About
Eglė apartments, located on the Baltic seashore, are a synthesis of art and architecture. The shapes of the building reveal the assymetrical lines and curves found in nature. The first floor of the building is constructed of separate details; the base is made of vertical handmade clay bricks which replicate the relief of a pine tree trunk. The second, third and forth floors are unified by joining some parts of the building and the curved panoramic windows blend organically into the forest environment.
The materials chosen for the construction and interior of the building are durable, resistant and ecological, thus they perfectly satisfy high esthetic requirements. New technologies together with time tested and reliable materials are used for the realization of this project, for example, handmade “Petersen” bricks were chosen for the façade; innovative decisions on the inside of the building: biometrical door locks which enable you to use your fingerprint to enter the apartment.
In total there are 73 two – four bedroom apartments with the sizes ranging from 40 to 127 sq. m. There is also a modern gym and a spacious underground car park with 67 parking lots and bike lockers.
The Environment
The residential building is situated between Kęstucio street and Daukanato street, in Palanga. Just a 7-minute walk to the beach, and somewhat remotely- within 5 minutes walking distance of the bustling Basanavičius avenue! Apartments’ panoramic windows open the view to the surrounding pine forest tranquillity.
The Architecture
The author of the project is an internationally acclaimed Lithuanian architect – Donatas Rakauskas. The building recreates the prevailing shapes and lines in the nature. The façade stonework resembles a relief of a spruce tree. To achieve this effect the creator chose one of the most luxurious bricks in the world, handcrafted at Petersen Tegl, in Denmark.
The Art
This is more than just a building- it is an architectural piece of art. The two elevators bringing residents from the underground parking to the top of the building will be decorated with 15-meter-high frescoes integrated in the shafts. With the help of special lighting it will be possible to view the exclusive creation of Eglė Babilaitė more closely while moving up the elevator. The blacksmith Linas Leščiauskas is working on the exterior details for this project.
The Materials
The materials used in the construction and facilitation of the building are of the highest quality: the handcrafted waterstruck bricks by Petersen Tegl, curved aluminium profile windows complementing the shape of the building, the marble plates for the stairway and the Brazilian Walnut planks for terraces and natural stone pavement in the courtyard.
Privacy
The fence surrounding the building and the decorative landscaping with the bijou architecture of the courtyard connects the private and residential space. In order to maintain the privacy of the residents, the building is divided into four housings comprised from 4 to 7 apartments on each floor.
Innovations
The access to the apartments made feasible without using the keys as per installed biometric door locks as well as an automatic license plate recognition system for the underground parking.
Creators
Architect Donatas Rakauskas
Donatas Rakauskas spent most of his life in Palanga – a Lithuanian seaside resort. He has been working for more than 24 years and has designed close to 50 buildings of which many received great attention and were given awards and prizes. The architect created 7 remarkable design buildings on Birutės Avenue in Palanga. One of his best-known works is a unique design hotel named "PALANGA SPA”, which has been awarded as the best Eastern European SPA hotel at the World Spa and Wellness Awards 2018.
Eglė Babilaitė: author of the fresco
Egle Babilaite, currently living and creating in France, is the author of frescoes, that will adorn two atriums of elevators in the “Egle apartments”. When it comes to Lithuanian interior design, this is not only a technically complex, but also rather unconventional creative unfolding of the architect, Donatas Rakauskas. The residents of “Eglė apartments” will be able to admire 15-metre-high frescos designed and built exclusively for this project by Egle Babilaite. The frescoes will be visible while going up the glass elevator with the help of special lighting revealing the paintings in detail. The artwork created in France will be delivered to Lithuania, Palanga. Here, along with her team, Egle will finish the process by attaching the frescoes to the elevator shafts. The image of Egle Babilaite’s fresco is yet to be revealed- the artist hints that there will be surprises.
Christian Petersen
The vertically set out stonework façade of the “Egle apartments” recreates the relief of a spruce tree. The bricks chosen to achieve the desired image were handcrafted in Denmark following the tradition passed on through generations since 1791. Due to the masterful brick firing process the product acquires naturally vibrant light and dark shades. Kolumba™ - the type of bricks used for building the “Egle apartments” is one of the newest at Petersen, developed in 2000 in cooperation between the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor for the Kolumba Museum in Cologne, Germany. Today, Kolumba™ bricks are used in buildings all over the world as one of the most luxurious kind, winning multiple prestigious awards in architecture in Europe, United States and Australia.
Blacksmith Linas Leščiauskas
Blacksmith Linas Lesciauskas has created unique forms gates for the entrance to the EGLĖ apartments area. For this project he used four types of metals and stained glass, also some parts of gates are gold plated. Linas has an interest in a blacksmith’s art since childhood. He is working in this craftsmanship for more than 15 years. Craftsman Linas participates in blacksmiths symposiums in various parts of the world since 1999. He is inspired by unpredictable nature of Lithuania, especially he is fascinated by seaside.