Urban planning and architectural concept proposal

The building proposal respects the rules for the use and construction of the territory of the historical center of Riga and its protection zone, the conditions of the territory of the city-building monument of national importance and the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage site “Riga City Historical Center”, creating a modern and contextual building structure of the block. The extent of the new construction volume, according to the current building regulations, is designed along the perimeter of Kr. Barona Street, with a blocked courtyard at the back, which is designed with deviations from all the borders of the land plot. Respecting the character and scale of buildings of the historical center of Riga city and the peculiarities of this quarter, but not avoiding modern technologies and material possibilities, the proposed solution creates a dialogue between centuries, creating added value to the spatial environment.

The new buildings facade on the streetside was created in the context of the different heights of the adjacent volumes, their distinguishing facade composition and graphic nature (vertical and horizontal), the unfinished composition of the Kr. Barona Street 30 building (due to the unfinished right wing), as well as the widely used spatial element in the surrounding buildings – bay windows. This makes it possible to create a spatially sculptural, but at the same time elegantly austere street facade of the new building, which does not compete with the magnificent left wing of the building built in the national romantic style at 30 Kr. Barona Street, but creates a compositional balance for it and a slightly flickering background that changes over time. The facade is designed in a glass facade system (eg Schüco), which has a double facade with sliding perforated metal panels of different density. The proportions of the panels are designed according to the characteristic proportions of the neighboring buildings. The glazing of the north-west facade and the modifiability of the sliding panels open up wide possibilities for transformation for open-plan offices.
  • PROJECT TYPE

    Competition;
    Public architecture;
    Residential architecture

  • TEAM

    LAAGA ARCHITECTS: Madara Gibze, Paulis Gibze
    Independent architects and artists:
    Elza Rone-Sila, Kristians Mednis

  • LOCATION

    Center, Riga, Latvia

  • TIME

    2018. y.

  • TOTAL AREA

    3 700 m²,
    785 m² (underground parking lot)