4,5 | master`s thesis

The post-capitalist vision: the case of post-socialist city

Post-Capitalist Commons Center – PostCapCenter

Master's Thesis (Research & Creative Project)

Vilnius Academy of Arts

2025

author - Povilas Šimonėlis

supervisor - Martynas Mankus

Project Location: Pašilaičiai District, Vilnius, Lithuania

Full thesis (in Lithuanian) is here.

This Master's thesis is a two-part investigation into the urban condition of the post-socialist city, culminating in a speculative architectural and urban design proposal. Grounded in the critical urban theories of Henri Lefebvre and David Harvey, the project analyzes the dialectical relationship between Soviet-socialist and late-capitalist urban planning paradigms to formulate a vision for a post-capitalist city.

The work unfolds in two distinct but deeply interconnected parts: a comprehensive research paper and a multi-scalar creative project.

Part I: The Research | Post-Capitalist Vision: The Case of a Post-Socialist City

The theoretical component of the thesis provides a critical analysis of Vilnius's urban development, tracing its trajectory through two dominant socio-economic systems.

Critique of Inherited Urbanism: The research begins by examining the legacy of Soviet-socialist planning. It posits that this system, aimed at creating a rational "factory of society," resulted in functionally segregated, monofunctional "sleeping districts" (predominantly residential districts) (e.g., Pašilaičiai). While ideologically opposed to capitalism, this model paradoxically laid the groundwork for the city's subsequent commodification by eroding traditional urban life without creating new, meaningful centers for community engagement.
Analysis of Contemporary Development: The thesis then analyzes the impact of post-1990s capitalism on this inherited fabric. This era is characterized by chaotic, market-driven development, leading to uncontrolled suburbanization, increased social segregation, gentrification, and the prioritization of private vehicular traffic. The research argues that both systems, despite their overt opposition, ultimately deny citizens their "right to the city" by turning the urban environment into a product for consumption or a tool for profit generation.
A Proposition for a Post-Capitalist Urbanism: Arguing that the inherent contradictions of capitalism make it structurally unsustainable, the research outlines a theoretical framework for a post-capitalist city. This vision is predicated on the de-commodification of urban space, deep democratization of governance, the dissolution of social segregation, and a cultural "desacralization" that challenges the rigid norms of both modernist efficiency and market logic. The city is conceptualized not merely as a setting for social change, but as an active catalyst for it.

Part II: The Creative Project | Post-Capitalist Commons Center – PostCapCenter

The creative project translates this theoretical framework into a tangible design proposal for the Pašilaičiai district—a quintessential example of a layered post-socialist territory. The intervention is structured across three scales, guided by three core principles:

SUMIESTINIMAS (Urban Integration), ĮGALINIMAS (Empowerment), and DESAKRALIZACIJA (Desacralization).

1. Urban Integration (The District Scale): This macro-scale vision re-imagines the entire Pašilaičiai district to heal its fragmented fabric. Key interventions include:

De-automobilization: A radical rethinking of the transport network, prioritizing public transit (trams, etc.), pedestrian and cycling networks, while moving infrastructural barriers like the western bypass into a tunnel to reconnect the urban landscape.
Green Framework: Integrating existing and new green spaces into a cohesive ecological network, enhancing biodiversity and providing recreational potential.
Urban Restructuring: Replacing monofunctional commercial zones and underutilized areas with a dense, mixed-use, perimetral urban fabric that fosters street life and creates a clear hierarchy of public and semi-public spaces.

2. Empowerment (The Center Scale): At the meso-scale, the project focuses on designing a new, vibrant district center to act as a hub for community life.

Polycentric Structure: The design establishes a network of centers of various scales, countering the lack of focus in the original "sleeping district" plan.
Functional Diversity: These centers are programmed with a rich mix of social, cultural, commercial, and political functions, ensuring 24-hour activity and reducing dependency on the city center. The aim is to create spaces that "empower" residents by providing the infrastructure for self-organization, political assembly, and spontaneous social interaction.

3. Desacralization (The Architectural Scale): The architectural expression of the main commons center embodies the project's most radical ideas.

Rejection of Fetishized Aesthetics: The design is a conscious critique of both the monotonous efficiency of modernism and the sleek, marketable aesthetics of contemporary capitalism.
An Architecture of Eclecticism and Freedom: The building's language is deliberately layered, eclectic, and formally complex, avoiding a singular, monumental gesture. This "beformiškumas" (formlessness) seeks to create an environment that is non-prescriptive, open to appropriation, and reflective of a pluralistic, ever-changing society where no user is "shamed" by the space.
Materiality and Public Realm: The project utilizes a glued laminated timber structural frame and proposes that all spaces, including the rooftops, function as an extension of the public realm, creating a multi-levelled urban experience accessible to all and reaching beyond the limitations of private property.

While ambitious and conceptually provocative, the project is grounded in a rigorous analysis of the site's existing conditions. It aims to offer not a definitive utopia, but a tangible starting point for a critical discussion on the role of architecture in shaping a more equitable and democratic urban future.