Vilnius concert hall

‘Tautos Namai’ was conceived to be the most public building of Vilnius. It will not only offer an outstanding space for concerts but will provide all inhabitants of Lithuania and visitors an attraction during the day and night. To engage this relationship between building and city, ‘Tautos Namai’ will connect with its context on all sides. Public use of the ground floor will enable the building to act as a permeable platform on top of Tauras Hill.

Concert in the park

All three halls share a strong relationship with the park, giving each concert or performance the experience of a concert in the park. The Grand Hall is sunk into the ground which creates an open relationship between the ground floor and balcony level. This transparency is continued above the balcony level. It makes the interior of the Grand Hall visible to the city and makes it part of the park. The Small Hall is linked to the park through a large glass façade, a theatrical window looking into the hall from the park and vice versa. The Park Hall opens to both the north side and the south side and as such creates a visual and physical link through the central axis of the building.

The relation between the Grand Hall and Small Hall and the park is defined by curtains, which can be automatically and manually closed and opened. They turn the start and end of a concert into a theatrical experience and position ‘Tautos Namai’ in a meaningful way in the city of Vilnius.

Excellent acoustics

Acoustical design is integrated in the architectural design from the beginning of the project, and includes considerations of building organization, structural solutions, room geometries and interior materials. The driving design goal for the halls is to create a venue with excellent acoustics, but also halls where listeners and performers can have a shared experience. The notion of intimacy lies at the core of the design approach and is aimed at creating a sense of proximity with the performers and immersion in the music.

The Main Hall and the Small Hall are spatially and structurally separated by the Third Hall. The distance between the perimeter walls of both halls is over 30 metres, which offers an exceptionally good acoustic buffer.

The Main Hall and the Small Hall can be seen as two distinctive typologies of musical performance, each characterized by an optimal acoustic performance in line with the spatial configuration.

Three Halls

The three-arched roof accommodates three halls – the Grand Hall, the Small Hall and the Park Hall. It is an elegant, light and transparent structure that exudes music, culture, education and hospitality. It can be experienced when used by more than 2,000 visitors for a large-scale event or when used by musicians studying in quietness.

The Park Hall will not only function as a logistical hub hosting audience, guests and daily users, but it also has the potential to be used for public events. By doing this, ‘Tautos Namai’ offers the inhabitants of Vilnius a unique place for music events, lectures, celebrations and exhibitions. Right in the heart of the building and on top of Tauras Hill, it becomes the city ‘forum’.

A balcony that is present at all sides of the building and raised five metres above ground provides guests with a magnificent view over Vilnius. It doesn’t claim to be a watchtower but connects the foyers and the Park Hall on a human scale with the surrounding green scenery. It blends music with nature in a most public way.

  • commission: design of national concert hall
  • location: Vilnius Lithuania
  • client: Vilnius city council
  • programme: three concert halls (large hall 1,500 seats, small hall 500 seats), restaurant, foyer, exhibition space, educational centre, shop and logistical areas
  • floor area: 17.000 m²
  • competition design: 2019
  • collaboration: Sweco Lithuania and Nagata Acoustics