Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania

The façade of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania is incorporated into the perimeter of Lukiškės Square. It is a “shadow” building, a monumental piece of socialist realism architecture that still plays an important role in the life of our country.

Since 1958 it has been the home of the Council of Ministers of the LSSR, and in 1990–1991 it was the first home of the Government of the restored Republic of Lithuania. It is now a place where Lithuania’s foreign policy is shaped and where diplomats and guests of foreign delegations are welcomed, unseen by the ordinary passer-by.

The volume of the building, its clear planned corridor structure, its enclosure, the finishing materials and the interior decor reveal the aesthetic elements of the socialist regime and the monumental architectural mood of that period. In 2013, the new Ministry buildings in the courtyard were implemented – hardly visible to passers-by – followed by the construction of a roof terrace. Wide glass galleries, spacious common areas, conference rooms, tempered glass floors, modern finishing materials – all this is a new and different design philosophy for office buildings.

The synthesis of different architectural styles provides an opportunity to compare and evaluate the changes in architectural and interior aesthetics as a result of the changes in the political system and the rise of a new generation of architects.