In the international architecture competition, organized to choose the best Vilnius railway station complex, of the station the idea of redevelopment of the square and the surrounding area, the favorites of the commission and the names of the contestants were revealed. According to public procurement procedures, after the second envelopes were opened electronically yesterday, the coded names of the works will now be linked to their creators, including world-renowned companies. Participants were rated anonymously.
In the opinion of the evaluation committee, out of the 33 works submitted to the competition, the "Green connect" project, the author of which is the company "Zaha Hadid Architects", based in London, best corresponds to the architectural vision of Vilnius. The second place went to the work marked with the code "314159" (B&M Architects Ltd Arkkitehtuuritoimisto B & M Oy, Finland), the third - "19MM75" (SBS Engineering Group Sp. z.oo, Poland), the fourth - "VGS159" (joint activity - UAB "Archinova" with PLH Arkitekter A/S, Lithuania and Denmark), the fifth - "ZSEBUA" (Shenzhen Aube Architectural Engineering Design Co., Ltd, China).
The winner of the tender will be revealed after the completion of public procurement procedures - based on the Law on Public Procurement of the Republic of Lithuania, the Public Procurement Commission will continue to check the qualifications of suppliers and other mandatory documents, and if necessary, request clarification of the documents. It is planned that the winner of the competition will be announced in November.
120 thousand for the winners. EUR prize fund: the first place winner will receive EUR 50. EUR, the second - 30 thousand. euros, the third - 20 thousand. euro bonuses. The fourth and fifth place contestants will receive 10. euro bonuses.
"We are working so that the entire Station area - including the railway station, the bus station, public transport the terminal and the entire square - would meet the criteria of Vilnius being developed today: it would be green, comfortable and inspiring. The city is already investing in the surrounding spaces, ready to invest even more in the square, streets and their new – more comfortable and green – face. I hope that the best ideas team will be able to develop their idea in such a way that it answers all the questions that have arisen so far and fulfills its idea in accordance with the highest quality requirements set by Vilnius", said the mayor of Vilnius Remigius Šimašius.
According to AB "Lithuanian railways" (LTG) manager Mantos Bartuškas, in a modern city the station is no longer just a building where you can buy a ticket or sit down before your trip. The station and its surroundings must become a new center of attraction with leisure and service spaces, convenient connections for pedestrians, cyclists and everyone who chooses comfortable and green train journeys.
"That's why we are determined to open the closed industrial spaces to all residents and adapt them to people. More than a year ago, we set an example and located ourselves closer to the station. And this is just the beginning", said M. Bartuška.
The chief architect of Vilnius, Mindaugas Pakalnis, is proud that a project important not only for the capital has attracted the attention of international architecture studies of this level. "We received many strong works that can enrich the architectural face of the city. The authors of the Commission's best recognized idea - Zaha Hadid Architects office - know Vilnius, have vast experience in designing objects of such complexity, and are already designing the Rail Baltica railway station in Tallinn. The project idea presented by them creates a unique, recognizable, context-appropriate image of the new station terminal, forms a high-quality system of public spaces and through it ensures important connections between Naujininkai, New Town and Old Town. In addition, it creates opportunities for the conversion of the production zone of the railway complex and the surrounding areas, and combines functional and aesthetic solutions well. Of course, this is only an initial idea, but it will definitely be able to be developed, detailed and developed," said M. Pakalnis.
The international competition was announced in March of this year, the works of 33 participants were received. We invite you to familiarize yourself with all the architects' visions and their authors on the project's website www.vilniusconnect.lt.
The organizers of the architectural competition are Lietuvos geležinkeliai, the company that manages the country's railway network, LTG Infra and Vilnius city municipality. The organizers of the competition are represented by the consulting company "Civitta" and the Union of Lithuanian Architects.
1st place. GREENCONNECT 
2nd place. 
3nd place. 
4nd place. 
5nd place.
