Vilnius Development Company reported that the mentioned boathouse at 4 T. Kosciuška Street is one of the few remaining objects in the capital that recall the history of rowing.
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Next week, the boathouse will be covered with a tent featuring an iconic photograph of this place from the river side. According to the company, this will remind how this shore looked in the mid-20th century, when a rowing base was actively operating here.
This autumn, the city plans to hold open creative workshops where Vilnius residents, communities, architects, urban planners, and other specialists will be invited to explore what function would best suit this place.
“We want Vilnius residents to see this place not as a closed or abandoned object, but as an opportunity. The creative workshops will help understand what functions are truly needed for the city here – whether it would be recreation, water sports, culture, communities, or other public activities,” said Laura Joffė, head of Vilnius Development Company, in a statement.
The company emphasizes that purely commercial development of the object is not simple, and a public space scenario may better meet the city’s needs.
Market consultations conducted in 2022 showed that the object is commercially challenging due to the small usable area, high reconstruction costs, heritage protection requirements, limited access for construction equipment, and lack of parking possibilities.
The boathouse is located in a cultural heritage area and a sensitive environment on the Neris riverbank. The building is part of the Dominykas and Konstancija Sluška palace and prison complex as well as the Vilnius Old Town territories.
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According to Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas, the boathouse is an important symbol of Vilnius’s connection with the Neris, so the city wants to preserve it for future generations.
“We aim to stop the building’s decay and together with Vilnius residents create a new story for it – so that this place becomes lively, open, and attracts people to the river,” the mayor was quoted as saying.
According to Vilnius Development Company, rowing traditions began to form in this place at the beginning of the 20th century, when in 1908 the Rowing Enthusiasts Club was established, and in 1910 the first wooden rowers’ pier was built on the left bank of the Neris.
In 1929, a project for the Vilnius Rowing Club pier was prepared, and in 1932 the rowing club was opened. This place became an important part of sports and leisure infrastructure; after the war, rowing traditions continued here, and a children’s swimming pool operated.
Since 2020, the boathouse has been managed by Vilnius Development Company controlled by the municipality.
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