Art Deco building faces the chop to allow improved view of Parthenon

A shimmering reflection of the Parthenon greets passers-by glancing up at the vast wall of windows atop Greece's new Acropolis Museum. But from inside, the picture isn't so clear.

A dispute over a move to tear down two listed buildings - one of them an Art Deco gem designated a monument in its own right, the other owned by the Oscar-winning composer Vangelis Papathanassiou, the composer of of the Chariots of Fire theme - to allow a better view of the Parthenon from the museum, threatens to overshadow the venue's opening. The 1930 Art Deco building at No 17 Dionyssiou Areopagitou St was built by Vassilis Kouremenos, a graduate of the École des Beaux Arts in Paris and reportedly a friend of Pablo Picasso.

It is "probably the most impressive example of its kind" in Athens, said Kostas Stamatopoulos of the Hellenic Society for the Protection of the Environment and Cultural Heritage.

With its pink-marbled exterior, a mosaic of Oedipus and the Sphinx adorning the top floor and marble statues of women flanking the wrought iron door, it is the most eye-catching building along the broad, leafy pedestrian road leading to the Acropolis entrance. But No 17 and No 19, a grey structure that has not benefited from the care lavished on its neighbour, also stand between the new museum and the Acropolis. A visitor looking out from the museum towards the Parthenon would see the two buildings' rear facade of plain, charmless walls.

In May, Giorgos Voulgarakis, the Culture Minister, said that the two buildings would be removed. Greece's archaeological council voted in early July to revoke the listed status of the more significant Art Deco building and allow its demolition. The council was evenly split, with 12 voting for demolition and 12 against, but the head of the council favored tearing the building down - and he carried a double vote.

The Culture Ministry said it would not comment on the issue until later.

Residents and architects have launched an email campaign urging Mr Voulgarakis not to sign the council's recommendation. Without his signature, the buildings cannot be demolished. Emails of support have begun to flood in from around the globe.

"Both buildings are at stake," said Nikos Rousseas, an architect whose office is on the ground floor of the Art Deco building. "They are very important ... No 17 is a monument, not just a listed building."

Athens has sorely needed a new venue to house antiquities from the 2,600-year-old Acropolis. The old museum on the Acropolis hill near the Parthenon temple closed down in June and the new museum promises to house artefacts that had remained in storage because of a lack of exhibition space. A massive operation begins next month to move 300 marble statues atop the Acropolis into the museum.

Greeks hope it will one day house the Elgin (Parthenon) Marbles - sculptures removed from the Parthenon in the early 19th century by Lord Elgin and housed at the British Museum in London. For years, Athens has sought their return, although the British Museum has refused.

The concrete and glass facility is expected to open early next year. Critics say its style is incongruous with its surroundings, on the edge of Athens' old district of Plaka. "We are tearing down two listed buildings to showcase one of dubious aesthetics and bulk," said Mr Stamatopoulos. And the architect Mr Rousseas added: "Let's be more open-minded. Greece is not just antiquities."AP