The design team of L. Tuleikis, R. Antinis, K. Vaikšnoras, K. Lanauskas, and P. Vaitiekūnas shared their competition entry for the renovation of Lukishkiu Square in Vilnius, Lithuania. The competition highlighted “freedom” as the square was established for a memorial space. The team’s proposal consists of a gently carved out central Freedom Field, surrounded by sculptural compositions and an external flame along the perimeter of the site.
More about the entry after the break.
The Freedom Field, a large indentation in the ground, “cradles” those walking in the memorial area. “This indentation penetrates through all historical and cultural layers right to the roots of our national identity, it also reaches the authentic surface of the beginnings of Vilnius,” explained the team.
The surrounding buildings are erased from viewers’ sight as they descend into the square. By only seeing the trees of the surrounding streets, the user is able to focuses on the memorial area without being distracted. The square creates an isolated and quiet space right in the middle of the chaotic city.
The Lead Path brings users directly to the Freedom Field. The path represents the long hard years Lithuania endured to keep it’s freedom. As users stroll along the descending and ascending path, sculptural compositions outline the four historical stages of Lithuania.
The white wall, known as “the road”, acts as a timeline of the country’s history and voids in the wall accent important happenings. These voids allow visitors to walk through openings in the wall “thus presupposing his presence in the most important times of Lithuanian history”. These breaks bring viewers to pause stations designed specifically for reflection. “The lead path encourages the visitor to fuse together with the time of both this moment and the past,” explained the team.
The team’s proposal was selected along with 7 other projects for review, and it also received additional awards.
