Winners of the Fundermax Facade Competition announced

The competition was organised by Exterus, the interior and exterior materials supplier, during the legendary architects’ festival ARHFEST’21. The competition featured 13 buildings designed by Lithuanian architects for a wide range of purposes, including private and apartment buildings, shopping centres, hotels, and leisure centres. The best works were selected by the readers of the news portal Delfi, and the guests of ARCHFEST’21, who were architects and professionals related to the architecture industry.

The playful modular kindergartens designed by A.S.A. Sigitas Kuncevičius’s design firm and implemented in Vilnius won the approval of the readers of Delfi portal. Most of the professionals voted for the project ‘Vilnius SPA – Anykščiai’, designed by SP Architects Group and distinguished by a cone-shaped building.

‘Our motto “for you, to create” commits us to continue improving the materials that help architects’ creativity unfold. I am delighted that the collaboration between architects and us results in exceptional, sustainable, beautiful and functional buildings,’ said Hans Vestjens, Sales Manager at Fundermax.

‘We had to create a cosy second home for the 105 junior residents. The requirements of the building regulations are dull and formal. Everything else that creates the children’s environment is directly up to the designers: Function, space, form, colour, aesthetics. We want the architecture to be safe, educational, playful for the little ones, and comfortable for the staff who take care of them,’ said architect Sigitas Kuncevičius in his presentation.

According to the architect Saulius Pamerneckis, the author of the project, who received the best professional evaluation, the challenge of the project was the harmony of the SPA centre located in the natural area of the Forest of Anykščiai and the need for a unique form. ‘The irregular triangular shapes of the panels made it possible to create an original cone-shaped volume, and the manufacturer helped to find the optimal solutions for the installation of materials resistant to the impacts of environment,’ he said.

‘We saw very colourful and functional facades in the competition. Fundermax’s constantly evolving technology offers a wide range of possibilities right down to the smallest detail. For example, playground objects, windowsills, fences, or terraces can be combined with the facade, interior, and building environment,’ said Justas Motiejūnas, Development Manager at Exterus, the company that initiated the competition. According to him, architects are discovering new applications for Fundermax HPL panels with their versatility, such as thin tabletops, furniture finishes, brightly coloured or natural wood, stone textures, concrete facades and their elements, interior ideas with playful inserts, various decoration, and original ideas.

Exterus and Fundermax are related by the fact that in many countries, they connect exterior material manufacturers with architects and developers. They help find ways to bring architects’ ideas to life with a wide range of materials and modern applications. Exterus and Fundermax awarded this year’s competition winners with a trip of their choice. The competition organisers congratulated the architects who had created the most beautiful facades and promised to continue the tradition of competitions that promote the dissemination of valuable architectural ideas.