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The Ministry of Culture, tasked with figuring out what to do with one of Kaunas’ most valuable interwar buildings, the Kaunas Central Post Office, has finally taken action.
The building was closed again in the fall of 2019 and has since been briefly reopened only after the coronavirus vaccination began.
Meetings with city representatives from various fields began on June 30, asking how and to whom the post office building could be adapted.
Kaunas residents have already created and proposed many visions of what might be in the Kaunas Central Post Office. Is it worth a second time to dive into the same river and splurge all our money?
Creative session call
The Ministry of Culture is preparing a feasibility study for the Kaunas Central Post Office building on behalf of the Government. The process of its elaboration is supervised by the public institution Ideas for the City.
Yesterday, representatives of the Ministry of Culture, Lithuanian Post Office, Kaunas City Municipality, members of the Lithuanian and Kaunas community of architects, representatives of institutions, organizations, the academic community, companies, public society and all Interested in this unique public discussion were invited to participate in the first public and creative debate session The Fate of the Building.
Restoration required immediately
This message interested many active residents of Kaunas, including the architect and heritage protection specialist Loreta Janušaitienė.
It pains him that the building, which is currently not in use, is in sight and some of its details may be irreversibly destroyed. It is also disappointing that the city authorities have abandoned the building and the Ministry of Culture has been looking for solutions on what to do with it for quite some time.
“The plaster of the building, the window sills are crumbling.
If they are not restored as soon as possible, it may not be possible to do so in the future, as the materials used in the interwar period and the craftsmen capable of such delicate work no longer exist. It is not always possible to restore badly damaged parts.
Then all that remains is to restore them, but it is no longer original, “said the architect. L. Janušaitienė noted that the building itself is already a value and an exhibition that is interesting to see. Young people.
Therefore, in the opinion of the architect and heritage specialist, representatives of the Ministry of Culture should first consult with heritage specialists about the condition of the building and the conservation and restoration of its valuable assets.
I made three suggestions
At the same time, in L. Janušaitienė’s opinion, it would be very helpful if the organizers of the postal business feasibility study got to know the people who have already put forward ideas about what could happen in the building.
In the summer of 2019, the residents of Kaunas formed an initiative group “Paštininkai”, which created visions of what could happen in the building.
More than 20 representatives from architecture, heritage, design, art history, history, law, business, tourism, government and other stakeholders participated in the vision creation process. Three projects were created, it was proposed to establish an architecture and design museum, several studios, conference rooms, a hotel and a restaurant at the post office.
“I think it was already possible to take advantage of these ideas and now the ministry could have taken the next step, looking for a new owner of the building, instead of diving into the same water, because it saves precious time, which increasingly affects the building , it is necessary, “he said. L. Janušaitienė.
Entrepreneurs have experience
The architect and heritage specialist is convinced that the Kaunas Central Post Office should become a multifunctional cultural object, which would be intended for a modern museum, education and the work of architects and artists, a hotel and a restaurant.
“But the artists’ projects, which would be created in wonderful postcard spaces, must be funded,” said the architect.
L. Janušaitienė believes that it would be very useful to speak and consult not only with architects and heritage representatives, but also with real estate experts and entrepreneurs who have experience in resurrecting valuable interwar buildings.
“For example, two businessmen Karolis Banys and Petras Gaidamavičius live in Kaunas. Having bought an apartment in one of the apartment buildings built in the interwar period on Gedimino Street, they not only restored its space, but also restored the entire house. Of course, this is a smaller scale than resurrecting the Kaunas Central Post Office, but the experience of those people who are not indifferent to heritage can be very useful, ”said the architect.
Business and culture must fit together
Asta Kiaunienė, the president of the Kaunas branch of the Lithuanian Union of Architects, was one of those who with her team created a vision for who to use the Kaunas Central Post Office. A group of architects in the building proposed to combine culture and business.
“Due to its structure, this building is very suitable for various activities. In the representative part of it, both we and other colleagues, having created their own visions, proposed the establishment of an architectural center.
It shouldn’t be a stagnant museum that only interests a few people. In such a center, various activities could be carried out ”, said the architect.
At the rear of the building, from the side of the courtyard, there are many premises that, in the opinion of A.Kiaunienė, could be suitable for administrative and commercial activities. The money received from such activities would contribute to the maintenance of the architectural center.
“I think the proposals from both us and our colleagues were realistic. It is a shame that the future of the Kaunas Central Post Office is being decided for so long. But the team preparing the feasibility study invited me to a meeting. and I’ll go. Ignoring, in my opinion, is not the answer. We are talking about an architectural object of the highest category like Kaunas Post, therefore, if necessary, we will have to speak again about its future so that the greater As many people as possible understand the value of this building, ”said A. Kiaunienė.
Lookyou put the policy
Alius Jankauskas, director of the company Amilda, representative of the real estate agency RE / MAX, is interested in the legacy of the interwar architecture of Kaunas and, together with his business partner, businessman Karolis Sankauskas, is currently engaged in renovating the building from Vytautas 2 avenue. In 1937, in the interwar period, it housed the Hotel Locarno, later renamed Lausanne.
The real estate expert said that the proposals already prepared by Kaunas architects are worth examining very carefully.
“If they are real, I think they should be used. In this case, spend 36 thousand. perhaps too much money for a new feasibility study. I find it strange that the Kaunas leaders themselves did not take care of this building, but only came up with enough to vaccinate the people who were in it. The building is in a unique location and the building itself is exceptional. I believe that it should not become an office or other building for a small part of the people, but should become an object of attraction for all Kaunas residents and city guests, ”said A. Jankauskas.
Evaluate realistic scenarios
Viktorija Vitkauskaitė, representative of the Ministry of Culture, said that the inter-institutional working group convened by the Ministry of Transport and Communications to assess the adaptation of the Kaunas and Klaipėda post office buildings to public needs, provided its recommendations to be made charge of these buildings. , ordering and rearranging them.
Subsequently, the Government commissioned the Ministry of Culture to carry out feasibility studies for the central post office buildings in Kaunas and Klaipėda.
“It is planned to allocate approximately 36 thousand LTL for the Kaunas Post feasibility study. euros. The process will also evaluate previous ideas to adapt the mail to current needs.
However, for all these processes to be carried out legally and smoothly, it is necessary to prepare official documents that clearly indicate the justification, ”said the representative of the Ministry of Culture.
According to V. Vitkauskaitė, the study organizers seek to analyze more than one possible idea or scenario, but to thoroughly examine the application possibilities of this building, answer all questions related to the future fate of the building, evaluate the most realistic scenarios. and find optimal solutions.
Architectural accent of the temporary capital
Vaidas Petrulis
Historian of architecture
“The Palace of the Central Post Office of Kaunas is one of the most important representative buildings of the interwar period. At the same time, it is the most significant building of its functional type to emerge in interwar Lithuania. It was built in 1932 according to the design of the architect Felix Vizbar.
The five-story building with a basement was equipped with modern elevators, a spacious operating room, designed for comfortable working conditions. In 1935, an electric clock was installed on the main facade and the building became one of the most important architectural elements of the temporary capital.
In the post office, the ideas of modern architecture and at that time vivid thoughts about the “national style” are closely intertwined. It is one of the most organic combinations of these two ideological engines of interwar architecture: modernity and nationality. “
Attract filmmakers
Aurelijus Silkinis
Head of the Kaunas Film Office
“The Kaunas Central Post Office is unique both on the outside and on the inside. It is one of the most interesting buildings in Kaunas for filmmakers from various countries. Last fall, when the post office was already closed, the filming of the Swedish series “Clark” for the Netflix platform took place in and around the post office. The post office was turned into a bank and was robbed during filming.
The coronavirus pandemic had stopped the work of filmmakers around the world, but we have already received more inquiries about whether it would be possible to immortalize the Kaunas Central Post Office building in other bands.
I will be very interested in the fate of this building and I hope that in the future filmmakers will also be able to create in it. “
