“Tauro ragas”, which operated in Vilnius from 1974 to 1994, was one of the first beer bars-restaurants. The restaurant, which existed for two decades, became one of the most popular places in the capital, where huge queues constantly stretched, life was in full swing, and at the same table you could meet both a student and a representative of the country’s elite at that time. Now, the restaurant is located in the place of the modern business center “Jasinskio2”, the construction of which was managed by “EIKA Development”..
The spirit of the former building has been preserved
According to the order at the time, “Tauro ragas” was designed as a temporary structure, but it stood for as long as 49 years. In 2007, the building was privatized, and in 2023, it was demolished. In its place, the business center “Jasinskio2” was built and managed by the company “EIKA Development”, designed by architect Saulius Pamerneckis and the “SP architektų grupė” office.
According to Martynas Žibūda, head of EIKA Development, in order to make sense of the local history, some of the materials from the “Tauro ragos” building were preserved and used during the construction of “Jasinskio2”, and a bronze model of the old building cast by sculptor Rimantas Okulič-Kazarin is now exhibited in the internal arcade.
“When designing the building, we tried to maintain the spirit and character of the former restaurant. We incorporated original dolomite slabs into the facade of the business center, and in the passage accessible to everyone, we restored the outline of the former building wall, which retains the shape of the wall and functions as a place to sit. We also used the concrete cornices of the “Tauros Ragos” (Taurus Horn), which were turned into artistic outdoor lights,” says S. Pamerneckis, the architect of the business center.
The beginning of a legendary story
During the Soviet era, there was a severe shortage of beer bars in Vilnius, and there were plenty of beer lovers, so the then government decided to solve this “problem” with a new bar-restaurant “Tauro ragas”, which was located on the site of a cart tavern that had operated here before the war.
Work began in 1963, but the final version of the restaurant was designed in 1967–1968 by architects Algimantas Mačiulis and Eugenijus Algimantas Gūzas. Initially, a pavilion was considered, but the concept of the building changed during the design process, and no funds were allocated for the project. Ultimately, the decision was made to expand the one-story building underground, resulting in huge basements, which delayed the construction work for several years.
The restaurant opened its doors in 1974 and operated until 1994, and was built by the 6th Vilnius Construction and Repair Board. The ground floor featured a 140-seat restaurant and a 90-seat open terrace, while the basement featured a 180-seat main hall, a 40-seat banquet hall with a separate entrance, and an orchestra stage for concerts. The total area of the restaurant was 1,428 sq. meters.
An example of the Brutalist era
“Tauro ragas” reflected the brutalism style popular at the time, which also includes the Vilnius Concert and Sports Palace, which opened its doors in 1971. The restaurant was distinguished by its original solutions: for the first time, roughly processed Estonian dolomite was used for the facade and interior decoration, unplastered and unpainted reinforced concrete surfaces typical of brutalism, large skylights installed in the ceiling, a reinforced concrete roof, and open stairs leading to the basement.
The artist E. Gūzas, who assisted the architect of the building A. Mačiulis, also designed the original furniture and equipment for “Tauro ragus”. The restaurant was decorated with stone tables with shiny nickel details, the lobby floor was decorated with a mosaic based on a sketch by the artist Marija Mačiulienė, and the sculptor Steponas Šarapovas created a decorative red wall made of artificial leather, which matched the red vests worn by the restaurant employees. The first floor of the bar was called the “train” because the arrangement of the benches resembled a train carriage.
S. Sharapov also created a sheet metal sculpture “Taurus” near the restaurant, but it did not stay there for long. It is said that the decision to remove the sculpture was made on the initiative of the Communist Party’s ideological leader Valery Charazov, who did not understand modern art, and on his orders, “Taurus” was dismantled and taken away three years later. After Lithuania regained independence, the work of art was briefly returned to the restaurant, and today it can be found in the Vilnoja sculpture park, but it is not clear whether it is the original or a copy.
The capital’s largest “watering hole” is shrouded in myths
At one time, “Tauro ragas” was one of only a few beer bars-restaurants in Vilnius and the first to have such a wide range of beers and dishes. The popularity of the place was incredible, there were always huge queues, especially before basketball or football matches. The restaurant often had a band playing, and later also hosted performances by pop stars. Although “Tauro ragas” was famous as the capital’s largest “drinking place”, it attracted a very diverse audience – from representatives of the country’s elite to students, for whom the bar even became a kind of signpost, because the saying “come to the cow” meant meeting at the “Tauro” sculpture.
The restaurant was also made famous by the so-called “pipe myth”. When designing the building, it was considered to supply beer through pipes directly from the “Tauros” brewery, which was 300 meters away, but the idea was abandoned because “Tauro ragas” did not belong to the brewery, but to a restaurant and café trust. Despite this, many restaurant visitors believed this to be true for a long time. In fact, beer was brought to the restaurant and sold in 1.5 and 3 liter jugs, from which customers poured themselves into glasses.
The story of “Tauros Rago” continues
Now, the A++ energy class business center “Jasinskio2” has been built on the territory of the former restaurant building, which consists of 6 floors and a 2-story underground parking lot, and the leasable area reaches 7,700 sq. meters. The new business center has installed advanced irrigation, ventilation, heating and lighting systems, ensuring the highest quality for office employees and guests.