Vilnius Guggenheim Hermitage Museum
Vilnius Guggenheim Hermitage Museum was a proposed art museum in the city of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. On April 8, 2008, an international jury named Zaha Hadid, a British-Iraqi architect, the winner of the international design competition for the museum.[1] The museum was initially scheduled to open in 2011.[1] Later, it was announced, that museum was scheduled to open in 2013.[2] However, the project was postponed due to alleged illegal channeling of funds to the Jonas Mekas Arts Center and has been under investigation since 2010.[3] The museum project, as of March 2012, was reported as having regained support, including that of the Vilnius mayor, Arturas Zuokas, even though the embezzlement inquiry was still ongoing.[4]
Concept
As envisioned in 2008, Vilnius Guggenheim Hermitage Museum would have presented
It is estimated that the museum would have cost up to 170 million litas (75 million USD).[5] Completion was initially scheduled for 2011. A feasibility study was conducted to explore various aspects of the project's implementation, including market and economic impact analyses. However. due to corruption allegations, the entire project ended.[6]
Designs
Three architects submitted their designs for the final competition: Zaha Hadid, Massimiliano Fuksas, and Daniel Libeskind.
Daniel Libeskind, winner of the competition to rebuild the
The dominant features of Massimiliano Fuksas' project are crossed domes, which leave an impression of movement (see Massimiliano Fuksas' visualization). According to Fuksas, huge "eyes" looking into the sky would point and filter daylight into the building. Fuksas asserted that such design principles would allow "visitors to clearly distinguish the exposition halls from other spaces - restaurants and shops - and provide comfortable access to the river."[5] The center of the building would be reserved for permanent Mekas and Mačiūnas collections.
Zaha Hadid, a
The director of the Hermitage Museum Mikhail Piotrovsky, the director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation Thomas Krens, the director of Frankfurt's Museum of Architecture Peter Schmal, and the vice-chairman of the Lithuanian Architects Union, Gintaras Čaikauskas, were members of the jury that evaluated the designs. Lithuanian Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas and former Vilnius Mayor Juozas Imbrasas also participated in the decision-making process.[7]
Termination of Proposal Study Due to Scandal
The Vilnius Guggenheim Initiative was ended after allegations of corruption involving the Jonas Mekas Visual Arts Center, discovered after an audit by the National Audit Office of Lithuania. Finland then received the opportunity to develop the museum in Helsinki with no further chances to develop the museum in Vilnius.[3]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "Zaha Hadid to Design Planned Museum in Lithuania". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2008-05-24.
- ^ "Municipal projects — Development Lithuania".
- ^ a b "Guggenheim Museum initiative in Vilnius to be taken over by the Finns, The Lithuania Tribune (February 7, 2011).
- ^ "Vilnius revives old idea of building Hermitage/Guggenheim Museum".
- ^ a b c d e f "Gugenheimas Vilniuje: pasirinkimas iš trijų grožybių". Lrt.lt. Retrieved 2008-05-24.
- ^ "Zaha Hadid Wins Competition to Develop Design for Proposed Museum in Vilnius". Hermitage Museum. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
- delfi.lt. Retrieved 2008-05-24.