To Mean // To Make: Sculpting a dialogue on an Athenian mountain Part 1 Project 2025 Alex Williams Loughborough University | UK Atop Lycabettus Hill in Athens, this envisioned Performing Arts Centre is more than a building - it is a cultural reawakening rooted in place and history. It honours Athens’ legacy as the birthplace of democracy and civic dialogue, while responding to the city’s contemporary social and cultural challenges.In recent decades, Athens has faced tangible pressures: over-tourism has strained infrastructure and public space, disused quarries remain as reminders of urban neglect and globalisation has gradually eroded distinct local identities. Greece continues to feel the long-term effects of its financial crisis, with cultural funding often deprioritised and public institutions under strain. As a result, access to arts, heritage and traditional crafts has declined, especially for future generations.This proposal challenges these issues, presenting a centre that balances digital with physical experiences and navigates between permanence and change. Carved into the hillside, the architecture draws from the geological language of quarries and stone masonry, embedding the structure in the material memory of the city. A disused amphitheatre is reimagined as a civic core, where debate, performance, restoration and sculpture converge. Rather than functioning solely as a venue, the centre acts as a platform for creative expression, education and renewed democratic engagement. Tutor(s)