Lithuanian Culture Institute
Architecture

Kančas Studio

Lithuanian Culture Institute

Kančas_IN

Nida Artists’ Colony. Category: public building
Design: 2009
Construction: 2011
Address: Taikos g. 43, Neringa
Architects: Algimantas Kančas, Gustė Kančaitė, Tomas Petreikis, Tomas Kučinskas, Angelina Saldauskaitė, Kęstutis Kajokas, Vaiva Jakubėnienė, Ignius Pupinis


Established in 1991, the firm, founded by the late Algimantas Kančas (1954-2016), designs distinctive public buildings, houses and interiors. Remarkable for its productivity, the Kančas Studio collective has carried out many interesting, high-quality projects throughout Lithuania, and won awards in various competitions.

The Nida Artists’ Colony of the Vilnius Academy of Art, a year-round centre for art, design and architecture, is one of the few contemporary architectural projects in Nida. Warehouses built in 1975 were renovated according to a proposal by Kančas Studio. They now accommodate shared artists’ studios, student dormitories, a cafeteria, artists’ residences, an exhibition space, and a conference room. The wood used for the exterior of the building brought the brick warehouses closer to the architectural language characteristic of Nida. A shell of dark wood conceals light and unassuming interior spaces adapted to the needs of contemporary art. The facade of the building is enlivened with red-coloured inserts. The architecture of the Nida Artists’ Colony demonstrates its openness to the public and to members of the art world, and playfully augments the architectural face of Nida, where shades of blue dominate.

www.kancas.lt