7. Alytus City Municipality and Alytus City Theatre complex

About

Before the Second World War, the site of today’s Town Hall Square was home to the Market Square, enclosed by buildings that formed a coherent urban ensemble. Most of them were destroyed during the war, and the individual buildings constructed afterwards, lacking a coherent relationship with one another, disrupted important connections between streets and public spaces. Despite its picturesque setting and long-standing development as a resort town, Alytus had no clear administrative and civic centre.

Following the approval of a new city development plan in the late 20th century, architects Saulius Juškys and Kęstutis Kisielius won a competition with a proposal for a coherent city-centre ensemble. It included the town hall, theatre, Engineers’ House and Wedding Palace – a group of public buildings designed to form Alytus’ new administrative and cultural centre.

Amid a period of major historical change, the project was only partially realised, with the construction of the Alytus City Municipality and Alytus City Theatre buildings. Nevertheless, the two buildings established a new focal point in the city centre. The municipal building, drawing on the typology of the traditional town hall and distinguished by its clock tower, became the dominant feature of Alytus. The complex is characterised by perimeter development, a coherent façade composition and architectural expression. The project stood out for its innovative approach and interpretation of Modernism, and was recognised as representing architecture of “an entirely different quality.”