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Great plans
The Bank of Lithuania spoke about its plans to build a new building in 2017. in August.
“Our goal is to be one of the most efficient central banks in the Nordic and Baltic region and we are constantly looking for different ways to achieve this. The analysis showed that by moving from the center of Vilnius and concentrating activities in one place, it will be possible to save around one third of the maintenance costs of the building’s infrastructure. Security expenses and other needs will also decrease, and the number of employees will decrease, “said Vitas Vasiliauskas, Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania.
According to him, in order to reduce operating costs, the Bank of Lithuania will move from the center of Vilnius to the Žirmūnai district of the capital, where some of the bank’s branches, a cash depot and customer service cash registers still operate.
However, construction has not yet started. Perhaps the Bank of Lithuania has realized that now that the country has been rocked by another financial crisis, this time triggered by a pandemic, it is not the time to take care of the comfort of its employees? Turns out, no, the action has started.
“We are currently in the technical design phase and we are looking for a construction permit. The construction cost has not yet been calculated. The estimated construction cost will be calculated harmonizing all technical solutions. Our goal is to maintain the planned amount in 2017, taking into account the rate of variation of the construction price. The project is being executed with funds from the Bank of Lithuania, “informed Vakaro žinios Paulius Čiulada, Head of the Public Relations Department of the Bank of Lithuania.
According to him, decisions on the buildings of the Bank of Lithuania, which will no longer be necessary after construction, will be taken by the Board of the Bank of Lithuania by 2021. June 30
Previously it has been announced that there are several possible options: use for public needs, such as cultural activities, transfer of real estate to the Property Bank, sale by auction.
It will take a quarter more
2017 The Bank of Lithuania had estimated that the construction would cost around LTL 23.3 million. euros. But it will definitely cost a lot more. According to Dalia Gedvilas, president of the Lithuanian Builders Association, about 30 million. euros.
“Labor in the construction sector becomes 11-15 percent more expensive every year. Today, even on the world’s stock exchanges, metal has become very expensive, steel and its structures have become 100% more expensive and transport has become more expensive. Therefore, after evaluating all this, the Bank of Lithuania should contribute at least 25%. Construction cost higher than planned for 2017. All State institutions have to recalculate the credits for construction, because the previous ones will not be enough ”, D. Gedvilas is convinced.
However, as a representative of the builders, he clearly assured that the construction of the new Bank of Lithuania building was timely.
“The Germans and the Irish have even created a separate program to promote the construction sector. Now we have 16 thousand. unemployed builders. You can imagine? How many people can sit “on a diet”? The best construction specialists are invited to Ireland, Norway. If there are no projects in Lithuania, they will all spill over. We have data that private investors in Lithuania stopped projects worth 350 million euros per year. anus. “Fortunately, the public sector has not suspended the projects, it has not even increased them. On the contrary, this has not completely improved the situation, which is why there are so many unemployed. So it is better to do new work than to spend the same money on benefits for unemployment, “argued D. Gedvilas.
Žars a ne ten
The former Minister of Industry prof. Rimvydas Jasinavičius, who was asked to evaluate the Bank of Lithuania’s luxury plans when the country was hit by the crisis, noted that new construction is generally carried out to help improve performance, business environment and productivity. of a particular institution or institution. .
“However, the Central Bank hardly follows these principles, as it has not provided solid arguments. I believe that the profits made by the Bank of Lithuania should be used for investments in those areas of activity that increase the added value. In other words, the Money must be transferred to the budget of a country that has a huge deficit. In the end, allocating it to combat the consequences of a pandemic would bring much greater benefits than improving the working conditions of Bank of Lithuania employees. And now we borrow from others for purposes more important, ”said the professor.
No time for construction
Former member of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania prof. Vaidievutis Geralavičius says the situation is ambiguous.
“The Bank of Lithuania planned to build a new building a long time ago, when it was still a member of the Board, which was 6-7 years ago. It was already being talked about then, but there was still no preparation. I think now is not the best time for new construction, because the country’s budget is also tight. They should be postponed, all the more so since construction plans have been postponed more than once and nothing bad has happened. On the one hand, perhaps a good revitalization of the construction sector, but on the other hand, those costs would remain incomprehensible to the public in times of difficulty. But the public always criticizes new projects. When the construction of the Money Museum began, there was no criticism. And journalists wrote that this is silly, a waste of money, and now it is one of the most visited museums in Lithuania. As for the new bank building, one day it will be necessary, because now the bank is scattered in various places, because the building on Gediminas avenue, built “near the tsar”, does not fit everyone. So maybe a new common building. necessary. It is doubtful that the time is right. Yes, there will be jobs for builders, but what is more important now: giving money to builders or transferring it to the budget? “- asked Prof. V. Geralavičius rhetorically.
The new Bank of Lithuania building in the capital’s Žirmūnai district will be designed and supervised by the team of architects Cloud Architects, who won the architecture competition last year, with a contract value of € 953,000 excluding VAT. .
Acts
The architects announce that the new Bank of Lithuania building will be like a cube floating in the air on a green lawn.
“The main entrances to the building are designed as in the relief of the incision, covering the rest of the first floor with a green roof, thus evaluating the requirement that the fifth facade be perfectly visible from the surrounding 9-12 story buildings. The uniqueness of the main volume is given by two aspects: the exclusive space of the atrium, the materiality (yellow color of the wood) and the shape of the interior spaces that seem to create the illusion of gold bars. Likewise, in order to strengthen the image of the bank as a warehouse, for sure, we tried not to mask the construction of the second – cold – facade, but, on the contrary, to clearly display it by lifting it towards the outside of the building. The glass is decorated with a smooth silkscreen pattern, which further emphasizes the illusion of the building mechanism. The night lighting of the facades is solved using the aluminum constructions mentioned, giving the building an even greater image of monumentality ”, says the design of the building.
Up to 600 jobs are planned to be installed at the Žirmūnai complex. The new central bank building is planned to house a conference center, a dining room, a separate storage room and an underground car park.
Algirdas BUTKEVIČIUS, Economist, Vice Chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee of the Seimas, former Prime Minister, comments on the situation:
Now that a country is experiencing such financial difficulties, all investments must be directed where they will produce the highest returns. And the second requirement for those who know finance is that investment is needed to create jobs. These rules apply particularly in times of economic hardship and when public finances are weak. At best, the construction of a bank building will generate short-term economic value or return, only while construction is underway. In fact, it is an investment only in the convenience of the bank’s employees, the improvement of conditions. Therefore, it is definitely inappropriate.
Where should I invest? Even until the construction of any factory. Or, for example, it is better to pave the road in the settlement, as this would improve the conditions of the neighbors, since the neighbors from the rural areas go to the city to work. The road infrastructure, engineering networks is very important, because it encourages people to move to these settlements, to build residential houses, and then families are established that need nurseries, shops, etc. It is an investment in the future. Or another very good investment would be in production, new technologies, since this would reduce costs in the future.
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