Renovated Ferdinand Square lets visitors feel Klaipėda’s past

New pavement depicts a network of 19 century streets

“Study the past, if you would divine the future.”  This dictum by Confucius must have been the guiding light of architects renovating Ferdinand Square – another public space to receive a new look in Klaipėda.

Future in the past

For a week now, residents and guests of Lithuania’s only port city can enjoy the square’s rearranged recreation areas while getting flashbacks of Klaipeda’s past. And the past is literally under their feet.

Cobblestone trails crisscross the new pavement, recreating the network of streets of Vitė suburb from the beginning of 19^th century, complete with street plaques and stylized contours of buildings. A model of Vitė suburb will be installed in the centre of the square.

“This square is not only a place to relax, but also a space where you can get acquainted with the history of old Klaipeda under the open sky. I hope that soon this cosy and newly arranged square will become sacred for us, Klaipeda residents, because in one sensitively arranged and well-groomed place, we can feel the magnificent history of Klaipeda city in an instant,” says Klaipeda Mayor Vytautas Grubliauskas, as quoted by the city website.

During the renovation of the square, a later historical frame was also preserved - the World War II bomb shelter. The underground part is off limits to visitors, but the space above it is equipped with game-cognitive elements that can be used to "talk" to the hideout.

Modern infrastructure

The square has the entire infrastructure required of a contemporary urban public space - benches, rubbish bins, lighting, water supply and sewage networks. Parking spaces at Krovėjų Street facilitate access to the square.

In total, an area of more than 3,000 square metres between Jūros, Bokštai, Krovėjų and Gegužės streets has been renovated. Reconstruction works were performed by UAB Tilta according to the technical project of UAB Vakarų siluetas. The city government evaluates the cost of renovation at EUR 853 900.