2007 » Lithuania » Architecture section

The Ever-changing Landscapes of Theatre

Throughout much of the 20th century, the geography of Lithuanian theatres did not change – theatres were not built, or even restored, quite the opposite – one building in the centre of Vilnius was even demolished. In recent years there have been noticeable changes in the area of theatre architecture. Last year a new home was found for the Small Theatre of Vilnius, operating since 1990. Major reconstruction on the Kaunas Drama Theatre also began at this time. The architectural reorganization of these two theatres is presented in Lithuania’s exhibit in the architecture section of PQ 07. The new venue for the Small Theatre of Vilnius, an architectural and cultural monument of the end of 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, was built by architect Konstantin Korojedov. The most important element that survives in the reconstruction effort, is a unique cylindrical arch, comprised of glass blocks in the main hall, very characteristic of aesthetic construction solutions from the beginning of the 20th century. In 1991 the building was dedicated to the Small Theatre of Vilnius. Reconstruction started in 1993, and continued for 12 years, based on the design plans of architect Nijole Sciogoleviene. The theatre opened its doors on November 11, 2005. Kaunas State Drama Theatre has been performing in the Metropolitain cinema, designed by architect Vladimiras Dubeneckis, which opened on December 4th, 1928. The theatre troupe assumed the space on April 29th, 1959. On June 1st, 2005, reconstruction of the theatre, began based on the blueprint of architect Algimantas Kancas. The collaborators of this project were Guste Kancaite, Kestutis Kajokas, Vidmantas Zdanavicius.