Pan House

An unconventional man, Edmundas Vaiciulis always preferred to do things his way. 

Educated to be a mechanical engineer, Vaiciulis’ refusal to conform to the dress code at work led to his career in the field lasting about one week. This only strengthened his dedication to individualism, and his voice was a loud one when it came to politics and community business in his Lithuanian town of Zagaré. His engineering skills and colorful personality naturally led him towards artwork, and he began to carve large wooden sculptures; busts and bears and old men, all out of former tree trunks.

When privatization was introduced after the Soviet Union split in the early 1990s, Vaiciulis purchased half of a house, which he was set on rebuilding. Unfortunately, the neighbors who shared ownership had no interest in the lofty endeavor, and so Vaiciulis had to find a different way to make it his. His neighbors had to agree to rebuild the infrastructure, but designing the outside was something they had little jurisdiction on. Vaiciulis began to make his house as unique and unconventional as he was. 

Soon, the outside of the house was slowly but surely covered in found objects. Pots and pans made up the bulk of the unusual siding, but metal plates and a plethora of household objects, as well as machine parts and random metal pieces were thrown into the mix. The garden was filled with many of his wooden sculptures along with more found objects of interest, and the barn wall was adorned with several animal skulls. 

Called “The Pan House” Vaiciulis’ house is now the most photographed home in Zagaré, and welcomes individuals and groups to come and take a look.