prof. Jurgis Rimvydas Palys - THE CITY BETWEEN RIVERS
WATER&THE CITY
Our whole bodies will be thrilled by the vision of huge white steamship leaving Kaunas centre towards lagoon and foamy trail extending from churning propellers. Squares, quays, bascule bridges, promenades, ports – each and all are exceptional elements and formants of the city by the river. Foregone times of vivid and colourful life on Nemunas and Neris waterfronts – what have rivers given to European cities and what these cities have contributed to rivers? How everything was, how it is now, how it could be in days to come and how it is important to us all?
Architect who thinks beyond the box and hates architectural canons, urbanist, conservationist of architectural heritage and jazzman. Townscape characterized by steamships, port cranes, wooden mills, bridges and tall industrial chimneys accompanies R. J. Palys from the very childhood. Therefore, his architectural practice is rich in creations of different style and function – from successfully realized objects to urban planning ideas that balance on the verge of fiction. J. R. Palys is a professor of Architecture Department in Vilnius Academy of Arts, Kaunas Faculty and the architect of M. K. Čiurlionis bridge in Kaunas.
The book illustrates solidarity and solitude of human and plane. Therein intertwines senses of both Saint-Exupery as a writer and Saint-Exupery as a military aviator. Two very divergent occupations of one person allow the reader to glance at various things from unexpected angle and to understand that appreciation of those things comes within deeper knowledge. We, architects, see everything through the prism of our profession and so often miss the essence of things. Hopefully, this book will help to get involved with such “non-architectural” field as aviation and will contribute to creative excellence of the reader.
