A unique river technique and landscape design object, cultural space NEMUNO7 in Zapyškis
Nemuno7 is a river engineering and landscape design project that is unique in Europe and which serves as a public cultural space. The object made from river dredger combines technological history, heritage and contemporary architecture, and became a new attraction in Lithuania for locals and tourists. A dredger placed on the bank of the Nemunas river near the village Zapyškis became a cultural centre for visual art, interdisciplinary collaboration, science and creativity.
Regional
Lithuania
Kaunas District Municipality [Kauno rajono savivaldybė], Lithuania [Lietuva]
Lukas Alsys, Deputy Head for Culture at Culture, Sports and Science Department, Kaunas District Municipality Administration
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
No
No
Yes
2022-05-22
As an individual
First name: Gediminas Last name: Banaitis Gender: Male Nationality: Lithuania If relevant, please select your other nationality: Lithuania Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Seinu g. 17-2 Town: Kaunas Postal code: 44146 Country: Lithuania Direct Tel:+370 680 92630 E-mail:skrandis@gmail.com
URL:https://www.nemuno7.lt Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): fb, ig @nemunoseptyni, youtube @nemuno7
Yes
New European Bauhaus or European Commission websites
“Nemuno7” is a river engineering and landscape design project that is unique in Europe. Serving as a public cultural space, the object combines technological history, heritage and contemporary architecture and has become a new attraction point for locals and tourists.
Placed on the left bank of the Nemunas River near the village of Zapyškis, the river dredger is a cultural centre for visual art, media and technology, interdisciplinary collaboration and creativity, and one of the most vibrant accents of the “Kaunas European Capital of Culture 2022” programme.
The object is created on a dredger that was constructed in Czechoslovakia and first put in use in 1965. Because of its outdated technology that is harmful for the river ecosystem, the ship could no longer be used for its main purpose. Instead of scrapping it, a more sustainable solution was devised: to preserve the industrial object giving it a new, more relevant role and transforming it into a cultural space that invites public to explore the subject of water from the perspective of art, history and science.
The dredger serves as a space for exhibitions, performances, events and meetings – it has a space for artistic residencies, workshops and an exhibition hall. Visitors are able to see the results of each artistic residency right on the ship. It also acts as a scene and impressive scenography for open-air concerts.
Continuing on the subject of sustainability, the ship has also become home to local pioneer plants that grow in open habitats and easily adapt to extreme growing conditions. A fiercely industrial object with nature sprawling on it, the site is fascinating both from inside, being onboard, and from outside, viewed from the riverbank or passing by in a ship.
Sustainability
Regeneration
Pioneers plants
Creativity
Interdisciplinarity
Because of its outdated technology that harms the river ecosystem, the dredger "Nemuno7" had to be decommissioned. As it is unique and the only one of its kind in Lithuania, it was important to preserve it, but also to reuse and upgrade it for the future.
The project has been successfully aiming to provide for contemporary needs with the least interventions and in the least material intensive way. While being repurposed, the ship underwent minimal modifications since its purchase. The interior items have been reused or kept for exhibition, and an unsuitable workers' hut was put on another ship. The exterior has been left as it was – rusty, a bit dirty and overtaken by nature. The rooms under the deck were converted into spaces for education, workshops and meetings, and for an artists' residence. The toilet and the shower room of the ship have been remade authentic by removing plastic panels that were added later and exposing metal surfaces. For new spaces [an exhibition space and a kitchenette] minimal amounts of new materials were used.
The main actor outside is nature and plants. Local pioneer plants that settle down first and are capable of living in highly unfavourable conditions became the main design element of the project and helped to integrate the ship into natural surroundings. Instead of just enjoying the decorativeness of plants, the project highlights their role in (re)creating an ecosystem and (re)ensuring biodiversity, reveals resilience of nature and actualises local plants, which has been highly welcomed by the public and sparked a paradigm shift towards deeper understanding and appreciation of the role that plants play in human environment.
Harmony between nature and industry, supporting and promoting local biodiversity and minimal human intervention in the location made a perfect tool for changing attitude towards nature and our participation in it.
The aim was to integrate the repurposed “Nemuno 7” into the landscape with its natural elements, including plants, sky, water, and to establish new identity of the riverfront. The essential beauty is created by multi-sensual interplay of industrial aesthetics and constant seasonal development of plants, recorded industrial sound-track and buzzing of the insect-friendly environment, static state of the technical object and permanent flow of water.
The exterior of the ship has been left as it was touched by nature – rusty, slightly dirty, but aesthetically and photographically beautiful. The plants on the deck have created a constantly changing layer of truly natural aesthetics.
The new object entered quiet life of the village in an unaggressive way, without disrupting sustainable relationship of the locals with the natural environment and their rhythm of life. The ship became an attraction for the locals who had many stories to tell about this noisy and impressive-looking machine when it was still in use in the area. Visitors’ and media attention has also made the locals feel even more proud of their place and boosted their sense of belonging.
The aesthetics of plants and iron is augmented by creative dialogue between artists and curators that immerses visitors in new experiences. The deck acts as a permanent open-air gallery showcasing 9 site-specific art objects that focus on the theme of water and flow from different perspectives. The exhibition cycle “Fluid Bodies” in the art gallery repeatedly gathers people and gives new opportunities to learn new ideas and experience new encounters that lead to a more sustainable life.
The project was awarded by the Lithuanian Architects’ Union as one of the 5 best works realised in Lithuania in 2021-2022. According to the international jury of the competition, “it demonstrates how with limited means it is possible to make meaningful things and how temporary architecture can be used to prototype the future.”
The project “Nemuno7” is highly significant to Kaunas District inhabitants as it demonstrates the possibilities of decentralising contemporary culture and relevant topics. This is the only big physical object representing the legacy of the “Kaunas European Capital of Culture 2022” programme outside Kaunas City. Although value- and sustainability driven approaches might not always be a priority here, the collaboration of the cultural sector with the public and the very content of the project became exemplary and invite to follow the course, break stereotypes, change worldviews and shift to environmentally-friendly behaviour.
The object is in a public space and is open to the public throughout summer season. In 2022, the entry to the ship was paid (from 3,5 to 7 EUR), but the operators applied a flexible pricing system which allowed people with limited economical resources (elder people, socially supported families, etc.) and target groups (landscape design students, cultural specialists, etc.) to enjoy “Nemuno7” more conveniently, often communicating directly with the landscape specialist, exhibition curators and the author of the idea. The grand opening show and live events (concerts, exhibition openings) were free and open for everyone.
Transforming the dredger in a respectful, sustainable and minimal way has unfortunately yielded it only partly accessible for people with disabilities. To partly compensate for that, the project organizers prepared comprehensive audio-guides presenting history and design of the ship, all the plants and cultural activities.
For the next summer season in 2023, Kaunas District Municipality, which is the main sponsor of the project, has decided to make visiting the ship free. There are also plans for the upcoming years to arrange the surroundings of the “Nemuno7” to make it easier for people with reduced mobility not only to conveniently enjoy live events from outside, but also to get on deck independently.
A resort area in Kaunas district is comprised of 3 main villages: Kačerginė, Kulautuva and Zapyškis. The latter played the least significant role, had the least favourable opportunities and was mainly attractive only for the medieval St. John the Baptist church.
“Nemuno 7” strived to enhance the value of this place by addressing social and economic potential of Zapyškis and offering new services that would raise the area to more prominent position in the focus of public and media attention. The attractiveness of the ship serves as a catalyst for social and economic development and creation of new services and jobs in the area. In 2022, the number of visitors increased, walking routes of people in Zapyškis became wider, a new restaurant opened in summer, the traffic of small vessels in the river intensified, and cultural life has been enriched by opening an open-air gallery dedicated to one of the most famous Lithuanian photographers Antanas Sutkus.
“Nemuno7” brought culture close to local inhabitants and enhanced their feeling of pride of their area. This project promotes creativity by changing people’s attitude towards abandoned, unusable things. The ship helps to preserve links between the past and the present, reflecting the times of the elder generations. Ingenious renovation and attractive repurposing not only provide social, environmental and economic value, but also strengthen bonds of both local inhabitants and visitors with sustainable solutions.
The project “Nemuno7” engaged numerous stakeholder organizations. The task to create a landscape design object in Zapyškis came from Kaunas District municipality that participated in the “Kaunas European Capital of Culture 2022” programme. It aimed to position Zapyškis more vividly in the map of Kaunas district and allocated funding for that. The hearty involvement of Kaunas District municipality ensured more stability and support.
The development of the idea was entrusted to “Kaunas 2022”, the entity responsible for implementing the European Capital of Culture project in Kaunas and Kaunas district. “Kaunas 2022” curator and the author of the idea Gediminas Banaitis invited architectural studio “Hito” to implement the project and new ambitious cultural producers company “Ars Futuri” to prepare a programme of cultural activities. The conception of integrating plants was designed by London-based landscape designer Ula Marija. The light installation was a product of studio “Lightforms”. For the creative team, this was one of the most successful projects in their career.
State enterprise Lithuanian Inland Waterways Authority, who were former owners of the dredger and had been planning to cut it to pieces, later gave a lot of attention to the project and shared their know-how helping to prepare the ship for the new life. For this enterprise, the project serves as an example attracting public attention to river navigation activities and possibilities.
The surroundings of “Nemunas7” location have been prepared and maintained by Zapyškis eldership and community, thus strengthening local links to the project and promoting the sense of ownership.
During the summer season, cultural programme was delivered by more than 30 artists and musicians. Partners of the object’s activities are Ežerėlis culture centre and annual Zapyškis kite festival, which for the first time in its’ life had European partner and participants.
The 14-month period from the idea to its’ realization was marked by active involvement of competent authorities and representatives of cultural sector. Complicated public procurement processes for a unique object presented some legal and administrative hurdles that were solved with an active contribution of public procurement specialists, legal and financial experts.
In the implementation phase of the project, creative project management expertise was used to unite architects, designers, landscape design specialists with technical experts, including engineers, information technology specialists, water technicians, various technical and plants experts. Public servants, experts of heritage protection, infrastructure developers and urban planners were also actively involved in preparation of the location.
Cultural programme featured interdisciplinary creators, composers, representatives of various art fields, educators and guides. Promotion of the project was implemented by communication and marketing specialists, advertising agency and media representatives.
Actively communicating and collaborating around this exclusive object, experts from various fields gained and created new knowledge that can be used and spread in other original projects.
“Nemuno7” is a successful example of creativity and sustainability inviting to reconsider human relationship with nature in an ultimately creative way.
Drawing on the principles of circular economy, the project demonstrated the possibilities to ensure long-term reusability of an old industrial object and ingeniously adapt it to future needs. Distinguished by its subtle and undefined relations with the environment, nature and the river, the project is exemplary in architecture and design sector by demonstrating how an object that is harmful for the environment can be transformed to an environmentally positive space.
The well-fitted conception of local pioneer plants strongly contributed to protecting and restoring biodiversity, helped to reveal and ensure resilience of the environment and even served as a transformative element helping the public to reconsider the role of plants in human environment.
Analysing the topics of water, flow and dialogue, the artworks on the deck and the series of exhibitions make visitors raise questions and reconsider their ways of living in and with nature.
“Nemuno7” became a landmark allowing to (re)discover nature in various ways – from the river, from an amphitheatre on the riverbank, from a bicycle route or on the deck of the ship. For local residents, the site reinforces the sense of belonging and pride of the place, broadens people's mobility in the surroundings, helps to build more sustainable relations with nature and encourages creating new activities to enhance the attractiveness of the place.
The project has also served as a meaningful lesson for the public sector showing that culture, creativity and responsible attitude towards sustainability is a way to build harmonious relations with nature with great added value both for environment and communities.
The project is unique in Lithuania and in Europe. Usually, vessels in such condition are scrapped and sold as raw material, regardless of their history, meaning to local inhabitants or potential. Repurposing the dredger “Nemuno7”, integrating plants and organizing activities in a technical heritage object is absolutely innovative and based on highly specific knowledge. While implementing the project, stakeholders had to consider multiple questions and possibilities, which rendered standardized methods and universal solutions impossible to apply. Reused industrial objects, especially mobile as the dredger, need individual architectural and design solutions based on thorough estimation of their specifics, as well as an integrated approach to industrial heritage, the impact of river flow and water level to a moored ship, the effect of weather on plants in open space, security issues in an industrial object, electricity and water supply, etc.
Implemented for the first time, the methodology of the project “Nemuno7” is based on the principle of a living laboratory, working in real life conditions and considering the aim and the type of the project, its timeline, inclusion of the participants and degree of involvement of the stakeholders. As an example of repurposing technical heritage, “Nemuno7” is a prototype that is being developed and improved in real life circumstances, constantly experimenting, collaborating and gathering knowledge. The strategy of the project is being designed through action, solving problems and moving to a desired direction without strictly defined limitations.
Replication of a unique project may be a challenge. Nevertheless, information and knowledge exchange between industrial and military heritage networks could be extremely beneficial for the preservation of heritage objects.
An exceptional feature of “Nemunas7” that can be shared and transferred is integrating pioneer plants in object design and storytelling. When variety of urban flora is usually very low and “wild” plants are still considered as chaotic and useless, we give an example of promoting biodiversity based on coexistence of local and historical species in urban ecosystems. Pioneer plants gradually reclaiming former urban territories may be a perfect solution for repurposed and regenerated industrial sites.
After an exploitation period of 30 or more years, the majority of ships lose their constructional strength and their repair or maintenance become economically inefficient. Recycling and reusing their components as raw material is an ecological and economical way of disposing of old technical objects, but scrapping of ships in, e.g., Southeast Asia has many negative consequences, including water pollution, hazardous waste, unsafe working conditions and illegal worker exploitation.
The project “Nemuno7” is exemplary in directing towards sustainable and creative solutions. Both in Lithuania and globally, some big technical objects can realise their new potential with minimum means and investment and serve as cultural, historical, social or economic objects. Vessels, aircrafts or buses can be remade to hotels, conference centres or restaurants. Bigger sites may become hotspots, community gardens or museums. Therefore, “Nemuno7” is a fine example of circular creativity where every activity and every solution can be reconsidered and “recycled” again.
