On Marių Street, within the Klaipėda Port area, a new facility has been completed. It now houses the Port Authority’s fleet and technical units responsible for equipment maintenance and repair. At first glance, it may seem like just another piece of infrastructure, but this time the story begins deep beneath the foundations.

For many years, the territory where the building now stands concealed the remains of a Soviet-era restaurant ship, Regata. It had been towed from the city center to Marių Street and left there. The upper part of the ship was eventually removed, but the hull remained in place. Designing in this location meant finding solutions not only for architecture but also for unusual engineering conditions.

“When preparing the project, we had to take into account an unusual situation – a functional and durable building had to be constructed above a sunken structure. The chosen engineering solutions made it possible not only to maintain the stability of the area but also to ‘preserve’ the remnants of the former ship, leaving them as a kind of time capsule,” explains Tadas Kasperavičius, head of SRP Projektas, the company behind the design.

The design respected both the cultural and engineering heritage of the area, while the implemented solutions were adapted to future technologies and the evolving standards of logistics and maritime activity.

The site was characterized by unstable peat layers and remnants of the ship’s reinforced concrete hull left underground. To ensure the long-term stability of the building and the entire infrastructure, pile foundations were chosen. These transfer loads to deeper, more stable soil layers and avoid contact with the ship’s remains.

The surfaces around the building were also reinforced to remain stable and safe even in the event of possible ground shifts. The facility was built next to the Lithuanian Naval Forces area, at the very heart of the port, near the mouth of the Smeltalė River. The new infrastructure is intended for the Port Authority’s technical divisions—work that may be less visible from the outside but is essential to ensuring smooth navigation.

For SRP Projektas, the company that carried out the project, this facility marked a new stage: it was their first large-scale infrastructure project of strategic importance. In this way, the company entered a new level of activity, contributing to the development of a nationally significant area.

“By concentrating state reserves and special port equipment here, we are ready to act quickly and efficiently. This base is a carefully considered infrastructure solution that strengthens our technical capabilities and helps ensure consistent and reliable port operations. The new fleet base also reflects our commitment to investing in progress, technology, and people,” says Algis Latakas, Director General of the Klaipėda State Seaport Authority.

The fleet base is designed with future needs in mind – its roof is prepared for the installation of solar panels, and the area will soon feature a charging station for electric ships – the first in the port.

This base is a significant step in the development of port infrastructure, reflecting both the layered history of the site and a forward-looking path of growth.