Publications
Integrating Space Syntax and Emotional Mapping to Assess Visual Pollution in Urban Environments
Urban environments with high accessibility and connectivity, such as parks and public spaces, exhibit low visual pollution index (VPI) scores and positive emotional responses, while fragmented areas show high VPI ratings due to visual clutter and poor maintenance. This study reveals a significant link between urban spatial configurations—measured through space syntax analysis—and visual pollution, which negatively impacts aesthetic quality and emotional well-being. By integrating spatial metrics like integration, connectivity, and visibility with emotional mapping, the research provides a genotype-based framework that assesses VPI in modernist neighborhoods, such as Kaunas' Dainava district. The findings underscore the need for targeted urban planning interventions to reduce visual clutter and enhance visual harmony, offering a predictive tool for creating inclusive and legible urban spaces.
Monitoring intelligibility changes of Kaunas interwar modernism buildings
A novel methodology for assessing the legibility of immovable cultural heritage in urban environments has been proposed and validated, offering predictive capabilities without requiring physical alteration or destruction of heritage properties. This approach leverages space syntax or mathematical graph-based intelligibility models to monitor changes in architectural legibility due to urban transformations, even in the absence of visible damage. The study focuses on Kaunas' interwar modernist architecture, which was recently nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status under 'Modernist Kaunas: Architecture of Optimism, 1919-1939.' By analyzing these buildings, researchers aim to better understand their role in shaping urban landscape identity and provide a framework for preserving cultural heritage amid evolving urban landscapes. This methodology could be applied globally to monitor and protect significant architectural heritage.
Residents’ Sense of the Place in the Central Part of Kaunas City in Relation to Tangible Cultural Heritage
Residents of Kaunas, Lithuania, exhibit a strong sense of place tied to tangible cultural heritage, particularly modernist architecture, which significantly influences their urban identity and attachment. This study reveals that demographic and sociocultural factors—such as age, education, and occupation—play a pivotal role in how residents perceive and value heritage, shaping their preferences for preservation. By analyzing survey data and public contributions to the Cultural Heritage Inventory, researchers identified key heritage objects prioritized by locals, offering actionable insights for urban planners and conservationists. The findings underscore the necessity for heritage policies that balance modernization with cultural retention, ensuring Kaunas's unique character is preserved while addressing broader challenges faced by cities with similar historical legacies.
Unrealised Projects of the Christ’s Resurrection Church Competition in Kaunas 1928–1930
Recent research reveals that the UNESCO-listed Christ’s Resurrection Church in Kaunas, Lithuania, emerged from a complex, collaborative process rather than the sole authorship previously attributed to architect Karolis Reisonas. A detailed analysis of the 1928–1930 competition projects—previously unexplored in Lithuanian art studies—shows how public and architectural criticism reshaped the final design, resulting in a modernist masterpiece distinct from both the awarded and later-unimplemented proposals. The study, using historical-analytical and stylistic methods, demonstrates that the church’s artistic excellence stems from collective creativity involving multiple architects and artists, challenging traditional attribution narratives.
Using Geophysics to Locate Holocaust Era Mass Graves in Jewish Cemeteries: Examples from Latvia and Lithuania
Geophysical surveys have identified potential mass graves in three Jewish cemeteries in Latvia and Lithuania, used during the Holocaust for burials of victims from ghettos and mass killings. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) detected trench anomalies in Riga's Old Jewish Cemetery, corroborating survivor testimonies. In Kaunas' Zaliakalnis Cemetery, anomalies were found in a stone-less area, while preliminary GPR analysis suggested possible graves in Liepaja's Livas Cemetery. These findings align with historical accounts and suggest a high probability of mass burials at all sites. Future research aims to expand survey areas and incorporate additional geophysical methods.
Defining the Attributes for Modernist Urban Heritage: The Case of ‘Kaunas 1919–1939: Architecture of Optimism’
Modernist Kaunas (1919–1939) emerges as a significant candidate for the UNESCO World Heritage List, representing Eastern European modern urbanity and bridging gaps in global heritage recognition. The study defines attributes of modern urban heritage by analyzing tangible built structures alongside intangible values, using comparative analysis to highlight its unique metropolitan aspirations. This approach underscores Kaunas' role in reflecting broader European modernism while addressing underrepresentation of 20th-century urban transformations in heritage listings.
Kaunas Interwar Cafes and Restaurant: Feasibility Study and Proposals Regarding Restoration and Revival
A key insight from this study is that Kaunas' interwar café culture played a significant role in shaping the city's modernist architectural phenomenon, reflecting broader trends of functionalism, hygiene, and light while incorporating subtle elements of National style. The research highlights a stark contrast between preserved public interiors, which retain academic and historical motifs, and privately owned establishments, which have undergone transformations to align with Western modernist aesthetics. Additionally, the study proposes a revitalization project for these cafés and restaurants, aiming to restore their original character while exploring new functional uses. This approach combines architectural analysis with practical feasibility studies to ensure sustainable preservation and reintegration into urban life.
About Two Gems in the Stadtkrone of Kaunas, the Provisional Capital of Interwar Lithuania
Two iconic architectural projects in Kaunas, Lithuania's interwar provisional capital— the Church of the Resurrection and the State Palace—embody distinct nationalistic and international design trends. The Church, a modernist basilica, emerged from a competition restricted to Lithuanian citizens or residents, reflecting the nation's desire for a uniquely 'Lithuanian' style to celebrate its 10th anniversary of independence. In contrast, the State Palace, a monumental neo-classical complex housing state institutions, resulted from an international competition, showcasing global architectural influences. These projects illustrate the duality in interwar representative architecture and highlight the evolution of Lithuania's self-perception as a nation.
Conservation Management Plan for the Military Research Laboratory in Kaunas
A comprehensive conservation management plan for the Military Research Laboratory in Kaunas, Lithuania, has been developed, offering significant insights into the preservation of modernist military architecture. This study provides a detailed analysis of the building's physical condition using advanced techniques such as polychromic and chemical composition analysis of plaster and paint, along with microbiological assessments. The findings expand knowledge on masonry construction materials and techniques in Lithuania and the Baltic region during the interwar period. Additionally, the plan offers practical recommendations for restoration and maintenance that are applicable to similar heritage sites, serving as a case study for preserving 20th-century modernist structures. This interdisciplinary approach is particularly relevant for owners of modernist architectural heritage, conservationists, and specialists in military history.
Modernism and the Phenomenon of Kaunas
Kaunas, Lithuania, stands out for its unique modernist architectural phenomenon (1919–1939), blending technical, economic, and social determinants into a distinct urban identity. Unlike broader modernist trends of the era, Kaunas's approach combined experimental design with a strong social context, prioritizing egalitarian ideals while disconnecting from tradition. The study analyzes this dialect through physical and intangible layers—examining architectural language and urban planning values—to reveal its integrity as both innovative and socially driven. This nuanced perspective contrasts with other interwar modernist movements, offering insights into how local circumstances shape global trends.
Analysis of the Changes in the Content of Public Spaces
This study reveals that modernist urbanization during the Soviet era fundamentally altered the social-spatial dynamics of Lithuanian cities, including Kaunas, by reshaping public spaces and redefining their functionality. Using interdisciplinary network theory and mathematical models, researchers analyzed how these transformations affected urban structures from 1939 to 2016, demonstrating that modernist urbanism not only introduced new spatial configurations but also redefined the overall operation of cities. The findings highlight the profound impact of Soviet-era modernization on public space usage and urban development.
Detailed Analysis of Usage of Open Public Spaces in Modernist and Traditional Urban Blocks
Modernist urban planning during the Soviet era fundamentally altered the social-spatial dynamics of Lithuanian cities, reshaping public space usage and overall urban functionality. This study reveals that modernist urbanism introduced innovative spatial configurations that significantly impacted how cities like Kaunas, Klaipėda, and Vilnius operated as networks. By applying interdisciplinary network theory and mathematical models, researchers analyzed Soviet-era transformations from 1939 to 2016, demonstrating how these changes revolutionized public space interaction. The findings highlight the enduring effects of modernist urbanism on city structure and social behavior.
Historical Review of Modernization of Three Lithuanian Cities in 1918-1990 (Chapter 1)
Modernist urbanism in Lithuania fundamentally reshaped the social-spatial dynamics of three major cities—Kaunas, Klaipėda, and Vilnius—during the Soviet era (1939–2016). This monograph reveals how modernist approaches introduced revolutionary spatial configurations that altered public space usage and city functionality. By applying interdisciplinary network theory and mathematical models, the study demonstrates that these transformations were not merely architectural but also deeply social, redefining urban life. The analysis highlights Kaunas as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, showcasing its unique role in this process.
Introduction. Modernization of Public Spaces in Lithuanian Cities
Modernist Kaunas: Architecture of Optimism, 1919–1939 reveals how Soviet-era modernist urbanization reshaped the social-spatial dynamics of Lithuanian cities—Kaunas, Klaipėda, and Vilnius—through revolutionary spatial configurations. The study employs interdisciplinary network theory and mathematical models to demonstrate that modernist urbanism did not merely alter public space usage but fundamentally redefined city functionality as a whole. By analyzing transformations from 1939 to 2016, the research highlights how these changes reflected broader social and spatial evolution under Soviet influence.
Migrant modernists: The making of national architects in Lithuania in the 1930s and their survival strategies in the 1950s
Modernist architecture in Kaunas, Lithuania, emerged as a symbol of national identity and modernization during the interwar period (1919–1939). This study reveals how Lithuanian architects, shaped by forced migration, political upheavals, and ideological shifts, adapted their professional identities and survival strategies across three turbulent decades. It highlights their pivotal role in transforming Kaunas into a provisional capital, marked by the erasure of imperial legacies and the construction of modernist landmarks. The research traces their collective evolution as socially engaged intellectuals during the 1930s, followed by divergent paths—emigration for those practicing privately after Soviet reoccupation (1944) or assimilation under Soviet rule for those who remained. Methodologically, it combines biographical analysis with architectural and political history to illustrate resilience, ideological adaptation, and the enduring impact of forced migration on cultural production.
Modernization of Public Spaces in Lithuanian Cities
A groundbreaking monograph reveals how modernist urbanism reshaped the social-spatial dynamics of Lithuanian cities, fundamentally altering their functionality as entire systems. By leveraging interdisciplinary network theory and mathematical models, researchers analyzed Kaunas, Klaipėda, and Vilnius to demonstrate that Soviet-era modernization introduced revolutionary spatial configurations and redefined public space usage. The study highlights how these transformations, spanning from 1939 to 2016, serve as a compelling case study for understanding the profound impacts of modernist urbanism on city structures and societal interactions.
Spatial-Social Readability of a Cityscape and Some Additional Insights into Modernistic Urban Transformations
Modernist urbanization during the Soviet era fundamentally altered the social-spatial dynamics of Lithuanian cities, including Kaunas, Klaipėda, and Vilnius. This study reveals that modernistic transformations not only reshaped physical cityscapes but also redefined public space usage and overall urban functionality. By applying interdisciplinary network theory and mathematical models, researchers analyzed how these changes influenced city operations from 1939 to 2016, providing a nuanced understanding of the interplay between spatial configurations and social behavior in urban environments.
Transformations and Condition of Urban Public Spaces in Lithuania After 1990
A groundbreaking analysis reveals that Soviet-era modernist urbanization fundamentally altered the social-spatial dynamics of Lithuanian cities, reshaping how public spaces functioned as interconnected networks. The study, employing interdisciplinary network theory and mathematical models, demonstrates that these transformations not only introduced novel spatial configurations but also redefined the overall city structure. Focusing on Kaunas, Klaipėda, and Vilnius from 1939 to 2016, the research highlights how modernist urbanism influenced social scenarios of public space usage, offering a paradigm for understanding revolutionary urban processes.
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