From memory to dream by Amsterdam Academy of Architecture

from memory to dream introduction

from memory to dream elena staĹĄkutÄ&#x2014;

Student Elena StaĹĄkutÄ&#x2014; Mentor Rob Hootsmans Commission member Kamiel Klaasse Commission member Anastassia Smirnova

CONTENT

Me and my hometown Urban planing in Soviet Times The shrinking city PanevÄ&#x2014;Ĺžys Soviet modernist buildings From memory to dream Assignment

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personal photo

ME & MY HOMETOWN

In 1991 I was born in Panevėžys, a medium sized working class city in the north east of Lithuania. It’s an interesting thought that my country is only 1 year older than me. In a way you could say we grew up together. Even though I never experienced life in the Soviet Union the history and impact of the Soviet era was always noticeable during my childhood. And even after almost 3 decades of independence, and a successful integration into the western world, the Soviet legacy can still be felt in most Lithuanian cities. This is especially true in small cities and towns. Recent study related trips to Moscow and Kiev confirmed my growing interest in the seemingly complex relationship post-Soviet states have with its Soviet heritage in architecture and urbanism. I believe this is caused by a lack of widespread knowledge and available information about the value of Soviet architecture and Soviet public buildings in particular. Sometimes they are torn down too easily without any research or analysis. Sometimes examples of questionable value are maintained because of the sentiments of residents and a fear of change. But for the majority it seems the public simply doesn’t care about them and they are left to decay slowly and anonymously. When thinking of a subject matter for my graduation project it became clear quite early on that I wanted to do something that related to this theme with a design exercise situated in my home town. In the Lithuanian SSR Panevėžys was one of the leading industrial cities. From the 1960’s onwards it saw a period of rapid, government sponsored growth. During this time a significant amount of

large, mostly public buildings were built in the city centre in a short time period. These commercial, cultural, institutional and educational buildings were to function as landmarks; the new face of the booming city. After 40 years most of those buildings are still there. But unfortunately they are not well maintained and sometimes partially empty. Because Panevėžys` population has been consistently shrinking since Lithuania’s independence its public buildings have become impractical and functionally obsolete. Not helped by their high visibility, the buildings now communicate the exact opposite of what was originally intended: instead of symbolising prosperity and growth they reveal a city in decline. This leads to the main design challenges of my graduation project: what can be done with these large, prominent buildings in a city that no longer has the population and demographics to support their original functions? I wonder what could be the strategy to transform them into landmarks once again. How can they be adapted to better fit the needs of modern day Panevėžys? Could they play a role in reinventing the image of the city? Could a strategy developed for Panevėžys be applied to similar buildings in other cities or other post-Soviet states? To answer these questions I believe it is impossible to develop a one-size-fits-all solution. In this project I want to push the limits of possibilities and present a range of thematically connected scenarios, several of which will be explored further as architectural designs.

1949-1989

countries part of former eastern bloc

URBAN PLANING IN SOVIET TIMES

Cities in the Soviet Union and the satellite states of the Eastern Bloc were planned centrally. Masterplans of cities and towns were made according to generic principles and norms. In most cases without paying attention to context, identity, or history. The focus was on efficiency above anything else. The philosophy behind this type of planning can be traced back to the principal goals of Soviet social engineering: the ‘internationalisation’ of its people and the creation of uniform environments and living conditions. As part of an attempt to revitalise the Soviet economy after Stalin’s death, a ‘Seven-Year Plan’ was implemented in the Lithuanian SSR. Its aim was to realise, from 1959 to 1965, the most rapid and intensive modernisation the country had seen in its history. At the time it was believed that the Soviet Union’s poor economy was caused by an uneven allocation of industrial capacity that was excessively concentrated in the larger cities. To combat these factors planners chose to adopt

a mass scale regional planning principle. Part of their strategy was to halt the growth of large cities. Instead a new focus was placed on the creation of new satellite cities and an accelerated development of small and medium-sized cities. This started with the creation of new industrial complexes in these areas followed by the development of residential projects and cultural facilities. When discussing Soviet urban planning, it is important to distinguish two cases: planning made for an existing urban setting and planning of completely new districts. While residential housing areas were built from the ground up on the periphery of cities (the so-called ‘mikrorayons’), existing city centres were filled with mostly institutional, public buildings. And unlike other parts of the Soviet Union, local planners in Lithuania had enough influence to prevent the newly built industrial cities to be realised by merely transplanting standardised blueprints.

Egidijus Kriksciunas

THE SHRINKING CITY

It may seem paradoxical that in a period of global urban growth, a lot of cities in the developed world are actually shrinking. This negative growth trend is largely associated with cities in North America and in countries that were part of the former Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc. For the latter the causes of negative growth can be explained by a combination of de-industrialisation, unemployment and emigration. As mentioned previously, from the 1960s onwards medium-sized Soviet cities were rapidly developed into new industrial centres. The factories that were constructed in that time period were often built to serve the entire Soviet Union. After the collapse of the Union these industries faced severe challenges. Many factories were closed as a result; leaving thousands of people jobless and forcing them to seek employment elsewhere. On top of this there is the factor of emigration. This is especially true in the former socialist countries that managed to secure membership of the EU. For young people the freedom of movement and residence within the territory of the member states offers attractive opportunities to study and work abroad. Since 1990 Lithuania’s population has decreased by 24%. 5% because of natural factors and 19% because of emigration.

Even though the shrinking of cities seems problematic at first glance it can also be seized as an opportunity to transform the affected cities into compact ones. According to Kimberly Zarecor, “Population in these towns will continue to go down because of factors outside the community’s control. … It’s not about reversing population loss; it’s about working within that context to stabilize and improve quality of life.” “…smart shrinkage argues places can lose population yet still possess a high quality of life.” “Instead of seeing population loss as a problem, we need to start looking at it as a process that needs to be managed.” (David Peters, associate professor of sociology) Aristotle wrote, “a great city should not be confounded with a populous one.” When formulating strategies for redevelopment, rather than focusing on the reintroduction of growth, the emphasis should be placed on the improvement of existing elements of these cities. To accomplish this architects, urban planners and sociologists have many tools at their disposal. For this project I was interested in finding out what strategy, or combination of strategies, could be a good fit for Panevėžys.

Scene from a play ’Frankas V’ PAVB FKV

PANEVĖŽYS

As a medium-sized city Panevėžys has both experienced explosive growth during the Soviet ‘Seven-Year plan’ as well as continuous shrinkage after local industries crumbled in the 1990’s. Regardless of its former success as an industrial stronghold it would be a mistake to think Panevėžys’ identity is tied exclusively to its former, then state-wide known, factories. It has had a strong cultural presence in the past as well. The Panevėžys Drama Theatre for instance, established by the renowned Theatre Director Juozas Miltinis, was one of the most famous in the Soviet Union. And even though, to the casual observer, it may seem that culture in Panevėžys in the present day

has moved to malls and shopping centres there are signs that the cultural presence in the city is reinventing itself. In recent years an alumni club and a forum have been established that organize discussions about the economic and cultural future of the city. The magazine ‘Senvage’ presents the work of local artists, gives an overview of the city’s cultural activities and discusses architecture and concepts for the development of the city. For now the city centre remains rather empty, but slowly small cafes and coffee shops are beginning to pop up. Places where conversations start and people meet. There is a clear need for community and culture in Panevėžys.

Panevėžys | Mintis,1984

SOVIET MODERNIST BUILDINGS

When thinking of examples of Soviet architecture two stereotypical images come to mind: that of the drab, featureless residential block that is stamped in identical form across the former USSR, and that of the magnificent, one-of-a-kind brutalist masterpiece.

To better understand the importance of these buildings I chose to analyse a selection of them. I wanted to understand the quality of the spaces they create around them and form an opinion on the value of their architecture, their spatial characteristics and their use of materials.

Those images represent the two extremes of Soviet architecture. But what about the buildings that fall somewhere in between? What about the public buildings that were built to accompany the rapidly growing industrial cities? Were their designs pulled from a drawer? Or are they unique, custom designs made with only one site in mind? And if so, who were their architects and how much influence did they have on the final design? What value do they have for the city and its inhabitants?

To better judge their potential for transformation I needed more information on their design and their physical state. How well, or how badly, maintained are they? What programmes do they currently house? How flexible is the load-bearing structure? Economic factors and the issue of ownership could also play important parts in determining what direction to take each development scenario. Who owns these buildings? What is the value of the land they occupy?

My thoughts on this subject matter were triggered by a flyer I came across that was made for a guided tour in Panevėžys. It showed a selection of Soviet era modernist buildings that were part of the tour. Looking at the flyer I realized I could see all the iconic places of the city on just one page. This helped me understand how important Soviet modernist buildings are in forming the identity of Panevėžys.

Lastly I wanted to pay special attention to the historical and emotional value these building possess and what this value means to the residents of Panevėžys. Is there a noteworthy story to be told about these buildings? Can a new story be suggested?

Most are not only important as urban landmarks but also interesting because of their architectural concepts, interior designs and material detailing.

16 storey residential tower 1980 arch. Viktoras Skokauskas

Residential building 1975 arch. Nijole Garbaliauskiene

Hotel ‘Panevėžys’ 1972 arch. Alfredas Paulauskas

Domestic services center 1973 arch. Nijole Garbaliauskiene

Sports Palace 1966 arch. Jonas Putna

Panevėžys collage 1979 arch. Julius Jankauskas

Juozas Miltinis Drama theatre 1967-1968 arch. Algimantas Mikenas,

Cinema ‘Garas’ 1968 arch. R. Vysniauskas

Wedding Palace 1987 arch. Juozas Skublickas

Court house 1986 arch. Viktoras Skokauskas

Musical theatre 1979 arch. Viktoras Skokauskas

Music school 1985 arch. Elvyra Klimaviciene

Panevėžys Community House 1987 arch. Henrikas A. Balciunas

Panevėžys Art Gallery 1990 arch. A. Korizina

soviet modernist buildings in PanevÄ&#x2014;Ĺžys city center

MEMORY

mental map of Panevėžys city center

Panevėžys | Mintis,1984

FROM MEMORY TO DREAM

I believe that maintaining a connection to the past is an important aspect of the successful development of a city. Without this we lose touch with our history, our sense of place. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only natural that the landmarks of a city become associated with the memories and sentiments of the residents that come into contact with them in their daily life. For a post-Soviet country like Lithuania these associations can be paradoxical. On one hand the buildings involved recall a period that the country has fought hard to leave behind, on the other

they are the backdrop to the stories that form our collective and personal memories. As a former resident of PanevÄ&#x2014;Ĺžys I feel nostalgic when I revisit places from my childhood. As an architect I am motivated to contribute to strategies for dealing with the poor state of a sizable collection of buildings. Whatever the strategies might involve (transformation, conservation or perhaps even demolition), all interventions should reflect to the past, deal with the present and challenge the future.

Espen Dietrichson

ASSIGNMENT

This project is a study into the preservation and revitalisation of overlooked Soviet era modernist buildings. Buildings constructed during this time period do not need to be architectural masterpieces to be of value to a community or to have potential for a second life. Their status as ‘non-monuments’ can be seen as an opportunity as it affords the architect more creative freedom when developing concepts for adaptive reuse. This study uses the modernist buildings of Panevėžys as its main subject matter but also looks into their type and their place in the history of Soviet architecture. It was my aim to develop a range of transformation strategies, suitable for various building types and operating at multiple scale levels.

The final product is a report accompanied by a series of design proposals. The proposals together form a collection that could contribute to a new face for the city of Panevėžys. Additionally, they could be viewed as prototypes for concepts that could be implemented in similar buildings of the same time period. In that way, the uniformity that characterizes many of these buildings, can become a positive trait. A compact set of clear, usable ideas could be used to improve the quality of a large group of buildings.

This was done in three steps: 1. Compiling a selection of relevant buildings 2. Researching their features, history and typology 3. Formulating strategies and translating them to conceptual designs

From memory to dream @from.memory.to.dream elena.staskute@gmail.com elenastaskute.com

ÂŠ 2020 from memory to dream