why is the first sentence strange? what does it set up?

The line goes like,

A squat grey building of only thirty-four stories. Over the main entrance the words “Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre” and, in a shield, the World State's Motto: “Community, Identity, Stability”.

This sets the reader up for a dystopian type society where the population is controlled by a powerful central government. The opening is wonderful because Huxley is able to say so much with so little.