11. Arts and Design Training Centre

About

The Arts and Design Training Centre, also known as the Green Gymnasium, takes its name from the colour of its façade. This emerald gem of the city was built in 1923 using timber from the former barracks of Imperial Russia. The original logs and timber structures were skilfully repurposed to create a new school building, whose deep green colour allowed it to blend harmoniously into the landscape of the City Garden Park.

Its façade features rhythmically arranged windows characteristic of early 20th-century wooden architecture, a high stone foundation and decorative canopies above the entrances. The Green Gymnasium became an important centre of education in Alytus – a place where a military past was transformed into a centre of learning, creativity and culture in the Dzūkija region.

Today, the Green Gymnasium is not merely a historic monument but a vibrant creative space. The Arts and Design Education Centre operates here, hosting art education classes, workshops and exhibitions, as well as a small shop. Step inside and you can experience the atmosphere of an interwar classroom, as well as discover unique artworks and crafts made by local artisans. Although over a century has passed since its establishment, the Green Gymnasium continues to serve its original purpose as a place of education.