Architecture as Mnemonic: The Central Post Office, Kaunas, Lithuania

This chapter extends the building case-study approach of Peter Blundell Jones into the context of Lithuania by focusing on one of its most iconic modernist buildings, the former Central Post Office in Kaunas. The building was designed by Feliksas Vizbaras (1880-1966) in 1930 and opened in 1931. It has sustained as an important symbol of the newly independent Lithuanian state, which reflected the then national aspirations and architectural trends. More than a symbolic object, the contextural response, vernacular reinterpretation, and user experience of this modernist building all contribute to shaping its meanings and memories of place, which are lasting beyond the changing conditions of society. In addition, this case study highlights a lesser-known regional interpretation of modernism influenced by the region’s own vernacular architecture. To echo Peter Blundell Jones’ central argument on architecture’s role as a bearer of memories , this case study further confirms the mnemonic potential of architecture to accumulate memories and meanings of local communities.