Open call: Reconstruction of a Palace into an Art Museum - Vilnius

The Lithuanian National Museum of Art (LNMA) has just announced an open international architectural competition for international open architectural project competition of the building complex of Jonušas Radvila Palace and it‘s approaches in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The competition calls for a vision for the revitalization and empowerment of the Radvila Palace building complex – museum of art and design: to create a museum of global art and design, showcasing art of different periods from different countries of the world. Visual art and design is the core concept that binds the whole complex of buildings together. It must also become an attractive public cultural space, accessible to all.

The Radvilos residency, built in 17th century, is located in Vilnius Old Town. During the centuries, the complex has experienced some alterations, but today it is one of the historic monuments of national importance in Lithuania.

Today, the buildings belong to the LNMA, but only a small part of the premises are functioning as spaces, suitable for visitors. The rest of the buildings are in a quite derelict state. The LNMA intends to wake the complex for the new life and to, creating a museum of international visual art, and to open it up to the public through various educational and cultural activities.

The competition challenges the architects to create proposals where the heritage values would be preserved, and, at the same time, contemporary additions would highlight the historic values and celebrate innovation.

The competition was announced on 17th of May 2021, its terms and documents were published in the Central Public Procurement Information System (CVP IS). How to register to the Central Public Procurement Information System (CVP IS)

The entries will be evaluated by an international jury, prevailed by professional architects:

• Mindaugas Pakalnis (Vilnius Chief Architect)
• Rolandas Palekas (architect, Lithuania)
• Jan Belina Brzozowski (architect, Poland)
• Siiri Valner (architect, Estonia)
• Dr. Arūnas Gelūnas (director of LNMA)
• Dr. Lolita Jablonskienė (director of National gallery of art)
• Jolanta Jurašienė (Deputy Director for Exhibitions and Education of the LNMA)
• Aurimas Sasnauskas (architect, Alternate member)
• Dr. Mindaugas Staniūnas (Chief Architect, Strategic Planning and Investment Division, LNMA, Alternate member)

Evaluation criteria (criteria are not listed in descending order of importance):
• general architectural concept, it’s architectural expression and quality;
• quality of urban solutions;
• functionality of the building complex, rational layout of the programme;
• preserving and revealing its historical and cultural value;
• potential to implement the project within the planned budget in the proposed stages.

Prizes:
• 1st place – EUR 12 000;
• 2nd place – EUR 8 000;
• 3rd place – EUR 5 000.

Calendar:

Registration – Till 2021-09-02, 10:00 (GMT +2)
Questions and answers - Till 2021-08-05 and till 2021-08-23 (See point 21 of the Competition conditions)
Submission deadline - 2021-09-02, 10:00 (GMT +2)
Jury session – September 2021
Announcement of the results – September 2021