A space of the present with a sense of the future, where business, art and technology will collaborate, and where knowledge and ideas will be exchanged. With this vision, the creation of the open-minded space “Live Square” is being launched on Vilnius’ Gediminas Avenue. The synergy of technology and art was also supported by the capsule “burial” ceremony. The traditional capsule was replaced by a levitating brick during the presentation. It was symbolically placed in the foundations not by the company or contractor building the facility, but by artist Julijonas Urbonas, walking horizontally along the foundations of the space under construction, soaring in the air and telling stories about the cities of the future.
The multifunctional space “Live Square”, which will consist of a business center, apartments, a public space with an outdoor terrace on the roof, a square with an interactive sculpture and a fountain, and an international hotel of the “Hilton Garden Inn” chain, will open at the intersection of Gedimino Avenue and V. Kudirkos Street in the spring of 2019.
According to Dom Dargis, CEO of Eika, the urban development company building and developing the Live Square space, the aim of preparing this project was to contribute to the revitalization of this part of Gediminas Avenue and to bring more movement and life to this sleepy part of the city center.
“As projects are implemented, our goals grow. Our current ambition is to create a unique space in Vilnius, where we can predict and think about what will happen in the future. Architecture and urban development are always directed towards the future, and art and technology help us to imagine and understand it more accurately. It is with representatives of these fields that we will closely cooperate and jointly create Live Square. The first synergy of business and art, which will take place in parallel with construction, will be a space for the exchange and development of ideas for the cities of the future. The first visionary is Julijonas Urbonas, an artist, designer, researcher, and doctoral student at the Royal College of Art in London,” says D. Dargis.
According to the head of Eika, interest in the Live Square space has exceeded initial expectations. About 66 percent of the business center and shopping gallery area has already been leased. It will be home to the world’s largest flexible workspace company IWG’s premium office brand Spaces (agreed to lease more than 1,500 sq m), and the law firm Sorainen (2.1 thousand sq m).
Will become a source of inspiration
Vilnius Mayor Remigijus Šimašius, who participated in the presentation, drew attention to the changing face of the city and the increasingly revitalized main artery of the city – Gediminas Avenue.
“In the section from Lukiškės Square to the Seimas, Gediminas Avenue is pulsating more and more strongly, and I have no doubt that these business ideas will be noticed and that Live Square will gradually bring even more new winds into the lives of citizens. I hope that there will be more and more such conceptual spaces that blend into the overall city network on the map of Vilnius,” says R. Šimašius.
One part of Live Square will consist of a four-star Hilton Garden Inn hotel, which Eika will operate under a franchise agreement with the international chain Hilton Worldwide. This will be the first Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Lithuania.
“Recently, hotels have been focusing not only on the highest quality services and amenities, i.e. mandatory criteria for every prestigious hotel, but also on an interesting experience. The vision and ambitions of Live Square impressed us and we have no doubt that it will become not only a source of relaxation, but also of inspiration,” says Marybelle Arnett, Hilton Worldwide Vice President of Development in Eastern and Central Europe.
Space for developing ideas for future cities presented by levitation
Today, the launch of the Live Square creative space was announced by J. Urbonas, artist, researcher, engineer, vice-rector of the Vilnius Academy of Arts, and doctoral student at the Royal College of Art in London. He “built” a capsule – a brick into the wall of the “Live Square” under construction levitating, i.e., walking horizontally along the foundation of the building.
“Together with “Eika”, we are embarking on a long journey, searching for answers to the question of what the cities of the future will be like. Not in 5 or 10 years, but in 100 or even 1,000 years. From Lithuanian identity in space to the creation of visionary and speculative scenarios. Today, let’s try to experience what levitating cities would look like. How we will walk in the distant future if there is no gravity and we live somewhere outside our universe,” said J. Urbonas, floating in the air.
The space for ideas for future cities, which will be launched at Live Square in collaboration with J. Urbonas, will feature artistic performances, lectures, and other events that will be open to all residents and guests of the city.
About the Live Square space:
- The name “Live Square” contains several elements. The word “live” means life “here and now”, and “square” refers to the openness and dynamism that should revive the somewhat sleepy part of Gediminas Avenue near Lukiškės Square.
- The total area of the complex will be approximately 18 thousand sq. m, and the value will be approximately 49 million euros.
- The 4-star Hilton Garden Inn hotel, located in the Live Square area, is planned to have 164 rooms that will meet the international standard of the Hilton brand. The total area of the hotel will reach 7 thousand sq. m. The hotel will feature a gym, a restaurant with an outdoor terrace, and a 300 sq. m. conference center.
- The modern business center with retail space will occupy 6.8 thousand sq. m, of which about 66 percent of the area has already been leased. The business center will be home to the high-end office brand “Spaces” of the world’s largest flexible workspace company IWG (agreed to lease more than 1,500 sq. m), and the law firm “Sorainen” (2.1 thousand sq. m).
- Three residential buildings, which will house 88 apartments with balconies and terraces, will make up 4.7 thousand sq. m of the area of ”Live Square”.
- It is planned to establish restaurants and cafes on the first floor, and a green terrace for city residents on the roof, which will offer a view of Lukiškės Square.
- The project is being implemented by the urban development company “Eika”, the architectural part is being designed by the architectural group “Unitectus” and landscape architects “Terra Firma LT”.
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