Implementing democracy in socialist architecture. Adaptation of former soviet schools for contemporary education needs in Lithuania

Abstract

Most educational buildings implemented in Lithuania during the Soviet rule (1944–1990) are still in use. When they were built, the school was an important institution that reinforced the Communist utopia. The totalitarian model of society, based on hegemony, propagandistic rites, and segregation, was precisely reflected in the architecture of schools. Therefore, contemporary communities in this country face the noncompliance of buildings with the needs for up-to-date equitable and inclusive education. Spaces that had served to form the Soviet man today should be rearranged for a democratic society. Postwar modernist school buildings are aesthetic, cultural, and technological representatives of the time: standard-type structures designed in a functionalist approach, assembled from prefabricated reinforced concrete elements, and implemented a dozen times in various urban contexts. At the same time, the buildings are original works of architects of the time. The various research by-design studies show how different standard school buildings can be adapted to a more democratic education system. This university educational project was communicated with local society. By transforming these buildings from the past, we preserve cultural diversity, engage society in planning processes, and promote sustainable use of resources.