NATIONS HOUSE STORY
The site location and the hill itself tell an important story and have a strong link to Lithuanian history and culture. It is important that the Nations House truly reflects the country's values and becomes a symbol for people of Lithuania and of an idea that was born more than a century ago. We believe it is important to envision the site as something that embraces people’s everyday life, and creates a well-functioning urban assembly with the other cultural and public spaces in the area around Tauras Hill.
We believe it is important that everybody in the country and in Vilnius can relate to the Nations House and want to experience Tauras Hill landscape: It is inviting, accessible and welcoming for all Lithuanians and interested visitors.
Lithuania is a small country, and its most valuable resource is its people. The knowledge, skillfulness, and ambition of its citizens are highly esteemed globally. Despite this, Vilnius lacks sufficient public spaces and buildings that can offer both the young and old inspirational environments for creating, inventing, and bringing ideas to fruition.
Considering this, the recently completed national library stands out as a multi-functional space that addresses this need, providing people with an environment to gather and learn from one another. The success of this facility indicates a strong demand for such environments, demonstrating their appreciation and significance among the public.
It is important that Tauras Hill together with the Nations House provide flexible and open multipurpose functions. These functions activate the hill and turn it into a new vibrant place in Vilnius.
Furthermore, the hill becomes welcoming and accessible for everybody without excluding disabled or older people. This means that the transport scheme, landscape and building design are crucial for the positive experience of the hill.
The main entrance to the public building is located on the ground floor, situated between the halls and sheltered by the upper floor. Upon entering, visitors find themselves in the lobby, where a friendly face at the reception desk warmly greets them. This area serves as a hub where individuals can seek information or purchase tickets.
Similar to the reception, other essential functions are seamlessly integrated into the structure of the halls, facing the open space within the public building. On the ground floor, various cloakrooms, toilets, and a bar in the north-eastern section are accessible. Additionally, entrances to the large hall are situated on this level. The entirety of the ground floor functions as a foyer/lobby, serving as a welcoming space for all event areas.
To the left of the reception a big public staircase leads to the upper floor where the main public functions are placed. Different library facilities in the south-east, an exhibition and commercial space in the south-center as well as different kinds of working spaces, meeting rooms, toilets, and a spacious restaurant in the north east offer a wide range of services.
In order to add to the greenery of the park, we decided to add greenery on top of the roofs of the buildings. The roof of the service building is used as an extension of the evangelical church park, while the roof of the public building is working as an observatory and a green gathering place, where people can meet, play, and experience the Vilnius skyline in a 360-degree angle.
The whole ground floor is used as foyer/lobby for all event spaces. To the left of the reception, a big public staircase leads to the upper floor where the main public functions are placed. Different library facilities in the south-east, an exhibition and commercial space in the south-center as well as different types of working spaces, meeting rooms, toilets, and a spacious restaurant in the north east offer a wide range of services. From this upper floor one has an unobstructed view towards the Vilnius skyline in the north which certainly adds to the dinner experience.
The hall is designed in a dark tone to ensure minimal distraction from the events on the stage. The predominant impression is created by burnt wood on the walls and dark acoustic panels on the ceiling. The flooring is slightly brighter, offering a subtle contrast to the walls, while the stage environment and seating upholstery feature various shades of gray. A distinctive feature of the hall is the skylight positioned above the stage. When open, it allows natural light to filter in, bouncing off the mirrored upper surface of the reflector and diffusing throughout the hall. Beyond its function in adjusting the sound environment, the reflector boasts a distinguished disk shape, serving as a sculptural element in its own right.
The public building comprises the open space that surrounds both the small and large halls, accommodating various public functions. The volume encloses the two halls on the elevated upper floor and the big hall on the ground floor. The buildings envelope is made out of a glazed curtain wall where vertical lamellas are added on the outside. They are used as shading device and can be adjusted according to the needs. The vertical rhythm of the lamellas is in balance with the strong horizontal emphasis of the volume and together they reach a unity which adds to the character of the Nations House.
The roof of the public building is accessed through a public staircase which starts from the service building roof and is facing south. Integrated concrete seating elements offer a nice and sunny place to enjoy an elevated view towards the south. The integrated water feature adds to the experience. The U-shape wooden frame of the staircase protects the seating area from wind coming from north, east and west directions.
SUMMARY
Total area of the building 17 225 m²
Footprint of the building 7 260 m²
The maximum building height: 25 m
No. of the Grand hall seats 1 650
Grand hall area 2 320 m²
No. of the Small hall seats 525
Small hall area 745 m²
