Nida is an unforgettable corner of Lithuania, with a massive appeal for most Lithuanians (and foreigners). Its unique, world-renowned natural oasis and artistic atmosphere, which have attracted intellectuals from different eras, creative souls and peace-seeking personalities for decades, have created a sacred aura in this town, which is located on the Curonian Spit between the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea.
Any development in this area must be thoughtful and subtle, honouring what the natural forces or past generations have created. With this vision in mind, Citus – a creative real estate project and placemaking company – is coming to Nida, and is presenting the project Nidos Bangos (Nida Waves) by CITUS. An apartment complex will be born on the grounds of the legendary Nida Artists’ Colony, which was established between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries at 2 Skruzdynės Street.
In 1867 in the eastern part of the fishing village of Nida, in Skruzdynė, Friedrich Blode established a hotel where the artists used to stay. Due to the frequent lack of money in the guests’ pockets, the host allowed them to pay with paintings. Later, a unique artists’ corner was created in the hotel, filled with numerous paintings by the artists who had stayed there.
Around 1885 Blode’s son, Herman, inherited his father’s hotel and eventually became a well-known patron of artists. In his famous artists’ veranda, the first artists gathered for convivial meetings and deep discussions. More and more artists discovered the beauty of the Curonian Spit and Nida, and around 1890, the hotel became the centre of the Nida Artists’ Colony. Not only artists but also writers, composers, musicians and actors gathered at the artists’ veranda. The numerous guest book entries bear eloquent testimony to the community of honourable guests who stayed there: Ernst Bischoff-Culm, Walther Heymann, Max Pechstein, Lovis Corinth, Sigmund Freud, Thomas Mann, Hans Beppo-Borschke and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff.
Mantas Galdikas, Director of Citus: ‘We are entering an established project with a precise and appealing vision, bringing Citus’ extensive experience in design and construction management, marketing and sales. We immediately jumped into the action and made the necessary design adjustments to elevate the quality bar of Nidos Bangos by CITUS to meet the high expectations of our exclusive clients. I do not doubt that the project will succeed, and its potential can already be measured – since we took over the project, we have received more than 200 enquiries in just ten days’.
Nidos Bangos by CITUS will be implemented in several stages. The overall project investment will amount to around EUR 21 million.
The first stage will consist of renovation of the three-storey building in the middle of the complex, followed by the fourth-floor penthouse of the same building to create just four spacious apartments. This stage has been given the name of Didžioji Banga (The Great Wave).
The holiday apartments will have most of the internal non-load-carrying walls replaced, external walls insulated, panoramic windows replaced, new plumbing and sewerage systems, electrical wiring, innovative air heating and cooling systems, and other upgrades to achieve an energy performance rating of at least Class C and a sound insulation rating of Class C. Many apartments will offer balconies overlooking the pine forest and the Curonian Lagoon. The building will retain its authentic volumes, finishes, facades and decoration.
Galdikas elaborates further: ‘In Nida, new projects where one can acquire private property are rare – on average, there has been just one per year over the last eleven years. Meanwhile, demand is always present, especially considering the fact that the apartments can be rented out when the owners are absent. This concept has succeeded in the apartment project in Druskininkai, Nemunas by CITUS. It is important to note that in Nida, such a property will be a far better investment than in the currently famous Spanish market’.
The building, which comprises the first stage of the project Nidos Bangos by CITUS, will consist of 40 apartments, ranging from one to five rooms, with an area of 17 to 75 sqm. The apartments on the first three floors will be offered for sale fully finished and equipped, and the price of a square metre will start at EUR 7,100. The spacious penthouse apartments will be sold partially completed, starting at EUR 11,700 per sqm. The area of the first stage for sale is approximately 1,070 sqm.
The second renovation stage will include the reconstruction of another smaller building in the corner of the complex – Mažoji Banga (The Small Wave), approximately 260 sqm for sale, and the third will be the reconstruction of two existing Soviet-era buildings along the Curonian Lagoon shoreline and adjacent to the first stage building (approx. 1,540 sqm for sale). They have been named Marių Banga (The Lagoon Wave) and Kopų Banga (The Dune Wave), and will consist of the most spectacular apartments with partial finishes, directly overlooking the Curonian Lagoon.
Another building on the corner of the complex is privately owned and is not part of the project.
Citus analysts estimate that due to limited supply, high demand, and the Nida’s resort attractiveness itself, the value of the acquired property could increase by as much as 80% in eight years. The planned additional services will further increase the liquidity of apartment rentals and minimise the impact of seasonality.
Before the completion of the entire project, two additional exclusivities are planned to operate year-round. A 350 sqm spa centre with a breathtaking Curonian Lagoon view will be established on the newly formed underground floor, while an almost 200 sqm, high-end restaurant will operate on the ground floor. In these areas, the Nidos Bangos by CITUS project partner, businessman Andrius Emde who will oversee this service centre, has extensive experience.
Meanwhile, buyers of the apartments will enjoy exclusive access to the water entertainment area of the luxurious complex Stebuklai Spa. This complex will soon open its doors in Nida, on G. D. Kuverto Street. In addition, clients of Nidos Bangos by CITUS will have free parking in the resort near the project for five years.
The architectural concept of the entire complex was designed by Aketuri Architektai. The head of the studio, architect Lukas Rekevičius, says that Blode’s hotel was also unique thanks to the exceptionally spacious veranda, built at the beginning of the twentieth century on the Curonian Lagoon side. The restaurant will be a continuation of the history of the artists’ veranda in an effort to recreate the former spirit of the place.
Rekevičius: ‘The Nida Artists’ Colony is a unique cultural phenomenon that revealed Nida’s identity in the European context and made Hermann Blode’s hotel, located on the Curonian Lagoon shore, famous as a centre for artists’ creativity and rest, while the owner became known as a charismatic individual and patron of the arts. These historical circumstances undoubtedly add cultural value to the project’.
The assembled team of architects – Lukas Rekevičius, Milda Rekevičienė, Valdonė Mitkevičiūtė – sought solutions that would preserve the maximum visibility of the Blode hotel building, which is also included in the Cultural Heritage Register and dominates the site, even though no construction works will be carried out there. By subdividing the volume of the reconstructed building into smaller units, additional vantage points will be opened up to this listed building, thus enhancing its historical value.
The first construction stage is planned to be fully completed by the end of this year, the second stage by the middle of next year and the whole project by the end of 2026.
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