DUALITY II

Victoria Hotel was opened in Memel (former name of Klaipeda) in 1881. At that time, it was a beautiful and elegant building on Palangos/Polangen Street. The origins of the building date back to the Weisses Ross Tavern. At the end of the nineteenth century, the tavern was reconstructed and expanded, thus becoming Victoria Hotel. This hotel was the centre of Klaipeda’s public and cultural life for a long time. Victoria Hotel had a large dining hall, which used to host various feasts, concerts, lectures and exhibition displays. The second reconstruction took place in 1922, while in 1938 the hotel had central heating, a bathroom on each floor and a mechanical washing machine. In soviet times it continued to serve as a hotel with a prestigious restaurant in main hall After "perestroyka" from the end of 1990ths the building was neglected for a long time, but finally since 2017 it has been undergoing reconstructions this year 2022 the totally renewed hotel finally opened the doors So, that large dining hall is exactly the place "Duality" was taken. Actually I had quite a luck to have exclusive access to the building for a few years while it was waiting for reconstruction to begin. 6 floors of apocalypse and white hall as a "cherry on a pie" Quite a number of photoshoots taken there starting from weddings and fashion and up to conceptual nude art. A lot of various accessories passed through this hall: standing clocks, various antique furniture, bed, white piano, acrylic bath and even a motorbike :) High ceiling, bright walls with artistic elements and "old looking surface", large windows with perfect natural light - this is most what a photographer can dream about for some artistic portraiture As mentioned above, finally the reconstruction time approached and this location now remains alive mostly through my photos taken out there.