Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre

The building of the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre (LNOBT), opened in 1974, was designed by Elena Nijolė Bučiūtė, one of the most striking architects of the generation born in the 1930s. Barely 30 years old, she submitted a design for a functionalist theatre together with its surroundings. At the time it was an exceptionally modern building. Luxurious pink granite brought from Ukraine was used for the paving, the fountain surfaces, the benches, the steps and the theatre exterior. The opera fountain stood out for its modernity: its jets of water were not tall, as was then usual in other projects. The aim was to create architectural cascades in the cityscape, giving the effect of a flowing river. In the city centre, on the theatre's approaches, you can feel as if you were out in nature, because the fountain creates its own climate, cools the space and spreads the sound of a waterfall.