Stasys Museum / IMPLMNT Architects

Architects: IMPLMNT architects
Area: 4130 m²
Year: 2023
Photographs: Norbert Tukaj
Manufacturers: DELABIE, Lamberts, Artu, Duten, Hormann, Opinion Ciatti, Pedrali, Reckli, Ukmergės Gelžbetonis
Engineering Consulting: Sweco Structures
Category: Cultural Architecture, Museum
Lead Team: Aurimas Syrusas, Greta Brimė, Viktoras Gricius
Design Team: Eglė Gečaitė, Ieva Sirijatavičiūtė, Kotryna Bajorinaitė, Jonė Virbickaitė, Aurelija Kniukštaitė, Ričardas Bertašius
City: Panevėžys
Country: Lithuania

Stasys Museum cultural center, designed by IMPLMNT in Panevėžys, Lithuania, integrates art, education, and public life within a new urban space. The project references the work of artist Stasys Eidrigevičius, applying principles of simplicity, logic, and fantasy to the architecture and public areas. A southern square connects Krantas and Respublika streets with Oxbow Lake and incorporates a non-commercial cinema that honors the site’s past theater. Textured concrete and glazed surfaces define the restrained material palette, supporting a civic space designed for exhibitions, events, and community interaction.

Stasys Museum is positioned in the northern sector of Panevėžys city center, aiming to support urban development through a public environment that improves daily life and promotes cultural and artistic participation. The program establishes the museum as a civic landmark by combining content, function, and communal space. Its concept draws directly from the work of Lithuanian interdisciplinary artist Stasys Eidrigevičius, born in 1949 in the Panevėžys district, whose guiding principles of simplicity, logic, and fantasy were articulated during the project’s competition stage. These principles, especially fantasy, appear throughout the building’s internal and external elements, forming what the architects describe as the “touch of Stasys Eidrigevičius.”

Motifs central to Eidrigevičius’ art, including continuity of lines and interaction between forms, shaped the building’s spatial solutions. Careful orientation creates a southern public square that functions as a gathering space while connecting adjacent urban areas. This square contains a non-commercial cinema, addressing a long-standing local need and referencing the site’s history as a former movie theater, a cultural memory still valued by residents.

The public realm serves as a link between Krantas and Respublika streets, establishing continuity with western cultural destinations and Oxbow Lake. Outdoor areas are divided into active leisure and creative zones, supporting activities such as screenings, concerts, performances, and street art. The museum program includes exhibition halls across two levels, complemented by educational and administrative spaces. A smaller hall, initially serving as an entrance, will later transition into an area for media-focused exhibitions.

The exterior reflects the building’s formal clarity through two types of textured concrete—dotted and linear—combined with glazed sections. This restrained material approach aligns with the conceptual principles drawn from Eidrigevičius’ art and reinforces the structure’s role as both a cultural venue and an integral part of the city’s evolving public landscape.