According to architectural historian Dr. Marija Drėmaitė, the design of public centres and public spaces was given special attention in the planning of the Lazdynai district. It was envisaged that the most important shopping and service centres in Lazdynai would be connected by pedestrian avenues, making it possible to make daily trips on foot.
Of all the public spaces in Lazdynai, the most prominent and important has become the Erfurt complex in the 1st micro-district, with the alley leading to it. Residents remember that the restaurant on the second floor of the current Rimi Erfurtas shopping centre was one of the most fashionable places in Vilnius for entertainment, and the nearby pedestrian walkway was the route for all foreign excursions to Lazdynai.
A monumental stone has been preserved in this alley, on which a plaque used to hang, announcing the prestigious award received by the team of authors who designed Lazdynai. The most important artistic accent of the 1st micro-district, the sculpture “Vėtrungė” (Windmill), created by Teodoras Kazimieras Valaitis in 1973, also stands unchanged next to the former “Erfurt”, but the ornamental swimming pool that surrounded it is no longer in use.
Both the square at Vėtrungė and the pedestrian alley still serve as important public spaces in the district. However, their condition varies. In the alley, the p er the last few years, the “hard” infrastructure has already been upgraded: pavements and staircases have been resurfaced, lighting has been extended. In the meantime “The square surrounding Vėtrunga was last cleaned much earlier and is in a state of severe disrepair, as local residents have repeatedly pointed out.
In 2024, on behalf of Vilnius City Municipality, ID Vilnius UAB together with Public Institution “Vilnius City Parks is working on a project to renovate the square and the alley. The aim is to transform the alley from a transit space to a place where different groups of people would like to linger and spend more time, through small and quick “soft” changes (e.g. planting and outdoor furniture). The first works on the promenade are planned to be carried out later this year in the form of simple renovation. “Vėtrungė Square requires major changes and investments, so its reconstruction will take longer, and the process is planned to start this year.
We invite you to join us in Lazne if you care about “Vėtrunge Square and the future of the pedestrian alley to a two-part workshop.
First meeting with residents 3 April at 17:30 we will look for ideas on how to make these spaces cosier and greener, and after 3 weeks 24 April at 17:30 At the second meeting, we will discuss the initial draft, based on the suggestions of residents. Both meetings will take place at Lazdynai Secondary School (Žėručio g. 4, room 004, ground floor)
Workshop registration: https://forms.office.com/e/HYvN8Vbnpm
Below you can see the defined project area:
If you have any questions or ideas for the renovation of the alley, please contact dalyvavimas@idvilnius.lt
