One of the most prominent buildings on the left bank of the Nemunas River
Andrius Mikalauskas, Head of SBA Urban: „Although Stage II of Nemunaičiai has just begun, we are working on further development plans. Alongside the already rising Hermanas business centre, we plan to build a second one – Oskaras. We have been looking for an architectural concept for the almost 8000 sqm business centre for a long time – aiming to give the building a unique architectural aesthetic that combines modern urban living with the area's historical heritage. We sought bold solutions, and one of the most striking is the idea proposed by the Gensler team, which challenges the homogenised architectural expression of mixed-use urban spaces“.
According to him, the 7,780-square-meter, six-story, A++-class modern business centre will become one of the most prominent buildings in Nemunaičiai. With Gensler's global expertise and the professionals from Lithuania's Kančo Studija working on the project, the business centre's architecture will embody a deep respect for Kaunas's cultural, urban, and natural heritage. Once the design details are finalised, plans include presenting them to the public and seeking a construction permit.
Architecture between industrial heritage and modern Kaunas
„Every real estate project has its own challenges, and our task as lead architects is to turn them into opportunities. In the development of the Nemunaičiai office building, we focused on the task of making the most of the unique riverfront. In addition to this, SBA wanted to create a workplace that meets the needs of today's employees. The story of this project is based on the proximity of the river, which naturally draws people to outdoor spaces that invite them to community gatherings by the water,“ says Lukasz Platkowski, Managing Director and Architect at Gensler Berlin.
According to the architect, Kaunas has not yet seen architectural solutions like these. The business centre will stand out both externally and internally—it will have high, 4-metre-high ceilings and an exceptionally designed internal atrium, where the lives of the employees and guests will flourish. The 16-metre space will include a lounge and common areas, a café, and exceptional light compositions.
According to Kančas studija CEO and an architect, Gustė Kančaitė, the architect of Kančo Studija, Gensler's concept is exact in its vision. It involves adapting industrial elements for the facade to bring architectural expression to life in a new form.
G. Kančaitė concludes: „Probably one of the biggest challenges in adapting the team's concept to reality is to maintain and capture the playful staircase, which is important not only for this particular project but also for the overall architectural expression of Nemunaičiai. This neighbourhood is turning a new page in the development of the new centre of Kaunas. With future projects, the feeling will remain that the left bank of the Nemunas is being revitalised with a metropolitan character. Oskaras will stand aligned with the new pedestrian bridge and, I'm certain, will become a symbolic gateway to this emerging district. That's why the SBA Urban team is giving it exceptional attention“.
SBA Urban is collaborating with Gensler architects on their second project in Lithuania. The first was the Vėjo Miestelis (Wind Town) development in Svencelė. Meanwhile, Kančo Studija and SBA also created the architectural design for another Kaunas business centre, Kauno Dokas, located on the banks of the Neris River.