W hile 15 stories may not seem a very big building these days, it is a milestone for Vilnius. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest new skyscraper in Lithuania since it broke away from the Soviet Union in 1991. Erecting a moden skyscraper such as this isn't just about economics or business. It's about the rebirth of a city eager to express its freedom. And what better tangible way than to reject the concrete block fortress buildings the Soviets inflicted on the countryside. By embracing modern Western architectural aesthetics, the Lithuanians show the direction they want to travel in the future, rejecting an oppressive past. The building, itself, is something of an irregular box, with one of the wide parallel sides shorter than the other. This creates a peak at the top that also mirrors itself down the sides. At the top of this peak is a strange scaffold-like decoration. Something like a crane pointing into the night. It is illuminated in the darkness.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Four stars.