Icon of Modernist Architecture, Recognized Internationally
Palanga Summer Reading Room is one of the most striking examples of modernist architecture in Lithuania’s seaside. The work of the building’s author, architect Albinas Čepys, stands out with its expressive, wavy roof shape, light construction, and sensitive relationship with the environment. The reading room organically blends into the landscape of pine forest and dunes and maintains the principle of openness and accessibility.
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The architectural value of this building has also been recognized internationally – Palanga Summer Reading Room and its interpretations were presented at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, one of the most important architecture events in the world. This once again highlighted the importance of the reading room as an exceptional cultural and architectural object.
A Reading Tradition Lasting Six Decades
Throughout its existence, the reading room has maintained its authentic purpose – a rare quality for an architectural object. It still functions as an open public space for reading, cultural meetings, and slow living.
Over 60 years, Palanga Summer Reading Room has become an integral part of the resort’s cultural identity. It is not just a reading room but also a space of cultural memory, where a community of readers has formed and several generations of visitors have grown up.
The reading room represents a slower, more attentive way of life and culture; a thriving reading culture naturally attracts meetings with representatives of culture and the arts, and the unique architecture and environment of the reading room unite all these experiences under one roof.
Cultural Program and Contemporary Art Dialogues
Marking the 60th anniversary, various cultural events will take place throughout the season in the reading room, with a jubilee celebration scheduled for June 19 at 6:30 PM. During the event, the history and architecture of the reading room will be presented, and a jubilee exhibition will be opened.
Throughout the summer, a broad cultural program will take place in the reading room – meetings with writers, literary evenings, poetry readings, and musical performances presenting different creative practices and generations.
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An important place is also given to contemporary art. The 2026 season will be marked by the exhibition “Soft Solids” by the artist duo “Daydreaming Objects,” active in Lithuania and Denmark. The project combines the materiality of wax with light technologies and highlights themes of sustainability and design, while the exhibition objects, echoing the forms of the reading room’s architecture, will emphasize the interaction between architecture and art.
The reading room will also exhibit the Lithuanian Architects’ Union project “Archi / Tree / tecture,” presented at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale – an exceptionally precise model of the Palanga Summer Reading Room.
Educational Activities and Community Engagement
An important part of the reading room’s activities is education and the development of young readers. The National Library’s Children’s and Youth Literature Center, together with partners, will invite families to creative workshops, reading promotion activities, and educational programs.
Throughout the summer, the “Book Start” reading corner operating in the Palanga Summer Reading Room will invite the youngest readers and their parents to discover books selected by specialists, adapted for various age groups.
Palanga Summer Reading Room invites you to celebrate the 60th anniversary and discover a place where architectural heritage, reading culture, and contemporary creativity merge into a unique experience by the seaside.
