Interview with Marius Mateika

I became an architect because that was my dream.

I became an architect because that was my dream.

I'm motivated by the fact that I'm creating every day, every time I have the opportunity to create something new. To convince the customer that it will be the right thin

I won't say anything unexpected: work, work, work hard.

They are not much different. A good designer does good work. A great designer has a lot of good work already done.

Basically, it is very intuitive. It's good when it's hard to find arguments to undermine it.

Many reasons:
Good design does not necessarily cost more than bad design.
Good design performs a better function.
Good design attracts the user.
Good design represents you.
Good design makes your customer feel good.
Very good design doesn't age at all because it is too iconic.

A space research centre on Mars.

A space research centre on Mars.

My secret ingredients is patience, passion and belief in what I do.

Tadao Ando, Le Corbusier, Antoni Gaudi

My favourite interiors are Le Corbusier's Ronchamp chapel and Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen's Temppeliaukio church. Being there is something special. I love these interiors. Because they are very emotionally charged.

I don't understand what designs you are talking about? If it's mine, they are all valuable to me. After all, they are all my children.

You need to keep working. Don't get tired of striving for excellence, even when you fail. Because you only get better if you keep learning. Just when I think I know it all, I pick up something I don't know how to do, and then the learning process starts again.

I think I would have become a film or theatre director.

Design is a way of life.

My biggest supporter is my family.
They are very unlucky that their father/husband/son/brother is an architect, as my work is very time consuming.
Therefore, their unconditional support allows me to be selfish and spend more time on my work.

I wouldn't say I'm already great. I am still on my way in that direction.

I have a slightly different path than other architects. I've never worked for an architectural firm. I worked for a developer. I was responsible for part of the development process. I opened my own design company very recently. So my experience is a little bit different. My main obstacle is that I had to learn everything myself. There are advantages here: I do things differently when I am self-taught. That's what makes my company's work unique.

I don't know.

it is a secret for now, but you'll find out soon enough.

My goal is to never get tired of searching.

They expect professionalism and unique ideas that meet their clients' needs. I think we're doing a great job of that

We strive for perfection, and anything closer to perfection is closer to god.

We are designing the interior of the Klaipėda State Music Theatre. It will be spectacular. The whole interior will be made of real clay. In total, 32 tonnes of clay were used. It is an impressive amount. What is even more impressive is that the main event hall is a solid work of clay art.

We did the interior of a nightclub. The aim was to do better than the main competitor in the city. We finished and opened the club. The main competitor went bankrupt after just a few months. This is direct proof that good interiors make sense.

I expect more uniqueness, more iconicity, more mixing of styles and cultures.

i do not know.

Depends on the project. For example
The Lithuanian Symphony Orchestra Hall took 7 years to realise.

I always start with a detailed analysis:
why are we doing this?
Who is the client?
Who is the client's client?
Who is the end user?
What is the context?
etc.
Only when we have a clear understanding of what is needed do we start to create visions.

Think differently

Very good question.
Which comes first the chicken or the egg?
I think a good designer has to be fashion-proof.

We haven't done pencil work for a long time.
We visualise on the computer, with graphic design tablets, etc. we use many different programs. AI also helps us. We are cyborgs and proud of it.

it is a secret :)

Everything is connected. there is nothing I can single out. But sometimes the choice of material determines the trajectory of an idea.
For example, in the Klaipėda Music Theatre, we chose clay as the main finishing material. We've created a stunning wall décor. Its possibilities are endless.

Better not to ask anything. Admire.

"Someone has put in a lot of work and effort".
"Someone had the patience"

my team is the best

All.
Customers, builders, furnishers, decorators, engineers... all do their bit.

Carl Jung's Archetypes. All the answers of the universe are within each one of us.

I won't say anything new. Work work, hard work.

I would love to attend the last supper.

We architects/designers are not rock stars, no one is following us. And about awards, they encourage us to keep working. It's a sign that we're doing something well if our colleagues around the world recognise it.

Colour: black (surprise!);
Place - bedroom;
food - watter;
season - autumn;
thing - bicycle;
brand - NYB (not your business)

There's nothing funny about what I do:)

I try to do only what I like, or turn what I don't like into what I do like.

Of course. As soon as I was born, my mother said "he's going to be a famous architect/designer"

What happens to all sandcastles by the sea will happen. People will destroy what they have created and start all over again.

Nobody needs to know anything about me, let my work speak for me

I represent MAMA architects. I am the founder of this company. We are a small team working on large and complex projects. We focus on public buildings, theatres, concert halls and other exceptional structures. But it's not the size that counts, it's the ability to apply unique solutions. We strive to make every building iconic and timeless.

We are always striving for something new in our work. We want to create something that hasn't been created yet, to try something that hasn't been tried yet. To mix materials, styles that have never been mixed before. So we try to FIND OUR OWN WAY.

I like objects that require a high energy load. I.e. nightclub, theatre, church. In such projects there is the most room for experimentation.

My favourite interiors are Le Corbusier's Ronchamp chapel and Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen's Temppeliaukio church. Being there is something special.

Nothing spectacular. A detached house on the outskirts of town.

I've never had a favourite material, but now that we've completed the interior of the Klaipėda State Music Theatre, my favourite material is natural clay. Its possibilities are endless.

Late in the evening, when it's quiet and I can concentrate.

The most important thing is to understand why you are doing it. Who the consumer is. How they need to feel, what message we need to get across. And of course we don't want to replicate anything. We want to have our own touch, our own unique style.

No emotions. At that time, I am a conductor. I believe in the archetypes that are in all of us, they just need to be released.

I feel like a parent letting his child live an independent life.

First of all, a great love for what you do. Then listening. Understanding the task. Understanding the context. And the desire to reinvent the bicycle.

Contextuality, coherence, originality are my main criteria.

If we're talking about interiors, there's not a lot of responsibility, because it's an internal space with little contact with the whole external context, so we can afford to be selfish. We can create whatever we want. If you don't like it, don't go there. If we are talking about public spaces, then it's a different story. In this case, we have to realise that the building has to please everybody, which means that our design has to be as universal as possible, acceptable to the masses.

I think there will be more influence from artificial intelligence. Which will give us a lot more opportunities. There will be more and more new materials used in interiors. Sustainability is also a topic that is not exhausted and the interiors of the future will be full of it.

We architects don't organise exhibitions. Each of our works, if successful, is a separate exhibition.

As I said before, I believe in Jung's archetypes. When I create, I am a conductor. I believe in the archetypes that are in all of us, they just need to be released.

I don't know what our style is. It's probably more visible to others. But I hope they are different. We are not looking for some kind of uniformity. We are always experimenting, looking for a new approach. You can see in our work ethno motives, links with Eastern cultures. I think that the union of eastern and western styles has not been explored yet.

I live in Vilnius. In the wonderful city of Baroque heritage. We are the link between Eastern and Western Europe. It certainly influences our worldview. I think it enriches our vision.

In a friendly way:)

I think the work of a good designer speaks for itself.

I can't tell you much. It all seems very simple. The most interesting and challenging part of the work is the discussion with my colleagues. It takes time to find a common solution that satisfies everyone. There is a lot of talking, sketching and arguing before any idea is accepted. And then the purposeful, consistent work begins.

Nothing unexpected: pencil, eraser, phone, computer, graphics tablet.

Work, work, work, work.

You will be defeated many times over. You will lose against yourself, against the client, against the builder. You will fail to defend your idea, the ideas you have implemented will not work for you, etc... Don't give up!

NEGATIVE:
365 days a year is not enough for an architect.
POSITIVE:
We are slowly making the world a better place.

Think differently

The most important skill for an architect is to see things globally.

Books only. Lots of books.

To be honest, time management is a big problem for me.
But I have a justification for it. Whatever we do, it can always be done better, more perfectly. So if you really believe in the project you're working on, you give it as much time as you can.

Depends on the scale and complexity of the project.

where do you get these ideas?

I like complex objects that make you think differently. That's when I learn the most. For example, the symphony hall was something that made me think about acoustics and aesthetics at the same time. The interior of a nightclub makes you see objects in a different way, because what looks good during the day doesn't necessarily look good in stage lighting, and so on.

Good people.

I like complex objects that make you think differently. That's when I learn the most. For example, the symphony hall was something that made me think about acoustics and aesthetics at the same time. The interior of a nightclub makes you see objects in a different way, because what looks good during the day doesn't necessarily look good in stage lighting, and so on.

I have a dream. To design a sacred building, no matter what. It could be a church, it could be a temple. I'm sure it will happen.

We are a team. A small but very capable team, capable of doing big things.

Anyone interested can contact me by phone (+37065287853), or by email (marius.mateika@gmail.com).
Or find me on Facebook or Linkedin.

Nothing else. Thank you.