In the interwar period, Vilnius was one of the largest cities of the Second Republic, in terms of area. "Greater Vilnius", which came into being after its area was more than doubled as a result of administrative decisions in 1915 and 1919, stretched over an area of 10,400 m3, but it was a sparsely populated area, with outlying districts of an agricultural character and lacking urban infrastructure. At the beginning of the second decade of the twentieth century, the city had a population of just over 167,000; this figure rose to 190,000 in 1928.

History of the construction of Municipal Health Centre No. 2

The decision to build a Municipal Health Centre in Vilnius was taken by the city authorities in 1928; at a meeting of the Technical Commission, it was decided that the most suitable site for the building would be the square at the junction of Kievskaya Street and Kucharski Avenue. The health care needs of the city's inhabitants were enormous. The municipal health service (excluding hospitals) in Vilnius at that time numbered 30 doctors, including 11 school doctors; there were 12 dispensaries financed by the local government.

The design of the municipal health centre, prepared by the municipal architect Stefan Narębski, was consulted with the Department of Public Health of the Ministry of the Interior and approved by the Health Committee of the Vilnius city magistrate. The plans were finally approved for implementation in January 1930; work began in the spring of that year. The contractor for the works - the construction company "H. Prudowski, Vilnius, Teatralna Street" - undertook to complete the building shell by 1 August 1931. However, the building was not completed in time - in June 1931, the work was interrupted due to the inability of the municipal government to continue financing it. The Health Centre was located in a building adapted for the purpose at 46 Wielka Street.

Construction of the facility at Kijowska Street did not resume until several years later, in 1936. Construction and finishing work continued for another year, and by 1938 the centre was already open to the public. It was given the name: Municipal Health Centre No. 2. It housed anti-tuberculosis outpatient clinics for children and adults, an anti-surgery clinic, a dental clinic, baths for schools, kindergartens and adults, and a Mother and Child Care Station.

Architecture of the building

The two-storey building was designed on the projection of the letter "L", composed of asymmetrically juxtaposed, cuboidal blocks of varying heights, with the corner accentuated by a separate and slightly elevated staircase, illuminated by a high "thermometer" window. The main entrance from Kijowska Street is accentuated by a single-storey risalit with a two-bay arcade. The whole creates a modernist composition, whose geometric rigour is softened by the arcade motif of the entrance. It is an early example of the penetration of modern architectural forms into the traditional, historicising architecture of Vilnius and foreshadows its modernisation in the third decade of the 20th century.

Historical address: 43 Kijovska Street

Contemporary address: Kauno g.37