Farmers Circle - Modern farm and recreation area in Ukmergė county, Lithuania

Gilma Teodora Gylytė

Farmers Circle is an old farm revived in a 500-hectare hilly area in Ukmergė district, presenting farming as an event. Farmers Circle is initiated with the wish of feeding the world with better, healthier, and more tasty products from farm and nature.

In addition to the usual vegetable fields and grazing cattle, there is a conference center, restaurant, hotel, newly equipped nature trails and terraces with outdoor fireplaces. The main architectural and urban challenges were to find a harmonious relationship between rural nature, cultured landscape, old farm buildings, modern architecture and everyday farming.

The overall vision was to create a conscious farmstead which pays special attention to every process of plant cultivation and creates a sensory experience in farmstead itself for visitors. The former farming territory and barn buildings have been almost in ruins as the client acquired the land. Together with the client we developed a vision to reuse the old buildings and restore them in traditional Lithuanian farmstead and modern Nordic principles. The existing buildings have been restored by principle of saving and keeping the existing wooden building structures and brick facades. Also it was important to expose all the layers that have accumulated over a long period of time. The old farm building has been converted to pop-up restaurant which serves locally grown goods. The typical single farmstead has been supplemented with new buildings to create additional features in a way that emphasizes the typical farmstead and builds community spaces. A special attention was paid to the monumental outdoor pavilion and fireplaces. These shared spaces are dedicated to visitors and farming community itself: various events are organized during the summer. An amphitheater is formed in the bonfire from land itself. This area creates a bigger event place which is small scale and blends with surrounding.

MORE: http://www.doarchitects.lt/#/farmers-circlebrvilnius-lithuania/

Planning partners: Gilma Teodora Gylytė, Andrė Baldišiūtė, Sabina Daugelienė, Algimantas Neniškis, Domantas Baltrūnas, Edgar Vladimerenko

Client: Niels Peter Pretzmann

Category: Building Redevelopment

Project Gallery

Farmers Circle - Front facade, © © Aiste Rakauskaite, Photographer: © Aiste Rakauskaite
Farmers Circle - Front facade
Farmers Circle - Side view, © © Aiste Rakauskaite, Photographer: © Aiste Rakauskaite
Farmers Circle - Side view
Farmers Circle, © © Aiste Rakauskaite, Photographer: © Aiste Rakauskaite
Farmers Circle
Farmers Circle - interior of restaurant, © © Aiste Rakauskaite, Photographer: © Aiste Rakauskaite
Farmers Circle - interior of restaurant
Farmers Circle - Outdoor bonfire square and view to popžup outdoor kitchen, © © Aiste Rakauskaite, Photographer: © Aiste Rakauskaite
Farmers Circle - Outdoor bonfire square and view to popžup outdoor kitchen
Farmers Circle - Site plan, © © Aiste Rakauskaite, Photographer: © Aiste Rakauskaite
Farmers Circle - Site plan