The 21st-century offices on the right bank of the Neris tell the story of how, half a century ago, the idea of an artificial hill was born. It is not a natural landscape but one formed by the silhouettes of buildings. It is not a story about the district’s most interesting objects but an architectural journey through a place that has changed the most in two decades and is the most modern in Lithuania. The ambitions of the city and its businesses are constantly growing. It seems to be all about work. However, a modern city can be just as interesting as a historic one, and getting to know it is a must if you want to feel like a true local in your city.
Just as mountains do not line up in nature, this hill has its own gorges, peaks and descents in all directions. To the east, it starts at Geležinio Vilko Street, rises from west to east to its highest point – the ‘Europa’ business centre tower, and then descends steeply behind it to Kalvarijų Street. From the perspective of Old Vilnius, the hill spatially consists of three layouts. The closest to us is the part leading to Konstitucijos Avenue, in the centre of which stands the former ‘Hotel Lietuva’, which has reigned supreme for five decades and is being superseded by the new ‘Artery’ office. In the second plan is the main chain of ridges – Konstitucijos Avenue. The latest addition to the skyline is the northern slope with the massive ‘3 (4) Burės’ or the ‘3 (now 4) Sails’ on one edge. This is where the most intense hill building is expected to take place over the next ten years.
During the Soviet era, the urban hill served a social, commercial, and tourist accommodation function. In the independent era, the focus has been on large business investments and offices, especially banks. In the future, the focus is shifting to residential high-rise buildings, of which there will be many.
