„The last time a new gymnasium was opened in Vilnius was in 2022, and it was the first new municipal gymnasium during the entire Independence period. In total, only four new schools were built over 36 years. However, now three new schools are being built simultaneously: progymnasiums in Pavilnys and Perkūnkiemis, and now a gymnasium in Jeruzalė. In addition, construction will soon begin on Moravų Street and Bajorų Road,“ said Vilnius city mayor Valdas Benkunskas.
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The new gymnasium will have 480 senior class students and will consist of 16 classes. In addition to the main school building, basketball and playgrounds, a stadium, a reading terrace, a parking lot, pedestrian and bicycle paths will be installed. The gymnasium’s outdoor space will also be accessible for community needs.
„This year, Vilnius will have a thousand more students than last year. The number of older children is increasing the most, so a new gymnasium in the city is necessary. I am glad that in Northern Vilnius we will have a fantastic, modern gymnasium where children will study surrounded by nature. In addition to building new schools and kindergartens, more than 10 existing schools will be renovated in the city over five years. All this is so that children in Vilnius go to school with a smile,“ said Vilnius city deputy mayor Vytautas Mitalas.
The new gymnasium’s development, from its architectural competition to construction management, is overseen by the Vilnius Development Company, a public interest entity of the capital. It will also manage the school’s facilities for another 20 years.
„In an exceptional natural environment, next to the sustainable Jeruzalė Park, not just a new gymnasium is being built. It will be a space for learning and community gathering, created with the community. Ideas about what it should be like were also proposed by Vilnius residents who participated in our organized creative workshops. We aim to have the school built by the end of 2027 so that gymnasium students living nearby can finally study close to home, and the stadium, basketball and playgrounds, and gathering spaces can be used by residents of surrounding neighborhoods,“ said Jonas Stravinskas, Director of the Design and Construction Management Department at Vilnius Development Company.
This school is being built according to the idea and project prepared by the Lithuanian and Finnish architectural studio “Architektūros linija,” which won the architectural competition. The idea’s author, architect Prof. Gintaras Čaikauskas, emphasized that the gymnasium’s natural environment is perceived as an integral part of the educational process. Students will have the opportunity to learn in outdoor classrooms integrated into the landscape and experience the proximity of the forest during breaks, spend time in a natural environment, and walk in the Jeruzalė Park by the pond, which opened this year.
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„The quality of the school building should be assessed not on its opening day but after many years – we work according to this rule. The gymnasium will be intended for intensive use, so it is important that the chosen solutions are implemented with quality and at the same time are practical, durable, and easy to maintain. Building the school is especially meaningful for our team because hundreds of students will feel the value of well-done work every day,“ said Tadas Grincevičius, CEO of UAB “Naresta,” the company building the school.
“Naresta” has committed to building the gymnasium by the end of 2027 for 23.5 million EUR including VAT. This will be another new beginning for Vilnius – one of nine educational institutions being built in the capital under a special financing model. Under this model, Vilnius Development Company, using financing from international institutional banks, will build four schools and five kindergartens over three years.
Currently, Vilnius Development Company has already halfway completed the construction works of three educational institutions in the capital. In Pilaitė, on Pajautos Street, a nursery-kindergarten is being built, planned to be completed by spring 2027. Another nursery-kindergarten is already under construction in Balsiai, on Aušrinės Street – it is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2027. In Perkūnkiemis, on Pavilnionių Street, a progymnasium is already being built, which should open in autumn 2027. In October, the construction start capsule will also be buried in Pavilnys, on S. Lozoraičio Street, where a progymnasium will be built.
And the nursery-kindergarten built from the municipal budget on Žemynos Street is expected to be completed and opened this year. Next year, construction of the progymnasium on Bajorų Road is planned to begin.
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