σπάρτακος '; la, Spartacus; c. 103–71 BC) was a Thracian gladiator who, along with Crixus, Gannicus, Castus, and Oenomaus, was one of the escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprisin ...

'': 19 – 21 October 2011 *The Cossacks of

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

: 28 – 30 October 2011 * Voca People: 4 – 6 November 2011 * Georgian National Ballet: 13 November 2011 *'' La Traviata'': 17 – 18 November 2011 *''Tango Por Dos'': 19 – 20 November 2011 *''

Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...

on Ice'': 2 – 4 December 2011 *

: 9 – 11 December 2011 *''Afrikania'': 16 – 18 December 2011 *''

'': 25 – 29 December 2011 *''

Dora the Explorer ''Dora the Explorer'' is an American children's animated television series and multimedia franchise created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh Valdes and Eric Weiner that premiered on Nickelodeon on August 14, 2000, went on hiatus on June 5, 20 ...

'': 31 December 2011- 29 January 2012 *'' West End Stars in Concert'': 20 – 23 December 2011

2012

*Harlem Swing's ''Ain't Misbehavin: 17 – 22 January 2012 *''

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...

Show'': 23 January 2012 *3rd World Magic Festival: 8 – 12 February 2012 *''ΑΒΒΑmania'': 17 – 18 February 2012 *Searching for Attik *Tin City (By Eugenia Fakinou): 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25 & 31 March & 1 April 2012 * Manolis Rasoulis - Crack in time: 19 March 2012 *1821 - Songs of the Revolutionary Greeks: 26 March 2012 *Actors singing

Mikis Theodorakis Michail "Mikis" Theodorakis ( el, Μιχαήλ "Μίκης" Θεοδωράκης ; 29 July 1925 – 2 September 2021) was a Greek composer and lyricist credited with over 1,000 works. He scored for the films ''Zorba the Greek'' (1964), '' Z'' ...

: 27 March 2012 *A Tribute to Eptanisian Music: 2 April 2012 *Michael Soyoul - From the keys of

Bandoneón The bandoneon (or bandonion, es, bandoneón) is a type of concertina particularly popular in Argentina and Uruguay. It is a typical instrument in most tango ensembles. As with other members of the concertina family, the bandoneon is held ...

to the strings of

Bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...

: 14 May 2012 *"Angela Papazoglou" with Anna Vagena: 20 May 2012 *Béjart Ballet Lausanne / BOLERO - DIONYSOS - SYNCOPE: 6–10 June 2012 *

Euripides Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars a ...

- ''

Iphigenia at Aulis ''Iphigenia in Aulis'' or ''Iphigenia at Aulis'' ( grc, Ἰφιγένεια ἐν Αὐλίδι, Īphigéneia en Aulídi; variously translated, including the Latin ''Iphigenia in Aulide'') is the last of the extant works by the playwright Euripide ...

'': Summer 2012 * Fuerza Bruta Look Up!: September 2012 *

Sleeping Beauty ''Sleeping Beauty'' (french: La belle au bois dormant, or ''The Beauty in the Sleeping Forest''; german: Dornröschen, or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess cu ...

- GRIGOROVICH BALLET THEATRE: 11–16 October 2012 *Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía: 3–4 November 2012 *At the Markets of

Manos Hatzidakis Manos Hatzidakis (also spelled Hadjidakis; el, Μάνος Χατζιδάκις; 23 October 1925 – 15 June 1994) was a Greek composer and theorist of Greek music, widely considered to be one of the greatest Greek composers and one of the most ...

: 9 November 2012 *Kostas Virvos - I do not live kneeling": 12 November 2012 *'' La Traviata'' - Stanislavsky Theatre: 22–24 November 2012 *Gustavo Russo - Tango Seduccion!: 28 November 2012 *The Wiener Johann Strauss Capelle: 1–2 December 2012 *

Iakovos Kambanelis Iakovos Kambanellis (Greek: Ιάκωβος Καμπανέλλης; 2 December 1921 – 29 March 2011) was a Greek poet, playwright, screenwriter, lyricist, and novelist. Biography Born 2 December 1921 in Hora on the island of Naxos, the sixth of ...

- Mauthausen: 6–9 December 2012 *Flying Superkids: 14–16 December 2012 *Splendid - China National Acrobatic Troupe: December 2012 *''Mauthausen'', a theatrical play based on the "

Mauthausen Trilogy The "Mauthausen Trilogy", also known as "The Ballad of Mauthausen" and the "Mauthausen Cantata", is a cycle of four arias with lyrics based on poems written by Greek poet Iakovos Kambanellis, a Mauthausen concentration camp survivor, and music wr ...

", premiered 6 December 2012

References

External links

Official PageOlympic Properties Web PageThe City of Athens Official Visitors' Website
{{coord, 37.9861, 23.7747, type:landmark_region:GR, display=title Venues of the 2004 Summer Olympics Olympic badminton venues Indoor arenas in Greece Sports venues in Greece Theatres in Athens