At Nemunas by CITUS, all roof structures have been installed, windows are being completed, the apartments have been formed, and heating and ventilation, electrical and electronic communications and fire-safety systems have been installed and commissioned. Mantas Galdikas, the CEO of Citus, explained more:
‘Nemunas by CITUS was just an old concrete skeleton a year ago. Now, the building looks new and modern both inside and out. The biggest change, of course, is the windows installed. The main focus now is preparing the apartments for handover to the new owners, and finishing the common areas and corridors will start soon. At the moment, we are intensively carrying out the roofing works. We have started with the landscaping works, and we will finish the facade as soon as the weather conditions necessary for these works according to the technical requirements settle down.’
In total, approximately EUR 12.7 million (including VAT) has already been invested in the works at Nemunas by CITUS, and this amount is being replenished every month by another EUR 0.6–1.2 million.
Galdikas: ‘The quantities of materials and equipment and works involved in a project of this size are enormous. Therefore, the sums involved are also significant. For example, something as seemingly insignificant as the balcony and staircase railings, which will sum up to 2.7 km long, and which will need to be durable and long-lasting, cost around EUR 0.9 million (including VAT), and the fire extinguishing system cost another EUR 0.6 million. To add prestige to the project, we replaced the previously planned facade plaster finish with handmade decoration bricks from the German company Caparol, specially designed for Nemunas by CITUS, with exceptional appearance and performance. This solution alone cost EUR 0.4 million.’
The most significant intrigue is the open-air rooftop swimming pool
Open-air swimming pools high up on the roofs of buildings are a feature of the world’s most popular resorts in Singapore, Brazil, the United States, Spain and Italy. However, neither Lithuania nor the other Baltic states, or Poland have open rooftop swimming pools at such a height.
‘I am convinced that the pool will be the only one of its kind in the region, and there will probably never be another one in Druskininkai because Nemunas by CITUS is unique in its height. In Poland or Estonia, there are rooftop pools; rather, they are both are on the rooftops and under the roof. In Lithuania, there are rooftop saunas, but most people only see such pools in exotic lands, and often rather only on TV screens,’ says Mantas Galdikas.
That could be why even the clients who came to buy the apartments didn’t always believe that it would become a reality. But the main structure of the pool – a stainless steel vessel with a capacity of more than 70,000 litres, plus excess water collection tanks and a filtration system – is already on.
the roof. The installation and finishing of the pool equipment are expected to be completed during the summer.
The pool will be almost 20 metres long and have a surface area of about 60 square metres. It will be equipped with a swim current and accompanied by a sauna, a whirlpool bath, and other activities on the pool terrace. The pool will be heated and offer a panoramic view of Druskininkai.
The pool was installed with cooperation of Sporto Vizija, a company specialising in swimming pool installations. The manufacturers who submitted the most competitive bid, selected by partners, will directly supervise the entire pool installation process. Mantas Galdikas detailed some of the costings:
‘To realise the pool’s ambition, we had to install new, stronger roof structures. This alone cost around EUR 1.8 million, including VAT. The pool and equipment cost around EUR 0.36 million, while the installation of the entire roof terrace, the decoration and the rest of the solutions will cost at least twice that amount.’
An ambitious vision – a jigsaw puzzle of Čiurlionis’ paintings adorning the facades
The integration of Čiurlionis – one of the most famous and prominent Lithuanian artists of all time and the symbol of Druskininkai – and his works, has already appeared in the initial vision of Nemunas by CITUS with the help of the architects from the Archas studio. It was also supported by the city municipality, which cherishes and promotes the artist’s memory. By the end of the summer, this vision should have materialised in a project.
‘These will not just be reproductions of paintings. They will probably be the largest reproductions of Čiurlionis’ paintings worldwide, and their presentation will be unique. It will be scattered like a jigsaw puzzle on the elements of the building’s facade – the panels separating the balconies – and will only come together in a single image when viewed from certain angles,’ Galdikas explained.
The two facades of the building, arranged like the covers of a wide-open book, are expected to feature a portrait of the artist himself and fragments of three of his well-known works – The Sun Is Passing the Sign of Sagittarius, The News and Serenity – on different sides. You must find four vantage points in the future park to see them all. Galdikas continued:
‘The process has not been easy. We chose from many different materials, tested them for a long time in different conditions and tried different print transfer methods. They had to be lightweight, strong, resistant and printable. Ultimately, we chose Italian aluminium panels, which were expensive but of high quality and durability, and met all the requirements. We are already preparing to laminate them – a job that will alone take about a month for this many balconies – and then we will use a special technology to transfer the paintings on to the panels. We expect a spectacular effect when it’s all finished.’
Gintautas Gutauskas, 3D visualiser at Pixel Guardian, one of the partners in the project, agrees that the process has been long and painstaking. He says it took about six months to align the viewpoints based on the Archas team’s facade layouts, test them in a three-dimensional environment, and test and prepare the documentation.
Gutauskas: ‘We did a lot of research, deliberation and consultation with architects on how to methodically implement this idea so that the result would be accurate and reveal the beauty of Čiurlionis’ work from the desired viewpoints. Since we work with 3D software and reproduce buildings from drawings with great precision, we created three-dimensional projections, which were used to draw up instructions on transferring the works’ fragments onto specific panels. This was
followed by a lot of monotonous but responsible work to prepare the project for production. Most of the time we work on a computer screen, and our visualisations end up on the internet; sometimes, they become signs on projects under construction and disappear when they are built, and this time, we will be symbolically present in the project Nemunas by CITUS, so we are very grateful to Citus for their bold ideas and trust in us.’
Completion of works on Nemunas by CITUS – an essential year for Druskininkai
Both parts of the current building (A and B) are scheduled for completion next year. The opening of the Druskininkai Culture and Congress Centre is planned for then, and it will be one of the highlights of the cultural capital that the resort will become. It is expected to become a cultural tourism centre, hosting high-end events and well-known performers.
Galdikas concluded: ‘The two should create a perfect synergy: a cultural attraction and a service centre with 370 apartments, restaurants, entertainment and leisure facilities. We are consistently talking and negotiating with representatives of restaurants and wellness businesses, and we offer flexible conditions for those who want to join.’
