Location: Milano, Italy.

Architect: Tabanlioglu.

The M.K. Čiurlionis Concert Centre in Kaunas, Lithuania, is designed to be a cultural center and urban meeting point. The building incorporates a pedestrian bridge and acts as a connection node, completing the cultural loop of the city. The site’s unique relationship between land and water is preserved, with the building sitting on a compact footprint to conserve the existing fauna. The building is divided into three blocks, with the largest containing the main hall, backstage, and office functions. The second block contains the secondary hall, convention, and primary foyer functions, while the smallest block contains the public block with the foyer, restaurant, and terrace. The building’s exterior shell is mostly solid, with strategic openings for views of Kaunas. The materiality, texture, and form of the building are inspired by the works of Ciurlionis, who captured the essence of Lithuanian landscape. The building’s design creates covered open public areas that can be used throughout the year, even when the halls are not in use.

Photo credit: Elif Simge Fettahoglu, SAVERIO LOMBARDI VALLAURI, PAOLO CONSAGA,SIMONE PERNA,FRANCESCO CIRANNA.