Bank of Lithuania building in Kaunas
| The Bank of Lithuania building in Kaunas | |
|---|---|
Lietuvos banko rūmai Kaune | |
Façade of the building | |
Interactive map of The Bank of Lithuania building in Kaunas | |
| General information | |
| Status | Belongs to and is used by the Bank of Lithuania |
| Type | Bank building |
| Architectural style | National style, Neoclassicism and Art Deco[1][2] |
| Location | Kaunas, Lithuania, Maironio St. 25 / K. Donelaitis St. 85 |
| Coordinates | 54°53′56.4″N 23°54′34.1″E / 54.899000°N 23.909472°E |
| Groundbreaking | 1925 |
| Inaugurated | 1928 |
| Cost | 3 million LTL |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Masonry (brick), Ferroconcrete |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Mykolas Songaila |
| Website | |
| www.Lb.lt | |
| Official name | Modernist Kaunas: Architecture of Optimism, 1919-1939 |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iv |
| Designated | 2023 (45th session) |
| Reference no. | [3] |
| UNESCO region | Europe |
The Bank of Lithuania building in Kaunas (Lithuanian: Lietuvos banko rūmai Kaune) is a building in Lithuania's second largest city Kaunas.[4][5] The building was designed by architect Mykolas Songaila and its construction was completed in 1928.[5] The construction of the building cost 3 million Lithuanian litas, which at the time was worth one ton of gold.[6] In the interwar period the building served as the main headquarters of the central Bank of Lithuania and is known for its sumptuous interior and decorative exterior of Neoclassicism and Art Deco architectural styles and Lithuanian national motifs.[4][6][1][7][2]
The building also had a flat dedicated to the Prime Minister of Lithuania, which for a long-term was used by Prime Minister Augustinas Voldemaras.[5][8]
Following the Soviet occupation of Lithuania in 1940 the Bank of Lithuania and its properties were nationalized by the Soviet Union, however after the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania the building since 1991 again belongs to and is used by the Bank of Lithuania as its local branch.[4]
On September 23, 2023, the building together with other examples of the interwar period Modernist architecture of Kaunas were recognized as the UNESCO World Heritage Site.[3]
Gallery
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Transactions Hall in the interwar period
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Details of the eastern façade
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One of the main entrance doors
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Northeastern corner of the building
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Details of the northern façade
References
- ^ a b "Istoriniai banko pastatai". Lietuvos bankas. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Art deco stiliaus ekspertas: apie Kauną ir lietuviškas šaknis". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 22 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Modernist Kaunas: Architecture of Optimism, 1919-1939". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ a b c "The Bank of Lithuania's building in Kaunas". Pinigumuziejus.lt. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
- ^ a b c "Lietuvos banko rūmai Kaune". Tarpukaris.autc.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 22 November 2025.
- ^ a b Šukšta, Valdemaras (6 June 2021). "Prabanga alsuojančiuose banko rūmuose Kaune – istorinių Lietuvos asmenybių pėdsakai ir „slaptas" premjero Voldemaro butas". Lithuanian National Radio and Television (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 22 November 2025.
- ^ "100th anniversary of the Bank of Lithuania". Bank of Lithuania. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
- ^ "Privatus ministro pirmininko Augustino Voldemaro butas". Pinigumuziejus.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 22 November 2025.