Lithuanian Culture Institute
Architecture

Šarūnas Kiaunė Projects Studio

Lithuanian Culture Institute
Šarūno Kiaunės projektavimo studija

 

Observation walkway at Lake Zarasai. Category: recreational
Design: 2008–2009
Construction: 2010–2011
Address: Alfonso Bukonto g., Zarasai
Architects: Šarūnas Kiaunė, Asta Kiaunienė, Aurimas Lukšys, Vytautas Butkus, Tomas Petreikis


Established in 1998, Šarūnas Kiaunė Projects Studio has been successful in various architecture and urban planning competitions; it designs public buildings and creates projects to restore public spaces. The practice has been awarded prizes in many urban planning competitions, including the international conceptual urban renewal competition Szczecin Eurosag.

In order to convert an abandoned corner of the town of Zarasai into an attractive recreational zone, for inhabitants and visitors, the architects proposed constructing a scenic observation walkway, which would afford an excellent panoramic view of the surroundings. The walkway is raised on crossed cylindrical supports, giving it a slender silhouette and a graceful character. The supports are 17 metres high and hold a wooden platform that forms a curve and then spirals down to a bicycle path and a jetty on the shore of the lake. In the evenings, the railings of the platform provide the main source of light. The observation walkway, designed by a group of architects, has become a local landmark and one of the main attractions in Zarasai. It was awarded a special finalist’s certificate in the European Prize for Urban Public Space 2012 competition.

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