The first winner of 20 thousand litas check in „Panorama“

On 18 December a modern leisure and shopping centre “Panorama” (opened in November) was awarded a gold medal in the competition “Lithuanian product of the year 2008” (organized for the 12th time) in the group of industry of constructions and building materials. From the point of view of constructions and engineering, the most complex shopping centre in Baltic countries was built by the company “Merko statyba” under the order of real estate development company “E.L.L. Nekilnojamas turtas”.

“While creating this modern leisure and shopping centre “Panorama” we were seeking to make this project, which is extraordinary at the extent of Baltic states, the example of European quality, and to offer the residents of the state unique and exclusive environment combining comfortable shopping and interesting leisure” said Gediminas Tursa, the general director of the company “E.L.L. Nekilnojamas turtas” which developed this project.

“We are proud to get this award for our leisure and shopping centre. Residents and visitors of Vilnius like “Panorama” and now it is evaluated by the commission of construction specialists. It is an exclusive building which started with an interesting architectural project implemented by appropriate construction solutions” said Arvydas Tyla, new general director of the company “Merko statyba”, who supervised constructions of “Panorama”.

According to him, it is exciting that original solutions applied to “Panorama” were evaluated by the commission of experts of the competition “Product of the year”. Construction specialists, who were evaluating applications for the competition “Lithuanian product of the year 2008”, distinguished scope of the works performed, complexity of the construction object, technologies and innovations applied, high level of the project management and coordination of partners’ activity.

A project for leisure and shopping centre “Panorama” was created by a well-known Finnish company of architecture “Pöyry Architects Oy” together with the Lithuanian architect Vykintas Šeškus. Cotrutors and architects of the shopping centre were awarded the gold medals of the competition “Lithuanian product of the year 2008”.

“Panorama” has exclusive arched special bay window made of unique metal constructions and glass packages; there are no repeated parts, and the total length of the bay window is 94 meters. Due to unique form of “Panorama” building the builders had to use more than 500 nonstandard constructions of reinforced concrete. Moreover, during the construction of “Panorama” infrastructure of environment was handled as well: the surrounding streets were repaired and broadened, and the underpass to the shopping centre could be applied in the future to build subway.

Investments of the company “E.L.L. Nekilnojamas turtas”, which has been developing real estate projects in Lithuania for more than ten years and which belongs to the international network, to “Panorama” project was 270 million litas. Total area of “Panorama” for rent is 60 thousand sq. meters, more than 170 locations of commerce and services are established here and more than twenty of them are presented in Lithuania for the first time. Total area of underground two-floor car park is 60 thousand sq. meters.

The ceremony of awards of the competition “Lithuanian product of the year 2008” organized by Lithuanian industrialist confederation shall take place at Vilnius city Town hall at 10 a.m. on 18 December.

About the company “E.L.L. Nekilnojamas turtas”
“ELL Real Estate” group develops real estate projects in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Implemented projects of shopping centres are: “Saulės miestas” in Šiauliai, “Mandarinas” in Vilnius, “WW Passaaz” and “Viru Keskus” in Tallinn, and the biggest centre of furniture and interior design in Baltic countries “Spice” in Riga. The company also develops projects of residential, hotel and office constructions. An exclusive building of foreign representatives, offices and apartments “Embassy House” in the centre of Vilnius will be finished in 2009.

About the company “Merko statyba”
The construction company “Merko statyba” has been engaged in its activity since 1997 and has experience in the sectors of construction management, design and real estate development. “Merko statyba” provides services of construction management: from design till completion of constructions and guarantee services in post-construction period. Income of the construction company was 137 million litas in three quarters of 2008.
The shopping and leisure centre “Panorama” is the third building of this kind in Lithuania built by “Merko statyba”.