In the near future, Šnipiškės residents will enjoy a pleasant change – as the Šnipiškės district is changing and new projects are being implemented, Vilnius City Municipality is implementing an action plan to improve the environment for the residents of this district. Šnipiškės is set to benefit from the creation of new spaces for community gathering and active leisure.
Relaxation and active leisure close to home
One of the first changes will take place in a small green area currently used for community purposes, at the intersection of Giedraičių-Krokuva Streets, known as “Dragon’s Meadow”. The design of this space has already been drawn up and has received a building permit. It is hoped that the next stages of the project will go smoothly and that residents will be able to visit the new square at the end of next year. During the preparation of the project, the architects, in cooperation with the active community of Šnipiškės, decided that the area, which is currently used for small events and children’s play area, will be adapted to the needs of the local population and will be divided into a recreation area, a children’s play area and a zone for active leisure activities (basketball, football and fitness courts). The regeneration of Šnipiškės aims to provide residents with the opportunity to gather, socialise and spend active leisure time in a safe and close proximity to their homes. The planned playground will be enclosed by an open-work fence for security reasons, while the basketball and football pitches will also be partially fenced to prevent the ball from falling into the street or into private space. The project aimed to preserve as many of the existing mature trees as possible, under which a gazebo, chess tables and a quieter seating area would be built. As the residents themselves refer to the square as ‘Dragon’s Meadow’, the design has tried to retain some of the natural meadow without losing the name of the space. The authors half-jokingly remark that even in the layout of the square’s winding paths you can see the silhouette of a dragon. “We want the inhabitants of Šnipiškės to have more places to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, which is why we have not only preserved the old trees, but also planted additional greenery.” – say the project’s authors, the architects of SĮ Vilniaus Plan. The project envisages that the newly planted trees along Krokuva Street will cover the façade of the nearby parking lot and create shade in the meadow. After consultation with the community, it was decided to frame the water column in the area with coverings, thus highlighting a recurring element that is important to the residents and is found throughout Šnipiškės, and to integrate it into the overall space. The project also proposes to pave part of the historic Šilutė Street with natural stone paving, which could be extended in the future along the entire Šilutė Street. The street was symbolically travelled along by carriage by residents during the autumn festival earlier this year, and it is therefore very important for the designers to preserve the character of the place, as it is for the community.
No more garages in Šnipiškės – parks and squares instead
In another part of Šnipiškės, another project is being finalised to create the main space, dubbed “Šnipiškės Square” by the locals, after the removal of the 80-acre plot of former garages between Giedraičių and Kintai Streets. It is hoped that the newly created space will become a central event space for the community, as until now all events have taken place in the smaller “Dragon’s Meadow”. According to the authors of the project, part of the area will be used for exhibitions, fairs and other commercial activities. The area is functionally organised in a circle around a central plaza, with areas for various activities in the approaches to the plaza. In consultation with the local community, and after adjustments to the design in the light of the comments made, it was decided to abandon the small individual green areas and to merge them into a single larger meadow.
