Clay Moulded Ornatus Interior Theatri by Marius Mateika

Clay Moulded Ornatus Interior Theatri by Marius Mateika is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Praemium A' Design Award Aureum in Designatio Interior Competition Category.

AurumInterior· 2025

Clay Moulded Ornatus Interior Theatri

by Marius Mateika

Client: Mama architects

Praemium A' Design Award Aureum Winner in Interior Category

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The Design

About Clay Moulded Ornatus Interior Theatri

Clay Moulded est ornatus interior theatri musici in urbe Klaipeda, Lituania, siti. Argilla parietes tectaque operit, cuius materiae plus quam triginta milia chiliogrammatum manu applicata sunt. Ornamentum aulae principalis continuum est atque ab uno spatii fine ad alterum decurrit. Ratio inducendi septem gradibus constans huic operi excogitata est, quae aspersionem, figurationem, siccationem, defricationem, vitrificationem conservationemque complectitur. Parietes tectaque aperiri claudique possunt ad repercussus sonorum moderandos, quo spatium concentibus, fabulis scaenicis conventibusque accommodatur. Cavea septingentos spectatores capit.

The Recognition

About the Praemium A' Design Award Aureum

Clay Moulded Ornatus Interior Theatri victor est Praemii A' Design Award Aureum, honoris amplissimi formis primi ordinis, mirabilibus et praestantibus dati. Victores Aurei sunt opera valde nova, provida et splendida, quae ingenium, sapientiam et peritiam auctorum suorum referunt. Exspectatur Clay Moulded Ornatus Interior Theatri inventum laudatissimum, inclinationes creans et monumentale fore, quod pretium inauditum afferat. Haec forma Aureo praemio victa est incepto mirabile et honoratum, quod fines artis, scientiae, formandi rationis et technologiae promovet. Clay Moulded Ornatus Interior Theatri cupiditatem vehementem excitat, studium accendit, ingenium creandi fovet et capit.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: For the interior décor, we chose an archaic material - clay. It is probably the largest interior in the world made of natural clay. The pattern and technology of the hall is unique and continuous throughout the space, created by one artist Mantas Petravičius. All planes are in motion. They open and close (as you can see in photo 3) depending on the nature of the concert and the acoustics required. And that's what makes this space even more unique.
Dimensions & Packaging: The whole theater is 10 000m2 size. The auditorium has seating capacity of 700 people. We used over 30 tonnes of clay for wall decor.
Tags: Klaipėdos muzikinis teatras, Klaipėda state musical theatre, MAMA architects
Production Technology: We used over 30 tonnes of clay for the walls and ceilings of the entire interior. This work took nine months to complete using unique tools created exclusively for this work and was carried out by the hands. The clay coating process is also unique, developed exclusively for this theatre.The process itself consists of 7 stages (clay spraying, patterning, drying, scrubbing, re-spraying, glazing, conservation). It takes about 3 weeks to complete all the steps. The whole process was implemented on the construction site.
Design Challenge: The decor of the main hall is a continuous pattern starting at one end of the hall and ending at the other. Meanwhile, the process required major interruptions and took 9 months. The hardest part was to bring everything together into a coherent picture. The rest of the public spaces (lobbies, passages, staircases) are also made of clay. Here, the pattern is different, but also handmade.
Research: Clay was used for wall and ceiling decor.
The whole process was done by hand in stages:
1.) First, the clay is sprayed, then swiped with special tools made just for this object to form waves.
2.) Waiting for everything to dry. Then the sharp corners are scrubbed.
3.) Repeat the spraying with a thinner layer. After spraying, the clay shall be brushed to distribute the clay evenly and to form a soft surface.
4.) Wait for everything to dry.
5.) Everything is impregnated and preserved.
Inspiration: The city of Klaipėda, where the theatre is located, is by the sea. We were inspired by the sandy coastline of the sea and the shores shaped by the waves. Klaipėda is an old city dominated by red clay brick buildings. For us, the sea and the clay became the basis for the idea. As this is a theatre, clay seemed to us to be the right material to create a dramatic mood.
Project Duration: The project lasted 5 years. The clay decoration alone took 9 months. The theatre is realized in Klaipeda, Lithuania.
Operation Flow: This theatre has transformable walls and ceilings.
They open up. This controls sound reflections. The space adapts to the event. (Depending on whether it's a concert, a play, an meeting event).
Team Members: Architects: Marius Mateika
Image Credits: Photographer: Leonas Garbačauskas