Ark of National Memory

Artist: Kostas Varotsos
Technical Study: ilicon
Year: 2025

The Ark of National Memory, a monumental sculptural work created by the renowned Greek sculptor Kostas Varotsos, is constructed entirely of glass and dedicated to the 121,692 fallen heroes of Greece’s National Struggles, whose names are engraved on its surface. The monument is installed in the surrounding area of the Ministry of National Defence and consists of vertical glass columns. Rising from the ground and reaching a height of up to six metres, the structure forms a striking transparent labyrinth.
As part of the project, 303 clear float glass panels with a thickness of 19 mm were fabricated, the majority of which exceeded 3 metres in height, reaching up to the jumbo raw material size limit of 6 metres. Each glass panel underwent perimeter edge polishing and drilling for floor anchoring. This was followed by full thermal tempering to achieve the required mechanical strength and safety performance.
At a subsequent stage, high-resolution digital printing using ceramic inks was applied, reproducing thousands of names of those who fell in Greece’s National Struggles on the surface of the glass panels. To minimise the risk of spontaneous breakage, the glass panels were subjected to the Heat Soak Test.