Office Center 1000, Kaunas, Lithuania

Office Center 1000, a.k.a. Banknote Building, is located in the second-largest city in Lithuania that has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas is famous for its historical monuments such as the Kaunas Castle, the massive Neo-Byzantine church of St. Michael the Archangel, Kaunas Fortress, House of Perkūnas etc. The Banknote building was built in 2008 by design of Rimas Adomaitis of RA Studio, a young and relatively unknown but promising talent who enjoys experimenting with forms and new technologies. It was obvious that the highly modern appearance of the building would clash with the much older architecture of the city center. Among above mentioned historical buildings this modern construction also has its special mission: that is to commemorate Lithuania's accession to the EU in 2004. Housing international bank offices and Lithuanian businesses within its walls, the structure fancies itself as "one of the Baltic region’s most daring and original construction projects". This curvaceous, luminous, 10 story office building was designed in the form of the LTL 1000 banknote that dates back to 1926. It's not used nowadays. The exterior consists of 4,500 different pieces of glass with enamel designs, which are being slotted together like a giant puzzle. The glass was made in the Netherlands and shipped over, and it can withstand even the most extreme Lithuanian weather. The building lease two large banks: Snoras Bankas and SEB and as to them this is the best place for banks they could ever imagine.

By Lilit Khalatyan, www.building.am

Photos: www.liveinternet.ru