July

According to the minutes of KAUET meeting of 2009 07 08
www.kamane.lt, 2009 07 15

Arena in Nemunas island is going to reconcile Kaunas with the Nemunas. Photo by G.Česonis

In brief: The participants of the extended meeting of Kaunas Architecture and Urbanism Experts’ Council (KAUET) that took place in the Nemunas island considered the procedure of Kaunas arena construction and the new façade solutions along with the creators of the arena.

Architects of Kaunas entertainment and sports arena in the Nemunas island: Algimantas Bublys, Eugenijus Miliūnas, Aurimas Ramanauskas, Dalia Paulauskienė, Rasa Baltrušaitienė, Vytautas Miliūnas, Gaustas Eigirdas.

Participants of the meeting
Project authors: Eugenijus Miliūnas, Aurimas Ramanauskas, Dalia Paulauskienė, Rasa Baltrušaitienė, Vytautas Miliūnas, Gaustas Eigirdas, Vytautas Čalka.

KAUET members: Gintaras Balčytis, Evaldas Barzdžiukas, Jurgis Bučas, Saulius Juškys, Jolita Kančienė, Vaidotas Kuliešius, Vygintas Merkevičius, Jonas Minkevičius, Gintaras Prikockis, Ramūnas Raslavičius, Vladas Stauskas, Gediminas Šinkūnas, Linas Tuleikis, KAUET direktorė Jūratė Merkevičienė.

Other participants
Kauno vice-mayor Rimantas Mikaitis, head of the City Planning Department Nerijus Valatkevičius, head of the Municipality Construction Department Vygantas Abramavičius, chairman of the Lithuanian Architects‘ Union, Kaunas Branch Dalius Šarakauskas, architect Birutė Bernotienė, project manager of Vėtrūna UAB Mindaugas Klanas.

Chairman of the meeting: Gintaras Balčytis.
Secretary of the meeting: Jūratė Merkevičienė.

According to E.Miliūnas, it was decided that the consideration of the sports arena facades would be more effective in the construction site. He explained that the building was dominating in the city and, therefore, it should be integral with the surroundings. A net covering the facades was considered at the beginning of constructions; however, it appeared that such a solution was hard to implement. Therefore, it was decided to construct the sports arena facades with terraces. In this way the building should become open and communicating with the city by its open terrace spaces.

The participants of the meeting gave a number of questions regarding the new concept of facades to the architects: whether the terraces would not turn icy in winter, about the width of the terrace, colours of facades, etc.

After hearing the answers and explanations, the experts expressed their opinions about the new facades.

G.Prikockis: “It is evident that everything is turning to the right direction.”

J.Kančienė: "The aim to open up to the Nemunas river has finally become reality. The life of the city will come closer to the river so powerfully that one should only rejoice for it. The concept chosen by the authors not to declare themselves but to merge with the surroundings should be complimented.”

G.Balčytis: “The most important is the concept and that the building gains new viewing points. It is hoped that the idea of facades will justify itself and will be more positive than the idea of the net.”

All experts approved of the new concept of facades in essence. In their opinion, the right road was chosen. Therefore, the authors were congratulated and success was wished for them.

Prepared Jūratė Merkevičienė