A new home for Lithuanian pharmaceutical science

This problem was solved using European Union and Lithuanian government funds, with the construction of the more than 11,000-square-meter Center for New Pharmaceutical and Health Technologies at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences in Kaunas.

Built by Mitnija in Santaka Valley, Kaunas, the new home of Lithuanian pharmaceutical science is a unique multifunctional complex bringing together the country’s scientists, teachers, and students from pharmaceutics and other medical fields under one roof. The modern, open-access center contains laboratories with the latest equipment necessary to conduct scientific research. The Center also trains specialists at the highest level and provides services for businesses and the public sector.

In constructing this extraordinary building, we felt a particular responsibility, since it will house scientific research, development of new drugs and treatment methods and training for a new generation of medical professionals. We fully understood that we had a unique opportunity to contribute to Lithuanian scientific history.

Designed by architects Gražina Janulytė-Bernotienė and Guoda Zykuvienė, the building stands out because of its expressive architecture and complex structural and engineering solutions. For example, at the laboratory work stations we installed a network that includes natural gas, compressed air, vacuum, nitrogen, oxygen, helium, and carbon dioxide as well as modern engineering technologies that automatically regulate heating, ventilation, and cooling in separate spaces and conserve energy.

Enlivening the modern building’s exterior are bright red accents and structural details that recur inside as well. The building consists of two spaces of differing size, form, and function, with a gallery – an internal passageway – placed in between that creates a light, multifunctional space. The upper space houses higher education departments, laboratories, and the dean’s office, while the lower one contains lecture and conference auditoriums.

Long-lasting, durable composite aluminum panels and suspended ceramic bricks were used to decorate the building. The interior space is shaped by monolithic concrete and glass structures.

The Center for New Pharmaceutical and Health Technologies includes 10 units: Phytopharmaceuticals, Pharmacognosy, Pharmaceutical Technology, Pharmaceutical Technology and Social Pharmacy, Clinical Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry and Toxicology, Preclinical Research of Medicinal Substances, Drug Target Histopathology, and Pathologic Process Pharmacological Regulation and Drug Metabolism. The scientists working there are already conducting preclinical research on drugs, Alzheimer’s disease, cartilage, and other areas, the results of which may have wide clinical and commercial applications.

A center for New Pharmaceutical and Health Technologies in photos