6. Lithuanian Martynas Mažvydas National Library Palanga Summer Reading Room

About

The Summer Reading Room of the Lithuanian Martynas Mažvydas National Library in Palanga is a building designed by the architect Albinas Čepis and surrounded by pine forests. The Reading Room, opened in 1966, was a sign of modern and bold architecture in the composition of the city of Palanga. Although the expression and the external appearance seem simple and ordinary today, at that time it was a striking and distinctive architectural object. The building’s layout, made up of regularly interlocking rectangles, is neat, harmonious, and minimalist. It contrasts with the rippling Baltic Sea motive used for the roof of the building. The trees inside and around the structure blend in with the wooden structural elements while the large glass display windows allow the viewer to admire the greenery around the building.

The Palanga Summer Reading Room was moved from the first newspaper house, which was in the chapel on Birutė Hill. It is an important cultural space in the city, which has been open for fifty-five years and invites visitors to attend exhibitions and other events, or just to spend some quiet time away from the bustle of the city.