April

According to the minutes of KAUET meeting of 2009 03 18
www.kamane.lt, 2009 04 06

Photo from miestai.lt

In brief: The object of the hottest discussions of Kaunas Architecture and Urbanism Experts’ Council (KAUET) is the fate of Kaunas new town: concept of Kaunas new town heritage protection regulation and the study “Searches for the Urbane Model of Kaunas New Town” presented by Algimantas Miškinis.

The meeting was headed by Gražina Bernotienė.

1. Presentation of the Kaunas new town heritage protection regulation (Aleksandas Vaškelis and Nijolė Steponaitytė).

According to A.Vaškelis, the protection regulation document was prepared by a group of specialists: Nijolė Steponaitytė, Violeta Reipaitė and he himself. The work consists of two parts: the grounding and decision part. The grounding part presents the description of cultural values of the new town of Kaunas: qualitative, structural and value characteristics (scale, composition, status, value) and the generalised material of the research. The decision part offers decisions regarding the new town immovable culture heritage maintenance, use, management and protection (regulations).

After the protection regulation of new town of Kaunas was presented and discussed among the committee members, the decision was accepted.

DECISION

1.1 It is recommended to prepare the regulation taking into regard the layers of the Tsar, Inter-war and Soviet period rather than only the Tsar period.
1.2 It is offered to organise a meeting of the Culture Heritage Protection Department and Kaunas Municipality for accepting decisions regarding joint actions.
1.3 One example of the work should be presented to the Culture Heritage Protection Department for work.
1.4 It is offered to turn to Vilnius Culture Heritage Protection Department, Evaluation Council and ask to present the prepared plan of borders of Kaunas New Town.
1.5 It is asked to make the general conclusions regarding the possible integration of present heritage into future visions.
1.6 It is offered to specify the borders of territories, to prepare the general regulation of historical Kaunas (for the territories of Būgos, Perkūno Streets and Žaliakalnis).
1.7 Offers should be presented while forming spaces of the new town.
1.8 Semantic values should be named and objectives should be distinguished.

2. Discussion of the work “Searches for the Urbane Model of Kaunas New Town” presented by Algimantas Miškinis during the KAUET meeting of February 18.

According to G.Bernotienė, A.Miškinis presented his work on February 18. Before this meeting minutes were repeatedly sent to all experts for familiarisation. Thus, now the experts discussed the work of A.Miškis and passed the decision.

DECISION

2.1 The centre of Kaunas – Laisvės Alley – should be preserved. The intensity of life and function should be increased here. Intensity of function is much more important than height of buildings in the central part of the city.
2.2 The centre near the Nemunas is positive regarding the space, the future arena and the image of Hansa city; still, decisions should be accepted in complex manner, with the island, Lower Freda and Laisvės Alley.
2.3 Facades of the central streets of the city should be put into order first without fearing new buildings instead of the present ones. Laisvės Alley should change and become higher.
2.4 It is agreed partially with the intention to leave present higher buildings and to construct adjacent higher buildings.
2.5 It is necessary to form relations of Laisvės Alley with the bank of the Nemunas river and with the local centre in the Nemunas island (passages, pedestrian zones).

Prepared by Jūratė Merkevičienė