While
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.
