The renovation of the educational infrastructure in Vilnius continues – the design of the reconstruction of the St. Christopher Gymnasium, located at Kazliškių g. 4, has been entrusted to UAB "Aplan". The designer was selected after a public procurement organized by the Vilnius Development Company, which implements infrastructure projects of the Vilnius City Municipality.
"By renovating educational institutions, we are creating a city that is comfortable and safe for everyone. It is important not only to build new educational institutions, but also to pay attention to what we already have - our goal is to make all schools in the capital friendly to the environment and people," emphasizes the Mayor of Vilnius Valdas Benkunskas.
“The students of St. Christopher's Gymnasium deserve modern, motivating educational spaces. I am very happy that the long-awaited renovation of the school will finally take place and we will make every effort to ensure that it is implemented in a high-quality manner. The learning environment has a significant impact not only on the quality of achievements, but also on emotional health. By investing in the renovation of educational institutions, we are also investing in the well-being of the children studying there,” says Vytautas Mitalas, Vice Mayor of Vilnius.
High quality requirements are placed on the selected gymnasium design company – it will have to prepare an effective, economical and innovative reconstruction project for the school built in 1976, which would improve conditions for students and teachers in accordance with modern good school design practices.
"Although a modern and spacious environment is a prerequisite for quality education, new construction is not the only way to create it. The St. Christopher Gymnasium reconstruction project is a rational and long-term choice, which aims to create a tidy, ergonomic and aesthetically harmonious environment for students," says Laura Joffė, head of the Vilnius Development Company implementing the project.
The number of students and classes at St. Christopher's Gymnasium will remain the same after the reconstruction – 24 classes, but the entire internal structure of the gymnasium will be fundamentally redesigned. It is planned to redesign the internal spaces, refurbish them and install new engineering systems. The modernized engineering systems will allow to significantly increase the energy efficiency of the building.
"Having an empty plot of land where you can create a vision for a building from scratch is one thing, but creating a new one on top of an old one is another. Although this is a difficult task, it is also inspiring: it is always nice to bring old buildings to a new, much higher quality life. Our team of architects and designers already has ideas for how this school will look both inside and out, so we are looking forward to taking on this exciting challenge," says Martynas Mačiulis, CEO of Aplan.
The company will also have to design a new approximately 300 sq. m extension, where modern changing rooms for sports activities will be installed, instead of the current mezzanine facilities, which are not adapted for students with physical disabilities. The designers will have to ensure that they have access to all floors of the building by elevator. It is also planned to update the school's access points - they will be adapted for people with disabilities. The underground shelter provided for in the project will also be newly built.
The design is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, and construction work is planned to be completed by the end of 2028.
