Elektrinė Kauno centre kaip pažangos vaizdinio kartotė

Abstract

The introduced cultural codes play a significant role in the semantic potential and aesthetic expression of a city. Being manifest in a specific location and operating simultaneously with the signs of modern architectural expression as well as the local codes, cultural codes elicit a particular model of social behaviour. This article is devoted to one of such specific perception modifiers - the introduced code of electricity. In the cultural context of the 20th century, electricity is associated with progress, communal prosperity and future welfare. Built in the beginning of (he 20"' century where Union square is presently situated, Kaunas powerstation illustrates these connotations. The choice of the location is partly motivated by technological reasons: the powerstation is at the closest distance from consumers. As a manifestation of the idea of progress, Kaunas powerstation constitutes a striking example of culturological identification of the signs that determine community members' social integration.