Saulius Juškys, collection code: VAM-10
Lithuanian architect, laureate of the National Culture and Arts Prize, was born on May 31, 1954 in Kaunas.
In the year 1977 he graduated from Vilnius Engineering and Construction Institute and returned to Kaunas to work in Urban Construction Design Institute, Branch in Kaunas. At that time, in Kaunas an initiative team of Vilnius Engineering and Construction Institute graduates of the 8th decade was formed. It’s members were E. Miliūnas-Simas, K. Kisielius, A. Kančas. G. Janulytė, H. Žukauskas, A. Kaušpėndienė and A. Kaušpėdas. This versatile and communal context is an integral part of Saulius Januškys’s creative activity.
His first big project was M. Žilinskas gallery in Kaunas realized together with E. Miliūnas and K. Kisielius. The building was constructed according to the project which won E. Miliūnas contest when three group members shared different blocks of the complex. The work of a group of young architects became an example of late modernism-postmodernism and a bright object of the late Soviet architecture in Kaunas and Lithuania. The complex innovatively and in an extra-ordinary way supplemented urban context of Naujamiestis in Kaunas by creating a multidimensional urban structure. By its aesthetic expressions the object contained ideas of the late modernism, postmodernism and metabolism. For S. Juškys this object is also distinctive as the only work designed with other authors. Almost all his later works were created independently, by emphasizing an individual character.
In the year 1985 together with K. Kisielius he started to design Alytus Municipality, city theatre and Engineers’ House. Later he continued to work independently, and his project covered almost the entire block of the city and lasted for about 2 decades and became the first major independent composition of the author. The complex located in the central part of Alytus created an image of the city’s administrative centre. It must be mentioned that the Municipality’s building was not interpreted as a Soviet “executive” building but as the true City Hall referring to Lithuanian interwar modernism (as the author remembers, he was also influenced by Vytautas the Great War Museum Tower seen through the window of his workplace). It would not be an exaggeration to say that a complex of public buildings gave some urban character to provincial Alytus.
Artistic part of S. Juškys and his talent is revealed in a monument to perpetuate R. Kalanta’s sacrifice. A sustainable tandem of the architect and sculptor R. Antinis Junior eliminates the boundaries where sculpture ends and architecture begins. A composition of stylized “stones” and “debris” reminding of land art tradition organically connects park paths with small architecture objects and ends by the perimeter of Laisvės Avenue. According to the author, the idea of the “Sacrifice Field” (the name of the sculptural composition) he spontaneously explained during the meeting of the monument co-creation steering group and instantly received an offer from his colleague and friend E. Miliūnas who has been preparing project proposals before.
A well-considered composition of volumes, shapes and textures is also exhibited in Panevėžys G. Petkevičaitė-Bitė library. The existing buildings and their forms are identified carefully and stored, as well as new fragments are inserted carefully by creating a complex of new-quality. A relation between the old and the new is supplemented by series of other contrasts: narrow but high spaces; sharp “knives” of decorative canopies on the plastic facade planes; common complex monochromy with polychrome accents.
Art of J. Juškys can be characterized by artistic hearing which requires time and sketching process. Times of quick processes after the Independency have not rushed quiet and solid art of Saulius. Compared with more productive colleagues it may seem that there are not much projects and realized objects. However, each of them is developed carefully and responsibly by establishing a certain timeless “slow-architecture”.
The most important works:
Year 1981-1984 – Kaunas Mykolas Žilinskas Art Gallery project (together with architects E. Miliūnas and K. Kisielius).
Year 1980-1981 – Prienai savings bank project (projected as the central savings bank in Prienai).
Year 1985-1986 – Alytus Municipality project (projected as Alytus Executive Committee office building).
Year 1987-1989 – Alytus Drama Theatre project (projected as Regional Culture House in Alytus).
Year 1989-1990 – Project of Alytus Engineers’ House with technical library.
Year 1991-1993 – Project of international business centre in Kaunas.
Year 1994-2002 – Project of Panevėžys District G. Petkevičaitė-Bitė Public Library reconstruction.
Year 2002 – Monument to perpetuate R. Kalanta’s sacrifice “Sacrifice Field” in Kaunas (together with sculptor R. Antinis Junior).
Year 2002-2003 – reconstruction of farmsteads in Prieila, Neringa City.
Year 2004-2006 – reconstruction project of industrial buildings in Vilnius, Savanorių pr. 180
Year 2005 – pre-proposals for Kaunas Railway Station platforms cover.
Year 2006 – technical project of Panevėžys “Science and Technologies Park”.
Year 2006-2007 – corrections of Anykščiai police headquarters reconstruction project.
Year 2007-2008 – project of Kretinga M. Valančius Public Library.
Year 2009-2010 – project of Klaipėda City police headquarters building in Kauno g. 6, Klaipėda
Educational activities
Lecturer at Vilnius Art Academy, Kaunas Art Faculty, Department of Architecture
Social activities
Member of Lithuanian Union of Architects (LUA)
Awards
In 1984 LUA acknowledged Kaunas Mykolas Žilinskas Art Gallery project as the best project of the year.
In 1996 during Kaunas LUA review Alytus Drama Theatre Small Hall project was recognized as the best year’s realization in a category of public buildings.
In 1998 – exhibition-contest “Dry Construction in Lithuania, 1998”, 2nd place.
In 2007 – exhibition-contest “Dry Construction in Lithuania, 2006”, 5th place.
In 2006 – during Kaunas LUA review Panevėžys District G. Petkevičaitė-Bitė Public Library building reconstruction project was recognized as the best in the field of interior realizations.
In 2007 – nomination of magazine “Archiforma” a nomination of 2006 “The Best Realization of the Field of Buildings” for Panevėžys District G. Petkevičaitė-Bitė Public Library reconstruction in interiors;
In 2006 – National Culture and Arts Prize “for harmony of contemporary architecture and historical environment by creating Panevėžys District G. Petkevičaitė-Bitė Public Library reconstruction and interiors (2006), as well as monument to perpetuate Romas Kalanta’s sacrifice “Sacrifice Field” (2002)”.
