Open minds welcome. This is the call with which the new Live Square development on Gediminas Avenue will invite visitors and residents of Vilnius. The multi-functional complex will comprise a modern business centre, apartments, a public space with an outdoor terrace, and the first ever world-renowned Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Lithuania. Law firm “Sorainen” have also been revealed as the first tenants of the business centre.
The complex will total 18 thousand sq. m. with a value of around €49m. The project is being spearheaded by the development group “Eika”, while the design has been prepared by architects “Unitectus”. The space is expected to open in the spring of 2019.
“When creating this new space, we considered not only convenience, a factor incredibly important to city life, but also the new experiences that this space would provide. That’s how we came up with the idea for a location where innovations in business, art, and technology could organically connect and interact. We want those who come here, be they visitors or residents of Vilnius, to not only meaningfully spend their free time, but also experience the latest tendencies of the contemporary world and, ultimately, understand the very essence of the new and modern Vilnius,” says Domas Dargis, managing director of “Eika”, introducing the Live Square vision.
According to him, the Live Square name encompasses several important elements. The word ‘live’ refers to living in the ‘here and now’, while ‘square’ indicates the space is open and dynamic, aiming to revitalise this somewhat sleepy section of Gediminas Avenue near Lukiškės Square.
It is hoped that this new space will bring together an innovative and cultured community with an interest in investing in people, knowledge, and bold ideas of the future. “This will be a contemporary space with a feel for the future,” adds Domas Dargis.
A convenient location
The first tenants of the Live Square business centre – law firm “Sorainen” – have leased 2,100 sq. m. of office space. The “Sorainen” team is always growing, so they came up against the need for a larger working space.
“We had a few key criteria for our new office. First – comfort, which we anticipate boosting productivity and collaboration of our team members, consequently aiding the birth of new ideas and company’s overall improvement. Second – convenient and accessible location from the perspective of our clients”, says Tomas Kontautas, an office managing partner of “Sorainen” Lithuania.
Open to everyone
Live Square invites visitors not just to live and work, but also meaningfully spend their free time. The complex will include a restaurant and a rooftop recreational area surrounded by live plants, and a spacious rooftop terrace, which will open to views of Gediminas Avenue, Lukiškės Square, Tauras Hill, and their surrounding areas.
Visitors will be able to descend from the terrace into a shopping arcade located inside the business centre, and walk around a plaza that will feature a fountain and public recreational areas.
The four-star Hilton Garden Inn hotel, featuring 164 rooms that live up to the standards set by the Hilton international brand, will provide accommodation to short-term visitors of Vilnius. Hotel’s facilities will include a gym, a restaurant with outdoor seating, and a 300 sq. m. conference centre, all of which will add up to 7,000 sq. m.
Meanwhile, the modern business centre and its commercial premises will total 6,800 sq. m. and the 88-apartment residential building with balconies and terraces will add up to 4,700 sq. m.
The Live Square multifunctional complex has been designed and will be built according to BREEAM international standards, seeking to achieve an ‘Excellent’ sustainability rating.
