In collaboration with Nida Culture and Tourism information Center “Agila” and Curonian Spit National Park NAC is launching a series of free Neringa Forest Architecture tours. 

As discussions surrounding human intervention and activities in the natural landscape gain increasing significance, NAC is hosting a new research and residency programme called Neringa Forest Architecture. The project positions the Curonian forest as an experimental case study; an opportunity for participants to analyze the broader scope of forest-as-infrastructure including topics such as growth, transformation, policy making, management, technology, art and design in the Baltic-Scandinavian region.

As a part of the programme, NAC is facilitating a series of guided tours. Using the onsite woodshed as a literal and figurative departure point (the shed houses Neringa timber and is itself an object and location made using local wood), this series of walking expeditions is designed to cultivate inquiry and discussion about the unique juncture between ecological, political/managerial, recreational and industrial narratives associated with the Curonian woods, landscape and the built environment. 

Guided by forestry and national park experts, and architects living and working in the Curonian Spit in dialogue with pupils from Nida Gymnasium, Neringa Forest Architecture Tours facilitate conversation as well as exploration and education. The excursions, while an opportunity to observe the unique qualities of the Neringa Forest, are also a chance to engage in critical dialogue with professionals and pupils while traversing shifting geographical landscapes. Discussions will focus on the Curonian forest and its distinct eco-socio-political features including the complex legal and managerial processes behind its picturesque façade: How were the forests of Neringa planted? Why does the Neringa Forest and its pathways look this way? Why do trees need to be cut down? How does the local (human and animal) community participate in the making of Neringa Forest? What state and civic agencies and institutions are responsible in shaping it? What architecture is envisaged but currently not built? What do people in Neringa desire most in terms of infrastructure and why can it not be realised?

Saturday, 17 October 2020, 11 a.m.: During her tour “On Forest Paths” Gražina Žemaitienė will introduce us to the old forest paths and their titles, as well as the origin of these given names. Žemaitienė, who was born in Šilutė, studied in Kaunas University of Technology and moved to Neringa in 1989. Žemaitienė’s area of work encompasses the planning and control processes of forest management. 

Saturday, 24 October 2020, 11 a.m.: In his tour “Everything Started with the Ancient Forest” the long-time Nida forester Gediminas Virgilijus Dikšas will tell us about the shift and growth of Neringa forests over centuries to this day. Dikšas was born in Biržai, grew up in Klaipėda. After graduating from Kaunas Agriculture Academy, he was assigned to work in Nida. Dikšas has been living in Nida for almost 50 years now – since the 1970s. 

Saturday, 31 October 2020, 11 a.m.: In his tour “The Forest as a Space” Architect and Educator Anton Shramkov will explore the spatiality of Forest. “As all (any) spaces, the forest has its laws, amongst them – the laws of spatial composition. They affect us constantly, even when we do not understand it” claims Shramkov. Shramkov was born in Moscow, from Architecture at Moscow Institute of Architecture. He was a lecturer in Russia and Sweden. He has been living in Preila since 2007. 

The excursions are free of charge but with a limited number of places available. Registration is mandatory by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone 860039972. 

NAC urges all visitors to be mindful of the current protective measures against the spreading of Covid-19: we kindly ask you to wear appropriate face coverings and keep a safe distance from other participants. 

Neringa Forest Architecture is co-funded by NERINGA Lithuanian Capital of Culture 2021, Lithuanian Council for Culture and Nordic Culture Point.