flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Ugly soviet parking garage takes on appearance of a cascading waterfall

Architects

Ugly soviet parking garage takes on appearance of a cascading waterfall

Architect Ignas Lukaskas worked in conjunction with Vieta and the Vilnius Street Art festival to transform the building.


By David Malone, Associate Editor | September 30, 2016

Photo courtesy of Studio Vieta

A Soviet-era parking garage in Lithuania that sits just a few dozen feet from the Neris River and has been described as an “eyesore,” has been transformed into a bright display of color and lights as part of the Vilnius Street Art Festival. Ignas Lukauskas, an architect whose PhD thesis was on urban landscapes and how art and architecture can create disruptions, created the new look for the building.

The Vilnius Waterfall, as the project has been dubbed, is based on this thesis. The photorealistic waterfall image was pasted onto more than 2,000 sm (making it the largest project like this ever executed in Lithuania) of the structure’s exterior surface and uses the building’s terraced look and its location near the Neris to further enhance the faux waterfall’s illusion.

The water appears to crash and cascade down the various terraces of the structure, which is currently used as a garage for storing and maintaining Parliament vehicles, on its way to the river. The stagnant appearance offered by the building’s former look is replaced with one that is dynamic and flowing.

The new façade is only temporary, but the goal is for it to bring a refreshing hint of the natural landscape to Lithuania’s capital city.

View more images of The Vilnius Waterfall here.

Related Stories

Sponsored | | Jul 30, 2014

How one small architecture firm improved cash flow using ArchiOffice

Foreman Seeley Fountain Architecture not only managed to survive the Great Recession, it has positioned itself to thrive in the economy’s recovery. 

| Jul 30, 2014

German students design rooftop solar panels that double as housing

Students at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences designed a solar panel that can double as living space for the Solar Decathlon Europe.

| Jul 30, 2014

Restaurants, farmers' markets high on urban dwellers' wish list: Sasaki report

Urban dwellers love food-related resources, public spaces, and historic structures—but really hate traffic, lack of parking, and poor public transportation.

| Jul 30, 2014

Nonresidential building activity on the rise for 2015: AIA Forecast

Semiannual Consensus Construction Forecast predicts 4.9% increase this year, 8% next year, with offices and retail facilities leading the charge.

| Jul 29, 2014

Studio Gang Architects, MAD to design George Lucas' museum in Chicago

Star Wars director George Lucas selected Chicago-based Studio Gang Architects and Beijing firm MAD to design his proposed art museum on Chicago’s lakefront.

| Jul 29, 2014

AECOM's buying spree continues: Deal to acquire Hunt Construction Group in the works

The acquisition comes just two weeks after AECOM's $6 billion deal to acquire rival engineering and construction company URS Corp.

| Jul 29, 2014

MADGI hires David Stuart, AIA, as Studio Director in New York City

Stuart will support the firm's $375 million multifamily residential design studio.

| Jul 29, 2014

Best practices for public-private partnerships: Free AIAI guide

Resource explores P3 best practices, including legislation and procurement methods.

| Jul 29, 2014

Blood center uses architecture to encourage blood donation [slideshow]

Designed by FAAB Architektura, the project's aesthetic was guided by its function. The color scheme, facade panel glossiness, and the irregularly elevated leitmotif were intentionally designed to evoke the "richness" of blood, according to the architects. 

| Jul 28, 2014

Reconstruction market benefits from improving economy, new technology [2014 Giants 300 Report]

Following years of fairly lackluster demand for commercial property remodeling, reconstruction revenue is improving, according to the 2014 Giants 300 report.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Great Solutions

41 Great Solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors

AI ChatBots, ambient computing, floating MRIs, low-carbon cement, sunshine on demand, next-generation top-down construction. These and 35 other innovations make up our 2024 Great Solutions Report, which highlights fresh ideas and innovations from leading architecture, engineering, and construction firms.




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021