Multifunctional sports and entertainment complex in Klaipeda

About object:

When designing the new sports and entertainment arena in Klaipeda, the architects dedicated most attention to the context, rather than the events. The location of the structure, i. e. a coastal city was the most important priority factor for choosing its shape. S. Mikstas gave the arena the shape of a catamaran, since, according to the said architect, that way the structure is easier to remember, integrates into the environment and becomes a new icon.
The whole structure is covered in glass, only its façade is covered with darkened glass and the prominent bodies of the catamaran’s skis, covered with transparent glass, have a second layer, i. e. openwork blinds, reminding of the historical red colour of Klaipeda’s brick. All the aforementioned is covered with a tent, i. e. the roof slab, which protects the structure the same way the ships are protected against rain. Although massive, but of slender proportions and visually detached from the building it looks quite light but reliable.
The original structure was constructed at the right time and in the right place, i. e. on the territory by the city centre, which was a waste ground for several decades. After the arena was erected, large supermarkets were built in the area one after another. With its attractive and cultured architectural language the new Klaipeda arena became a proper counterbalance to the consumer culture.

A. Štelbienė