The Ministry of Environment has announced the nominees for the 2025 National Architecture Awards, revealing 35 outstanding projects selected from 125 submissions. These state-level awards, held biennially, celebrate excellence in architecture and urban design across nine distinct categories.
This year’s shortlist highlights both local talent and international collaborations, with nominees ranging from innovative residential buildings to ambitious cultural landmarks and theoretical contributions that shape public discourse around architecture.
Celebrating Cultural and Social Architecture
Among the most notable contenders in the Cultural and Social Architecture category is the Science Island museum project in Kaunas, a collaboration between Spanish-Australian firm SMAR Architecture Studio and local architects G. Natkevičius ir partneriai. Other nominees include the Stasys Museum in Panevėžys, designed by IMPLMNT architects, and the new departure terminal at Vilnius Airport by Vilniaus architektūros studija.
Strong Showing in Residential Design
The Residential Architecture category saw the highest number of submissions—41 in total. Nominations include a variety of innovative housing projects:
An apartment building on V. Putvinskio Street in Kaunas by G. Natkevičius ir partneriai
A modern residential complex in Vilnius’ Baltasis skersgatvis by Sprik
A countryside home in Gaiženai by Vytautas Baltus
A contemporary villa in Trakai District by YCL Studio
A minimalist villa in Naujoji Vilnia by Case Studio for Architecture
Focus on Sustainable Innovation
Five projects are in the running in the Sustainable Innovations in Architecture category:
The Travelling Architecture Workshops by the Architecture Fund
The Nebrau residential and community development on Minijos Street in Klaipėda
A sustainable home in Vilnius’ Žvėrynas neighborhood by INBLUM architects
A vintage car exhibition space in Klaipėda by Studio ALTITUDES
A collaborative design for the new Klaipėda State Music Theatre by three architectural studios
Architecture Beyond Buildings: Theory and Dissemination
The awards also recognize intellectual contributions in the Architecture Theory and Dissemination category. This year’s nominees are:
Architecture as a Puzzle, a monograph by renowned architect Audrius Ambrasas
Guidelines for the Protection of Lithuania’s Concrete Architecture, authored by Aušra Černauskienė
Jonas Mulokas: Searching for Architectural Identity in a Global World, a scholarly book by Vaidotas Petrulis, Brigita Tranavičiūtė, and Paulius Tautvydas Laurinaitis
Additional Categories
Other categories include:
Cultural Heritage Restoration and Conversion – 5 nominees
Public Spaces, Commercial Architecture, and Urban Design – 3 nominees each
Grand Prize and Evaluation Process
One project will receive the Grand Prize, awarded to the best architectural work completed in the past two years. The winning project will be chosen from the winners of all nine categories.
To ensure fairness and transparency, jury members will personally visit all nominated projects over the course of a month. The selection process follows criteria set out in the National Architecture Awards regulations and Lithuania’s Architecture Law, including architectural quality, aesthetics, sustainability, community engagement, innovation, and a strong sense of place.
The evaluation panel includes representatives from the Lithuanian Chamber of Architects, the Lithuanian Architects’ Union, the Lithuanian Association of Landscape Architects, Vilnius Academy of Arts, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (Vilnius Tech), and Kaunas University of Technology.
A Growing Emphasis on Theory and Innovation
Jury chair Liutauras Nekrošius noted the need for more engagement in sustainable innovation, with only five entries submitted in that category. “This shows that the theme of sustainability still awaits a breakthrough in architectural practice,” he remarked.
However, he expressed optimism about the increasing number of submissions in the theory category, describing it as a sign of the growing maturity of professions shaping Lithuania’s built environment.
Awards Ceremony
The winners of the 2025 National Architecture Awards will be revealed during a ceremony on June 30 at the Juozas Miltinis Drama Theatre in Panevėžys.
Organized by the Ministries of Environment and Culture, the National Architecture Awards aim to promote high-quality architecture, sustainable planning, and public awareness of the role architecture plays in shaping our living environment.
Source: BNS