Residential houses at 83 and 85 Laisvės Av. in Kaunas, which formed a joint plot during the interwar period (47 Laisvės Av.), comprise one of the most subtle mini modernist sites on Laisvės Avenue. The earliest house on 83 Laisvės Av. was built in 1931 (the drafter is believed to be architect Mozė I. Blochas). 85 Laisvės Av., it is thought, emerged at the beginning of 1940 (drafted by engineer G. Rozentalis and architect I. Trakmanas). Another house at what is now known as 87 Laisvės Av., reconstructed according to the draft of L. Ritas in 1939, also matches this complex. As typical of buildings of this style, the architecture of the houses is characterised by the absence of decorations, clear shapes, although it does have its subtle peculiarities: the house on 83 Laisvės Av. stands out for the proportions of its windows, while the house on 85 Laisvės Av. has an asymmetrical highlight on its front face, which illustrates the pure aesthetics of international modernism. Another element of the complex is elegant glass showcase windows bearing witness to the zeitgeist of the time, just like the ones that can be found in many European cities — irreversibly simple.
Vaidas Petrulis