The storage building of the History Museum of Lithuania Minor

About object:

The old town of Klaipėda has been included into the Registry of Immovable Cultural Property. It is valuable from both urban perspective and the architectural-historical point of view. The majority of the buildings represent German historical architecture. Their unique characteristic is timber framing. Only a few examples of this type remain in Klaipėda, but the new building had to find its place right among such houses. Thus the architects firstly considered the valuable context, which determined the volume, shape and colours of the new construction.

In addition to comfortable planning of the functions of the building, considerable attention had to be paid for the finishing. It instantly convinces the viewer with its trueness and quality. The shape of the building is a simple rectangle with a span roof. However, its exterior is decorated with natural materials: encaustic long clay tiles of 3-4 cm thickness. Their redness is another brand of Klaipėda’s architecture, which fits with the tiled roof tops of the surrounding buildings. The design of the façade is a sort of an interpretation of timber framing. The stylised timber framing is achieved using lines not covered with ceramics, while the windows are decorated with striped elements, which resemble window shutters.

This storage building is a great example of how a modern building may be built in a historically established environment without disrupting its harmony.

A. Stelbiene