Since last summer in Lithuania, payphone booths, no longer used for telephone calls, have returned to the country's public spaces in the most unexpected forms - as art spaces, a cinema for two, a dance floor, a bus stop, as a safe space for children on the autism spectrum. At the beginning of December, the first Lithuanian premiere of the payphone opera took place at the Lithuanian National Drama Theater. In order to implement original ideas, 15 disused payphone booths were donated by Telia in the summer after an idea competition.
Telephone booths are once again part of public spaces
"Most of the winning ideas in the payphone competition have already been implemented, and payphone booths have been implemented in new ways and in new contexts. Payphones once again function as objects of social life that invite conversation, listening, learning about the world or discussion, or perform a useful practical function. The implemented projects prove that it is possible to find a living and enriching relationship with the past, outdated technologies, and to give a new meaning to objects that seem to no longer correspond to the times. That was the goal of this initiative," says Telia's press representative Audrius Stasiulaitis.
In the summer, the company received a total of more than 130 ideas for the use of payphones, and a special commission selected the best 15 of them. It consisted of travel journalist Orijus Gasanovas, cultural historian Sonata Šulcė, researcher, architectural and cultural heritage nurturer, creator of Lego models Rokas Mikšiūnas and A. Stasiulaitis.
Jump into the payphone booth and watch a movie
Today, in Vilnius, in Pylimo Square, one of the old payphone booths of the bar "Pavilionas" entertains visitors and guests of the city with disco music and lights. This is probably the smallest dance floor in Lithuania. Another payphone booth has become the workplace of a dreamer-introvert, those who want to try it can already come to the "Tech Park" located in the Antakalnis district of Vilnius.
Residents and guests of New Vilnius are invited to visit artists' exhibitions in the mini-gallery installed in the payphone booth. For artistic purposes, the payphone was also used in the creation of the opera "Things I didn't dare to say, and now it's too late." People were invited to stop by Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre installed payphone and "call" those who did not manage to say what they wanted in time, and now it is too late. In more than 6 months, the phone was picked up about 4000 times. Audio recordings of all the authentic stories became the basis of the opera's libretto. The premiere of the opera took place in early December and attracted great interest.
Beautiful, at the approaches of Panemune heath, popular with the townspeople, the community center "CINEMA Panemunė" also implemented the original idea and installed a cozy cinema for two in a payphone booth. It shows short films about Kaunas, Panemune and Lithuania, so the project performs not only an entertaining but also an educational function.
Old payphones also serve practical purposes
The payphone booths brought to new life also meet the practical needs of the communities. For example, in the Adam Mickevičius Public Library of Vilnius County, the payphone booth has become a special space for telephone conversations. In it, you can answer calls or, if necessary, call someone without disturbing other library visitors.
A payphone booth can be found even in the depths of the forests of the Labanor Regional Park. Here it turned into a bus stop, providing shelter for local children traveling to school by school bus. Riešės gymnasium used the payphone booth as outdoor librarians, and Panevėžys nursery-kindergarten "Jūratė" used it to set up a calming space for children with autism spectrum disorders. Another educational institution adapted the symbol of the cities of the past decades and an iconic element of urban architecture to hold educational outdoor games.
Those in the vicinity of Darbėnai town can visit the revived telephone booth to buy fresh honey or apples. On the initiative of one farmer, a payphone booth turned into a cozy honey and apple stall.
"Telia" came up with the competition for reviving payphones after the last public telephone in Lithuania was turned off last summer. Until then, the demand for paid public telephony services has been rapidly decreasing since the year 2000, when the number of payphones reached its peak in the country. During the last year of operation, only 99 calls were made from 2000 active payphones in Lithuania, and their average duration did not exceed 30 seconds. Almost half of the payphones did not make a single call during the year.
