11. Clock Museum, a division of the Lithuanian National Museum of Art / former residence of the merchant August Ludwig Simpson

About

At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, the western part of the present Liepų Street was transformed into an avenue lined with linden trees. It became a prestigious area in Klaipėda, known for its villas of industrialists and merchants. Around 1820, the residence of the English merchant August Ludwig Simpson was built on one of the plots – now 12 Liepų Street – based on an ‘English project’.

Over time, however, the building changed hands. At the end of the 19th century, the villa was acquired by Alfred Theodor Scharffenorth, the Portuguese vice-consul, who expanded and remodelled it in the Neoclassical style. In the early 20th century, it served as a bank office for the landlord Johannes Hirschberger; in the interwar period, it housed the Land Bank; and in the post-war years, it became the House of Pioneers and Scoolchildren.

The building’s architecture is defined by the symmetry, monumentality, and restrained decoration typical of Neoclassicism. One of the most striking features of the façade is the central bay with four Doric pilasters and an entablature. Above it sits the second-floor composition, with four Corinthian pilasters, a triangular pediment, and sculptures on either side. The rooms are arranged in enfilade and some of the interior details have been preserved to this day.

Following restoration between 1979 and 1984, based on a project by architect Vaidotas Guogis, the building became home to the Clock Museum. In a surviving part of the original park, visitors can now enjoy the Garden of Sundials, featuring sculptures and paintings by Lithuanian artists.