Proposed for an island park in the Kaunas River, the National Science & Innovation Centre will signal the historic City’s reinvention as an emerging scientific and technological hub. The client envisions an immersive, experiential museum – comparable to the Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw and Copenhagen's Experimentarium – that will serve as a teaching tool for sustainability and help establish the City as a new global destination for education and innovation.

The design of the net-zero Centre unfolds into a flowing origami-like sequence, inspired by the geometry of the site. Extensive glazing opens views in and out of the building, whose massive cantilever also frames new perspectives – below, within, and atop the structure – from which to engage with the park, the City, and the river. An expansive green roof, punctuated by photovoltaic arrays, creates an upper-level park accessible by ramps rising from the entry plaza.

The Centre is crowned by a performative tower within which water pumped from the river will power an exchange system that works in concert with the dual-skin thermal building envelope, enabling the building to “breathe” in response to climatic conditions.