The building of the New Cowshed in the former royal estate of Tatoi is transformed into a two-theme museum. The museum is intended to house the permanent exhibitions on the agricultural production of the estate and the royal cars. The project of restoration of the building and its reuse is included in the Recovery and Resilience Fund. It follows the principles of the estate’s viability study and is progressing within the approved timetable with a completion horizon of 2025.

The Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, said: “The project of converting the New Cowshed into a two-themed museum seeks to highlight that, despite the changes of use that took place on the estate, depending on the period of reign, the principles that seemed to govern its use were environmental protection and the circular economy. The present-day appearance of the estate is largely due to the initiatives taken during the reigns of George I and Paul in particular, as the sources show that during these two periods of the estate’s history, agri-food production was developed. There was a concerted effort at systematic management with the intention of making it a model. The existing natural resources (plant wealth, soil, subsoil, water), natural capital, infrastructure, equipment and service networks were exploited, a work system and a small community of workers were formed, and ways were devised for the business development of the estate. The conversion of the New Cowshed into a museum is part of the ongoing programme of the Ministry of Culture for the museum promotion of selected historical buildings in the former royal estate, with evidence that have been identified and preserved in the areas of Tatoi. The completion of the projects by the relevant Directorates of the Ministry of Culture is expected to offer visitors a multi-thematic museum experience, accompanied by a variety of activities, in a restored natural environment. Our aim is to restore the monument building, whose work is ongoing, and to reuse it by creating a museum space that offers an integrated visitor experience to different categories of the public, highlighting the various aspects of agri-food production. At the same time, the building is suitable for hosting the exhibition of the royal cars, which have also been declared monuments. In view of this, the presentation of the New Cowshed has an independent value in itself as a model – for the time – of agri-food production that gives priority to the traditional way of farming, which respects nature. The organisation of the exhibition of vehicles, on the other hand, allows the presentation of the cars-memorials used in the last phase of the reign in Greece, which are of particular aesthetic, economic and technological value. The exhibitions have a strong educational and recreational character. Particular care has been taken to ensure that the museum is fully accessible”.

The two permanent exhibitions will be hosted in the New Cowshed building. The mission of the Museum, which is located in the heart of the productive-exhibition unit of the estate, is to highlight the agro-farming model of entrepreneurship, the connection with the international, national and local history related to the estate, the demonstration of the historical and technological value of the cars of the former royal family, as some of them are limited production models, while most of them were used in the public appearances and functions of the representatives of the royal institution.

The Farm Production Exhibition is located in the north and east wings of the building, while the Royal Motor Show is located in the west wing. The Agri-Farming Exhibition will feature exhibits of the estate’s agricultural and livestock production, with separate sections for the Dairy Production Exhibition. Also, equipment found at the Cowshed related to the agricultural production of oil and wine will be preserved and displayed. The exhibition equipment is simple, with a clean geometry and a clear aesthetic differentiation from the shell, typologically homogeneous and grouped according to the use it is intended to serve, while its arrangement in the space is independent of its geometry and structural elements. Eight cars will be exhibited in the independent exhibition section of royal cars: A whiteFiat 500™, two MG™ brand cars, four Rolls-Royce™-built cars and an electricVictor, out of a total of 10 royal cars designated as monuments. In the same section, Paul and Frederick’s driving licences and photographic material are displayed. A multi-purpose room for events and interactive parts of the exhibition is located upstairs as an independent section. The immediate surrounding area of the building takes the form of a small promenade and recreational area around the building.