2024-05-14 00:36:49
Aroused many sentiments
After planning to visit the newly revived Darius and Girėnos Stadium and the legendary Sports Hall for some time, President Valdas Adamkus finally implemented this plan.
“I was already surprised when I was driving here. Charming! This is world-class… Probably the most beautiful stadium in the Baltic States, V. Adamkus expressed his first impressions as soon as he stepped into the stands and looked at the fundamentally renovated space. “A kind of nostalgia and a lot of sentiments have remained for this square.”
The president was quick to reminisce about his youth. At that time, the capable athlete repeatedly improved our country’s 100-meter running record, broke the 11-second mark and represented Lithuania in international competitions.
“I remember how it was here a long time ago, because I used to run along those paths,” said V.Adamkus, also talking about the wooden tribunes that stood next to the square at that time. – There used to be red slag trails here, as far as I remember. It was also black, when I was still digging starting holes for myself with a spade – no starting blocks, nothing.”
Architects presented ideas
On Friday afternoon, the guest of honor was welcomed by Kaunas Mayor Visvaldas Matijošaitis with his team and the authors of the stadium reconstruction project – Archas architects, who celebrated their 19th anniversary that day.
“Everyone asks why it’s so gray, gray here. Because people and emotions should fill the stadium, not the color of the chairs or the red cover. Everything here is for exercising and having fun,” architect Mantas Navalinskas presented his implemented ideas.
His second colleague Tomas Kuleša added that the chosen color helps highlight the action on the field: “The majority of the audience usually watches football matches on television. We wanted the beauty of football or athletics to dominate, both on the screens and during live viewing, rather than the orange running tracks that are most characteristic of sports.”
Gintaras Čepurna, a partner of the architects’ studio, while listening to V.Adamkus’s stories, admitted that he felt a special responsibility in preparing and implementing the project, because he himself did a lot of sports here in his youth.
A stadium would not be built in the capital
“So when will you fill it with spectators?” asked the guest with a smile.
The architects said they had done their job, and now the athletes and performers should take care of the full stands. V. Matijošaitis pointed out that several big show business events are planned this year: it is planned to sell 40,000 tickets for the two-day concerts of the famous British artist Ed Sheeran at the beginning of August. tickets, and at the end of the summer, Jessica Shy, one of the most popular singers in Lithuania, will invite an audience of several thousand here.
The former head of the country expressed a categorical position regarding the new national stadium. According to him, the only Darius and Girėnos stadium in Kaunas currently in Lithuania, which UEFA awarded the highest category 4, could continue to remain the main space for sports events of this size: “In general, I think it is a misunderstanding to build such a stadium in Vilnius now. I really wouldn’t let it. Within a hundred kilometers – two stadiums, next to three million inhabitants?”
Deserved title of sports city
“Kaunas is called a sports city for a reason. We have the biggest basketball arena, and the stadium has already become the home of the football team. The Sports Hall is adapted for children’s after-school education and various events. Nearby, Ėuolynas has been repaired, and the construction of the athletics arena is being completed. We are preparing to revive Vytautas Park as well”, said V. Matijošaitis while accompanying the President around the stadium and hall spaces, about the more prominent projects in the Žaliakalnis sports and leisure complex.
The mayor also mentioned the reconstruction of Dainai slėni, which is finishing nearby. On June 29, the song festival celebrating the 100th anniversary is scheduled to open here. The president noticed that festive dance performances could be held in the spacious stadium.
Kaunas is currently implementing more sports projects. A modern rowing track is being completed in Lampedii. A new sailing school base is being built on the coast of the Kaunas Lagoon, and the modern port of Neptune Bay is being expanded.
Preparations are underway for the construction of a universal football and rugby arena in Aleksote. It is planned to utilize the green areas on the edge of the S. Darius and S. Girėnas airfields for a complex of open fields. The place for the country’s first Extreme Sports Center is also planned here.
Good news is also coming for swimming enthusiasts – in the next few years, new swimming pools with spa areas will be built in Šilainiai and Panemune. Their development in the city will continue.
Innovations in the Gymnasium named after the President
Among the infrastructure projects being developed in Kaunas, there are also objects directly connected with the name of President V.Adamkus. Back in 2016, the gymnasium in Aleksot, on Bitininkų street, was “christened” with it. Soon, the city carried out a major renovation of this institution, adding an additional floor and significantly expanding the area of the main building.
Currently, a project is being prepared for the reconstruction of the building of the elementary classes of the President Valdas Adamkaus Gymnasium. It is planned to replace the former building of the Student Environmental Studies Center on Šeštokai street with new spaces, increasing their area almost three times – from 1.6 thousand square meters. up to 4.5 thousand sq. meters.
The current seven classrooms will be replaced by 24 primary classrooms with all additional staff facilities and a multi-purpose assembly and gymnasium. Such a need was dictated by the extremely rapid development of the Aleksotas microdistrict and the year by year growing popularity of the gymnasium among the little residents of Kaunas and their parents.
The students of the high school who have chosen the ecological direction will have an educational greenhouse and an inner courtyard right here, which is also suitable for local community gatherings.
2024-05-14 00:36:49