Zaha Hadid Architects has been ranked first in a design competition to renovate Vilnius Railway Station that prioritizes pedestrians and cyclists by creating new civic spaces enveloped by nature in Lithuania. 

ZHA’s proposal, called “Green Connect” will create an integrated transportation hub for the 21st century of new civic spaces. 

Reflecting ZHA’s deep-rooted design approach, fluid lines, layered landscape elements and undulating roof structure of the station are overlapped to provide a visual and functional coherenc

“It is an honour to be awarded highest ranking in this competition for such a strategically important site for Vilnius. ‘Green Connect’ will be a future-proof transport hub designed with the passenger experience in mind,” said Gianluca Racana, Zaha Hadid Architects’ Director.

“Providing a wealth of new public space, our proposals transform the site into a destination not only for those using the transportation hub but also for the city of Vilnius and the local community.”

ZHA’s design scheme, following the city’s ongoing sustainability agenda that prioritizes pedestrians and cyclists, will renovate the existing Vilnius railway station and incorporate a new public bridge over the railway tracks that connects the Naujininkai district to the south with the city centre and Vilnius old town. 

The proposal will transform the existing rail infrastructure by removing its barrier that divides the city into a connector that unites Vilnius and serves as a transport hub for national and local rail services in addition to the new Rail Baltic line that links with Europe’s high-speed network.

Covering a total of 9,500-square-metre area, this area will include the renovation, the reuse of the original station and concourse bridge that is a contemporary reinterpretation informed by the existing heritage building