Green Connect, an architectural project by the British firm Zaha Hadid Architects, has been deemed the best proposal for a new railway station complex in Vilnius, the city’s authorities say.
Vilnius top architect Mindaugas Pakalnis says that Zaha Hadid Architects knows the Lithuanian capital well and has a lot of experience in designing such areas. It is already designing a Rail Baltica railway station in Tallinn.
Finland’s B&M Architects Ltd came in second in the competition with their project 314159, followed by Poland’s SBS Engineering Group with 19MM75, VGS159 a joint project of Lithuania’s Archinova and Denmark’s PLH Arkitekter, and China’s Shenzhen Aube Architectural Engineering Design Co. and its project ZSEBUA.
In all, 33 projects were submitted for the competition to redevelop the railway hub in Vilnius, a project dubbed Vilnius Connect. The final winner will be picked in November.
An international panel of 11 members considered the submitted projects. The panelist include Lithuanian and foreign architects as well as representatives of Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways), the country’s state-owned railway company, and Vilnius authorities. (LRT/Business World Magazine)