The Vilnius Development Company, responsible for implementing the project, has completed the public procurement procedures for the public space construction works – a contract has been signed with the company UAB “Gerbūvio projektai”. The company has committed to implementing the project for 2.9 million euros including VAT.
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In Žirmūnai, a 1.8 ha area intensively used by residents but unorganized near S. Žukausko St. 21, 22, 23 houses will be transformed.
“Although residents use this slope and pine forest for daily routes or informal recreation, the place has so far been neither safe nor properly adapted to people’s needs. Very soon, this public space will reveal itself in completely different colors – it will become a convenient, safe, and attractive place for active and peaceful leisure for residents,” says Vilnius city mayor Valdas Benkunskas.
One of the most striking features of the new space is a wooden pedestrian path with a viewing platform being installed on the upper terrace of the slope. It will not only connect different parts of the area but also become a kind of experience route – winding among the trees, adapting to existing trunks, subtly illuminated in the evening. It offers a view of the Antakalnis panorama.
Below, next to the stadium of Vilnius Joachim Lelevelis Engineering Gymnasium, an active sports zone is being formed – here there will be outdoor exercise equipment, a parkour area, and volleyball courts.
In the middle of the slope, a community meadow with an amphitheater is planned – a small terrace with wooden benches intended for relaxation, small events, or informal gatherings. Nearby there will be sun loungers and a lawn for picnics or simply quiet rest.
After renewing the public space, the long-used worn paths will be replaced by a clear system of trails. In some places, the paths will become wooden stairs on poles, protecting tree roots, elsewhere – gentle serpentine slopes adapted for people with strollers or mobility impairments. All trail infrastructure is designed to be maximally accessible and not to disrupt the terrain.
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“We paid a lot of attention to ensuring that the complex slope terrain is arranged while maintaining its naturalness, but at the same time becomes conveniently accessible to everyone. Our decisions were based on the habits of local residents and the desire to preserve the most valuable elements of this area – mature greenery, the pine forest, and even a century-old linden tree, which create the uniqueness of this place,” says Jonas Stravinskas, director of the Design and Construction Management Department of Vilnius Development Company, a public interest object development and management company of the capital.
The children’s playground is planned in the same place where children currently play – only much higher quality and better integrated into the environment. It is divided into two different zones: one will have a colorful rubber surface and dynamic, safe equipment, the other – a sand playground with wooden platforms, a hammock, and a gazebo.
A long landscaped bench is planned around the play area, which not only forms a clear perimeter of the space but also provides parents with a comfortable place to be close to their children in the shade.
“We hope that the renovated square will become a functional and cozy attraction in the Žirmūnai microdistrict, which the local community will use and enjoy every day,” says Gediminas Švambaris, project manager at “Gerbūvio projektai”.
Great attention in the project is given to greenery. An arborist assessment carried out during the design phase revealed that several hundred trees grow in the planned area. Considering their condition, several protected trees were removed – one pine and two maples. Pruning work was carried out on most of the remaining trees.
The area will be supplemented with new plantings: it is planned to plant trees (including birches, willows, pears, maples, and pines), as well as shrubs and bushes.
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