3. Klaipėda Regional State Archive / former Klaipėda branch of the Bank of Lithuania

About

This is a building where children once learned, then money was kept, and now historical memory is preserved.

It stands on the historic site of the fishing village of Vitė. The evolution of the village mirrors that of the town itself: from fishing activities to an industrial and social district that emerged along the harbour front. The site was abandoned during the Soviet occupation but today serves a new function and holds new meaning.

The building complex at 16 Naujoji Uosto Street has undergone several transformations and now forms a kind of boundary between the city and the port. The Klaipėda Regional State Archive is housed in what was formerly the Klaipėda branch of the Bank of Lithuania. Architects Julius Volungevičius and Rimantas Leonards Lajas faced the challenging task of converting a former kindergarten into a fully functioning bank – complete with a vault and other specialised facilities.

The architects aimed to balance security with openness. Instead of enclosing the site with a solid wall, they used dolomite cladding broken up by openings of varying widths, which are accentuated at night by specially designed lighting. The extensive use of glass in the façades further contributes to a sense of transparency.

The project embraces the principles of post-modernism, dividing the complex into distinct volumes. The massing displays different scales – varying in size yet preserving the silhouette of the Old Town’s characteristic sloping roofs. The building is monumental, the light-coloured façades contrast with tinted windows, while the reflections of the urban landscape in the showcase windows create an image of exceptional architectural quality and representativeness.

Projekte taikyti postmodernizmo principai: kompleksas suskaidytas atskirais tūriais. Tūrinė kompozicija pasižymi mastelių įvairove – skirtingo dydžio, tačiau išlaikanti Senamiesčiui būdingų pastatų su šlaitiniais stogais siluetą. Objektas monumentalus, šviesi fasadų spalva kontrastuoja su tonuotais langais, o miesto atspindžiai fasadų vitrinose kuria reprezentacinį aukštos kokybės objekto įvaizdį.