Interactive exhibition “Life in Alytnamis“

About

The panel houses manufactured at the Alytus Experimental House-Building Combine, or simply alytnamiai (Alytus House), are a distinctive feature of the Soviet rural landscape. They were designed to provide collective farm workers with suitable, fully equipped housing quickly and efficiently, while also creating a new architectural identity for the countryside: in place of the monotonous combination of sand-lime brick and slate, the houses brought greater variety and colour to rural settlements.

The original intention was to blend the houses as naturally as possible into the Lithuanian rural landscape, using finishing materials and colours characteristic of different regions and creating neighbourhoods that were varied rather than monotonous. In practice, however, these ideas were realised through the principles of mass production. 

Production of six standardised house models began in Alytus in 1976, although several dozen designs had been developed beforehand. Production continued until 1992, with both the design and construction quality evolving significantly over the years. Today, these houses inspire mixed opinions, when innovative architectural ideas of the period intersect with residents’ experiences and the practical challenges of everyday life. 

During the Open Architecture Weekend, visitors will have the opportunity to step inside a well-preserved alytnamis notable for having been built for a non-residential purpose. An interactive exhibition created specially for the event by architectural historians Nerijus Babrauskas and Ineta Šuopytė-Butkienė tells not only the story of this particular house but also explores the wider phenomenon of panel-house production in Alytus. 

The interactive exhibition can be visited only as part of the guided tours.