Kaunas is rapidly changing in recent years and is undergoing one of its most significant transformations. Ambitious projects are being implemented in the city, public spaces are being renovated, and new neighborhoods are being developed. One of the most important highlights today is the M. K. Čiurlionis Concert Center, which will become not only a new focal point but also another important step in the city’s turning towards the Nemunas River.
The laureate of the Lithuanian National Culture and Art Prize, founder and head of „Paleko Architektų Studija” Rolandas Palekas shared his thoughts on architecture, intuition, Kaunas identity, this exceptional project, and future perspectives.
If you had to describe Kaunas’ face, how would you characterize it?
No one will take away Kaunas’ status as the spiritual and mental Lithuanian center. Kaunas is unequivocally the center of modern Lithuania – and I say this not only in terms of geography or connectivity. If we talk about the city’s face, it has changed significantly for the better over the past decade. We all see these changes. Vilnius also has many changes, but for me, it remains a venerable, mysterious historical center of Lithuania.
What do you think is most important when creating a city for the future?
An architect’s work is in contact with different fields, professions, and people. It is by no means a one-person job. We know that we are building for people, so their feelings and opinions are very important because the city belongs to everyone. If you can do better right now so that others can enjoy it in several decades or more – do it.
It is said that architecture is not just a profession but a way of life. Do you agree?
Speaking in basketball terms – Kaunas will understand me here – just like in basketball, in architecture, you first need to defend very well, and you rarely hit a three-pointer. You work, you sweat, and only occasionally are you rewarded with that three-pointer. Such moments are only a small part, but that’s why they are so sweet.
Do you trust your intuition in your profession?
Of course, I do. However, intuition has two dangers – it is quite difficult to distinguish it from repetition and taking the easiest path. With long-term experience, this feeling develops naturally, as you have already gone through similar situations. But here lies the danger – starting to repeat yourself. This becomes uninteresting first to yourself, and then to others.
In my case, intuition is most important at the moment of discovery. Sometimes, no matter how many sketches or drawings you look at, you feel that something is wrong, even if you can’t explain it sometimes. Then intuition kicks in. You intuitively understand that you don’t need to sketch anymore and you have to choose this path, even if you don’t have a rational explanation yet.
How do you reconcile intuition with rationality?
Today, everyone wants to calculate and measure everything. You always have to prove and justify your decisions. But how can you justify intuition? It is primarily justified by faith. Then the question arises – do others trust me enough? Of course, in the end, I still have an objective explanation for my choice.
It is important not to rely solely on prior knowledge. Even if you think you know, don’t think it will save you. It only leads to automatic blocking and arrogance. Knowledge is very ephemeral because you can never be sure if you really know something.
How did the idea of the M. K. Čiurlionis Concert Center interacting with the river come about?
Searching for Čiurlionis-ness. When it was announced that the concert center would bear this name, we realized that we had to find a connection with him himself – with Čiurlionis. I remember when the entire studio went to the site, we walked along the right and left banks of the Nemunas. At that time, the water level was higher than usual, and it reminded me of a huge mirror. Then I realized that the building rising in this place should not be very large – it would be surrounded by greenery, a subtle environment, homesteads, but due to its reflection, it could grow larger.
The question arose of how to create a distinctive building that would not overshadow the environment with its scale. And so we „hooked” onto the mirror effect. It strongly connected with one of Čiurlionis’ most memorable paintings – „Peace.” It features a very prominent reflection of water. Thus, the idea was born to create a building that would descend into the water.
A year ago, you mentioned that you were worried about the curved glass facades of the concert hall. How do you feel about this issue today?
Today, I am a greater optimist on this issue, and I am glad that everything is moving forward. It is worth remembering that the success and result of quality consist not of dozens, but perhaps hundreds of small good answers.
What does such a space need to „breathe” and not just be a beautiful building?
A very good question. First of all, you need people who feel comfortable in that space. A pedestrian bridge is currently being built, which I believe will give a great impulse to this place. However, that alone will not be enough. A very important and attractive ecological movement route along the left bank of the Nemunas right by the water – from Vytautas Bridge to Čiurlionis Bridge. On the left bank of the Nemunas, it will naturally connect with the Nemunaičiai quarter, and the center will be easier to reach from Nemuno Island. Then it will only be necessary to properly orchestrate the public path itself, so that people not only cycle or walk past but also have a reason to stop.
What significance does the Nemunas River have in this project?
The city is increasingly integrating the Nemunas into the center of Kaunas; it is becoming a connecting, not a dividing, element. As always, in every project, you look for a strong urban idea. In this case, we decided to change the shoreline quite decisively, because looking at this place, we realized that we had to create a small harbor. We wanted a person, say, in Kulautuva, to be able to get into their boat, come to a concert, and return home afterward. Boating is growing rapidly. I believe that in the future, more and more towns will have their own marinas and water transport. I want this concert center to become an integral part of the city’s image as an inseparable part of Kaunas, and for no one to even think that it might not have been here.
The Nemunaičiai quarter is often mentioned as one of the most prominent examples of how the city is turning towards the river. What was the main idea behind this?
The dialogue between the river and the city is not close to me alone. The ideas now being realized were born through discussions with colleagues from Kaunas in the initial stage, during the creation of the vision – how to approach the left bank of the Nemunas. We have long talked about cities turning towards their rivers. In other words, attractive, pleasant access to the water itself must be created. Highways and wide streets on the embankments are for cars, not people, and this is a bad thing. This idea has been in the air for quite some time. When we got the opportunity to design buildings on a plot on the bank of the Nemunas, not separated from the river by any street, we did not doubt that we had to seize this opportunity and continue the direction chosen in the vision.
This staging could not have happened otherwise than by trying to bring people as close to the water as possible. Therefore, the buildings themselves descended right to the water. The pedestrian promenade, paths, benches, terraces on the first floors – all this came closer to the river. We even formed transverse streets with a slope towards the water, as in the historical part of Kaunas near Vytautas Church. Walking down the street, a person feels they are approaching the water, they see it. We were inspired by Kaunas itself in this place. Such seemingly small measures ultimately create the feeling of living on the water.
When you win an architectural competition, what comes first – joy or the realization that the real work begins now?
First, of course, there is joy: „Oh! Yeee!” Of course, the emotion depends on the competition, who is judging the works, who the competitors are, so that joy always has different shades. You realize that the won object will be large, long-term, probably built in stages, then you prepare for a long process. However, you still don’t know when the further negotiations will begin, or if they will begin at all.
There was a time in Kaunas – perhaps ten or even twenty years ago – when competitions were held, winners were chosen, but ultimately nothing was realized, and the projects remained unimplemented. That was already common. When we won the M. K. Čiurlionis Concert Center competition in 2017, I had the exact same doubt. Fortunately, the doubts were not confirmed.
And if you don’t win? Do you let go easily, or do you start analyzing what went wrong?
I definitely analyze, try to understand and give myself an account. But this is probably not specific to architects – it’s more about different types of people. Some look for reasons elsewhere for failures. Others ask themselves: „What can I do differently next time to win?”
If we talk about implemented projects, do you think about what you would do differently today?
Absolutely. I probably couldn’t say there’s even one realized object where I wouldn’t see today what I could have done differently or what different decision I could have made. However, I try not to think about it too much. Each project is a result of its time.
Do you compare your projects with the works of other architects?
I observe what is happening around, how cities are changing, but I have never compared myself or my work with other architects. In fact, I never even felt the desire to do so. Of course, sometimes various thoughts arise, not always pleasant ones. Every time we start creating, we start from a blank page. We try to find the best answer for the given place, under the existing circumstances. After a long and intensive process, a result appears, and then there is no point in comparing it with others.
In the book „Paleko Architektų Studija 2 – PAS,” there is a quote from you: „Who am I to take away the city’s pauses.” Can you explain more broadly what city pauses mean to you?
To some extent, this statement is a bit hypertrophied, but it invites reflection. Do we really have to rush to build on every free space in the city? For a city, not only buildings are important, but even more important are the spaces between them. Of course, everything depends on the situation. Some gaps ask to be filled, and no one questions it. However, there are many spaces that have already been embraced by people, and they don’t need to be built on at all. Sometimes, by taking something away, by removing it, you do a greater good to the city than by building. Then the question arises – do I have the right to take that pause away from the city, or is it better to leave it for future generations? I find the saying quite acceptable, which seems to contradict my profession: „If you can not build – then do not build.”
What would you wish for Kaunas?
Kaunas and its residents have always had a strong inner optimism and pride in their identity. I wish that this would remain. Kaunas is very closely related to architecture. In the interwar period, when it became the temporary capital, Kaunas built top-level buildings in a very short period. It is a young, modern, sparkling city, and youth is always characterized by optimism. The spirit of optimism that bloomed a century ago is still alive. Sometimes it subsides, sometimes it rises again. However, today, it seems to me that Kaunas is at the peak of a new wave of optimism, and this should be maintained for as long as possible.
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