Today difficult tasks are waiting for the urban planners – through a combination of artistic and scientific principles of urban design and architecture, they have to adapt old buildings, districts, neighbourhoods and individual buildings for the needs of modern society. Masters from Faculty of Architecture at VGTU in their final works have already made suggestions for the revival of the most important, but not cosy districts of Vilnius.
Margarita Pantelejeva, Master student of Architecture of Urban Complexes‘ specialization, presented her concept of reconstruction of Ukmerge Street. This area should become a representative ‘‘artery‘‘ leading to the city centre. The system of pedestrian friendly public spaces is designed with underground passes and overpasses, connecting newly developed public spaces with already existing ones. It is proposed to transform the space near Seskine polyclinics and to create a two-level square at the end of the promenade. Margarita Pantelejeva proposes to build the "City Centre Gate" as an urban complex in the intersection of Ukmerge and Ozo streets, indicating the entry into the city centre. She presented her vision at the conference ‘‘Changes of Lithuanian cities: the past, present realities and future challenges‘‘, organised at the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania.
"Students in their final works explore and investigate the problems of specific areas and are looking for the solutions and their successful implementation. Finally, they submit proposals for merging all scattered territories into one organic city complex. It's great that they are interested in the recovery of the lost territories and take care of the integrity and high-quality urban development of the city", – said Associate Professor, Doctor Dalia Dijokiene, the Head of VGTU Department of Urban Design and the organiser of the conference ‘‘Changes of Lithuanian cities: the past, present realities and future challenges‘‘.
Marija Vaitkute, a graduate from the Faculty of Architecture, proposed ways of solving problems of Vilnius area near the Railway station. In her opinion, the high rise buildings, set up near the Railway station, could serve as the reference points for the people even at the far end of the city. The architect thinks that the unused buildings around the station should be destroyed. For the convenience and safety of pedestrians, VGTU graduate Marija Vaitkute proposes to unite the bus and railway stations into one single complex, as well as to cover platforms of the train station. All these measures could create a new urban environment of this part of Vilnius – more representative and secure for the residents of Vilnius, combining three different areas: the Old Town, the Station area and Naujininkai District.
