Interwar Modernism

The 20th century was a unique and extremely interesting period in Europe and the Vilnius Region. New materials such as glass, concrete and steel became an integral part of the architect’s daily routine, contributing to the creation of new and functional architecture. New artistic styles such as Cubism, De Stijl, Surrealism and Constructivism began to emerge in a similar period, which had a direct influence on the development of architecture. The statements “ornament is crime” or “form follows function” became popular and were used by modernists such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius and others. The early modern architecture movement was also followed by young Polish architects from Warsaw, such as Barbara Brukalska and Stanisław Brukalski, Bohdan Lachert, Szymon and Helena Syrkus, Jerzy Sołtan and others. When the Vilnius Region became part of Poland, there was a great incentive to renew the region. The community unenthusiastically accepted the new modernist avant-garde ideas, so until the 1930s, the architecture of Vilnius was dominated by modernised neoclassical and neo-baroque forms (Antakalnis Secondary School (1931), Vilnius College of Technology and Design, Faculty of Engineering (1926)). The first examples of avant-garde modernist architecture appeared with the establishment of state institutions, such as the branch of the Polish Regional Bank, a branch of the Savings Bank, etc. The situation was similar in the architecture of residential buildings and apartment blocks. We invite you to take a closer look at the buildings in the centre of Vilnius and admire their modern forms.