One of the world’s most influential architects joined the architectural jury for the assessment of the science promotion centre to be built on the Nemunas Island. The ambitious project has drawn the attention of the Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas.

Named as the world-famous personality in the field of architecture, M. Fuksas has no doubts about the success of the Science Island project and sees many advantages that it will bring to Kaunas and the entire Lithuania.

“In my opinion, the construction of the National Science and Innovation Centre on the Nemunas Island is an excellent idea. This will become a place that will link science discoveries and innovations with culture, will contribute to the process of dissemination of knowledge, increase business opportunities, bring benefit to the already existing national resources, improve urban and national competitiveness and, finally, will accelerate its development. I am not sure how the future building of Science Island should look like and what would make it stand out. In my vision, it should be like a city within the city accommodating laboratories, separate spaces for exhibitions, science and lectures. Most importantly, all of it should be open and accessible to the general public,” M. Fuksas explained.

According to the Vice-Mayor of Kaunas City, Povilas Mačiulis, and the Member of the Council, Jonas Audėjaitis, who met with M. Fuksas in Rome, they have received many valuable recommendations for the organisation of this important contest. “Malcolm Reading Consultants”, the company in charge of the preparation of the centre’s design competition agreed with the nomination of M. Fuksas for the jury without any real discussions.

“M. Fuksas is really a world-famous architect who designs exclusive objects around the world. The fact that this prominent personality will visit Kaunas on repeated occasions and will participate as the member of jury in the Science Island design contest is a great honour to all of us,” said J. Audėjaitis.

According to the Vice-Mayor P. Mačiulis, M. Fuksas has Lithuanian roots which the architect emphasises with genuine pride, because his father was a Lithuanian Jew, a native of Kaunas.

“This still-lasting relation with Kaunas became one of the factors that helped him to decide on the participation in assessing the Science Island projects. Kaunas is important to Mr. Massimiliano and such person with a high level of expertise is very important to our city. This will guarantee the construction of actually unique object on the Nemunas Island,” P. Mačiulis said.

“My great grandfather worked as a salt trader in Kaunas,” M. Fuksas said when sharing the private details of his family history in Kaunas.

Until his 50^th birthday, 72 year old M. Fuksas worked as a professor in the universities of Columbia, New York, Paris, and other. The architect has received many honourable awards for his works on the international scale.

His professional achievements form a long list of famous and exclusive architectural objects in all continents of the world. One of his newest works is the conference centre and hotel of the area of 55,000 sq. metres designed in Rome and conveying the architect’s imagined “cloud” concept. The creative mind of this architecture specialist is embodied in the unique 1.5 km long Terminal 3 at Shenzhen International Airport opened in China in 2013 and having a shape reminiscent of a stylised plane silhouette.

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