Vilius and Partners
Sports complex in Ąžuolynas. Category: recreational
Preparation: 2002
Construction: 2003
Address: Sporto street 3, Kaunas
Architects: Vilius Adomavičius, Vida Vyšniauskienė, Darius Čiuta

Established in 1994, Vilius ir partnerai is run by Vilius Adomavičius and Vida Vyšniauskienė. It is frequently mentioned in international architectural publications, and has won a good number of prizes for its mature projects. The architect and interdisciplinary artist Darius Čiuta (born 1966) collaborates with various architects and artists, and takes a conceptual approach to architecture. His works are marked by intuition, a strong artistic idea, and self-expression.

One’s attention is attracted by two buildings, different in their character, in the sports complex in Ąžuolynas Park, one of the main recreational spaces in Kaunas. The main volume of the complex is a laconic 100-metre long glass rectangle standing on slender columns. The visually light and transparent building forms one of the sides of the sports complex. In a closed block, constructed a year later, the architects installed ancillary facilities and cloakrooms. Light enters the building through the ends of this elongated volume through four hatchways. A discreet juncture between the ground and a concrete stairway leading towards a so to speak visually suspended rectangle marks the entrance to the building. The entrance is the only detail in the clean metal outline of the façades. The Ąžuolynas sports complex was nominated in the Mies van der Rohe Award competition, and has won prizes at various events as one of the best projects in Lithuania in 2003.