ISM University of Management and Economics | Former Vilnius Central Post Office

The current university building is one of the most harmonious examples of historicist architecture in the city, which has undergone many changes of function and reconstruction.

Since its construction in 1886, the building has been a centre of knowledge and information. Later, it housed a bank for many years, and in the 1960s the building was converted into the Vilnius Central Post Office. The young New Wave architects Algimantas and Vytautas Nasvyčiai were commissioned to carry out the reconstruction. It was one of the first buildings to organically combine modern functionalism with old architecture, preserving the façade of the historicist architecture and modernising the space by tripling the size. At the time, the preservation of architecture was viewed rather casually, which is why the Nasvyčiai decision to keep the old façade is exceptional and shows respect for history.

A new reconstruction has brought this historic building back to life for a third time, and the lobby, radiating the aura of Nasvyčiai, is slowly becoming a centre of attraction once again, just as the architects had envisioned – but now it is bustling with students. The building, renovated in a modern Scandinavian style, has been adapted to the needs of the university, while preserving the valuable features of the old building – the architectural heritage created by Nasvyčiai.