Urban Hub architectural concept near Kaunas: a market breakthrough

After SBA Urban launched an international architectural concept selection, the team received six concepts from Denmark, Spain, Lithuania and Finland. The Danish architectural firm’s – PLH – idea wast the one that team has been looking for. PLH has worked with SBA on the first building of the Green Hall business valley 13 years ago. PLH’s Urban Hub concept combines the habits and preferences of the modern shopper with the architecture and vibrancy of an old town district.

“As fanatics of architectural aesthetics, we are constantly pushing boundaries. Boring warehouse boxes are not for us. That’s why in the architectural concept selection, we set ourselves the task of refining an idea that would rewrite the usual e-commerce space solutions. With the team at PLH, that is exactly what we have created – a new concept and business model that will respond to the changing habits of shoppers and the needs of merchants. The town’s conceptually unified spaces and cosy streets will be a convenient transit shopping place and a place where customers and employees will enjoy being and spending time,” says Rasa Pečiulaitė, head of real estate development at SBA Urban.

A vibrant place for businesses and their customers

One of the main goals of the Urban Hub is to move away from the usual stock-office image of cold, grey, and lifeless spaces – warehouses – where customers come to pick up goods.

“Walking through the streets of the Urban Hub, we will feel like we are in a real city – we will see different elevations, different facades, squares, cosy corners, green spaces. With every step we take, we’ll be immersed in different experiences. This project is innovative, and we are proud to be part of it. This is not the first time we have worked with the SBA team, and we know that we share an ambitious approach to sustainability, innovation and people-centred solutions. This is why our previous projects have been so successful and why the new ones will be just as exceptional,” says Steen Enrico Andersen, senior partner at PLH.

According to him, Urban Hub’s location next to the Vilnius-Kaunas motorway also dictates car traffic, which is why a lot of attention is paid to sustainable mobility. For example, a 1,000-space car park is planned, but pedestrian avenues separated by green areas remain a priority.