The Lačpleša Skvērs project is being built on a landmark site in Riga: in past centuries, the area was home to many high-profile film and theatre premieres, smoky factories and amazing architectural objects. Today, the neighbourhood continues to change, and new buildings are being designed and constructed with the same respect for the past.
Lačpleša street, after which Lačpleša Skvērs is named, is located in the center of Riga: it extends from Krišjāņa Valdemāra street to the Island Bridge. The construction began in the 19th century, when Art Nouveau was actively developing. This architectural trend came about thanks to a new type of client – mainly industrialists who opened factories in Riga. Both of these factors had an impact on the appearance of the street and its surroundings: there are many revenue houses and other Riga Art Nouveau’s objects, as well as former industrial buildings.
We studied the heritage of the neighbourhood and its diverse development in order to sensitively integrate the Lačpleša Skvērs project into this historical context and create a modern yet authentic space.
Street of Hero
A long time ago, the oldest section of Láčplēš Street consisted of sandy roads, which is why it was first called Mazā Smilšu iela (Small Sand street). Most likely, the toponym emerged at the end of the 18th – beginning of the 19th century; in any case, in 1803 it was already marked on the map from Lazaretnaya (now Valdemar) Street to Bannaya (Baron) Street.
In the 19th century, Malaya Pesochnaya extended to what is now 13 January Street – then Romanovka. According to one version, it was named in honour of the reigning Romanov dynasty, according to another, in honour of the Romanov gardeners – their bathhouses and vegetable gardens were located in this part of the city. The street received its present name in 1923 in honour of the national hero Lačplesis, and it was changed only once – during the two-year German occupation in World War II.
Lačplesis is the son of a man and a bear, a symbol that embodies the spirit of the nation, its struggle and its mythical origins. He can be compared to the brave warrior Väinämöinen from the Finnish “Kalevala” or Siegfried from the “Nibelungenlied”. The appearance of this hero is connected with the Latvian national revival at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries: the poet Andrejs Pumpuras, one of the brightest representatives of Latvian “folk romanticism”, embodied him in the epic of the same name.
During the First Republic of Latvia, there was a military order of Lāčplēsis, and the day on which soldiers who fought for independence are remembered in Latvia is named after him – it is celebrated every year on 11 November.
Street of Romanticism
Not only Lāčplēsis itself, but also many of the buildings on this street are iconic symbols of national revival – sometimes it is even called “the street of Latvian romanticism”. This part of the city – the former St. Petersburg Forstadt – was most actively built up in the early 20th century until the First World War.
Many fine examples of Art Nouveau by famous Riga architects can be found here, off the beaten track: at 21 Lāčplēša Street is a house designed by Rudolf Filipp Donberg, with a cylindrical tower and ornamentation stylised in the patterns of fabrics and jewellery. Its muted colour scheme is reminiscent of the houses at 70 and 70b Lāčplēša Street, designed by Eugens Laube and Ernest Pole.
At the opposite end of the street, at 100 Lāčplēša Street, there is another example of the use of national motifs – the architect Nikolai Yakovlev used images from northern fairy tales to create the so-called House of the Witch – it got its unofficial name from a relief of a witch on a broomstick. The fairytale image of the house is complemented by images of firebirds and a fresco of a stern fortress in the upper part of the facade.
House No. 7, on the corner of Lāčplēša Street and Skolas Street, was built in a completely different, rational way: it is characterised by strict geometry and narrow windows on the risalites, protrusions along the entire length of the wall. Its author was Paul Mandelstam, a graduate of the Riga Polytechnic, who designed more than 70 public and residential buildings in Riga in the 1920s, as well as the city’s water supply system and electric tram.
For all the intricacy and historicism of its décor, Art Nouveau was the embodiment of the most advanced technologies of its time: concrete, a very new material, was often used in its construction, the houses were equipped with advanced heating systems and in some cases even elevators.
These buildings grew alongside wooden houses, some of which have survived to the present day and make up the colourful development of Lāčplēša Street. In 1819, for example, a boys’ school was built here, which was recently renovated according to the design of architect Zaiga Gailė. It is now the Riga College of Applied Arts and the largest historic wooden building in Riga – its facade is 40 metres long.
Street of Premier
In addition to modern buildings, Lāčplēša Street was famous for its entertainment at the beginning of the 20th century. One of the oldest cinemas in Riga – Grand Cinema – was located on the first floor of the apartment building at 52/54. This is what the press wrote about it on the eve of its opening:
“Today [December 13, 1912 New Style] will be the opening of Riga’s most important first-class cinema “Grand Kino” in large luxurious premises. Romanova Street 52/54, on the corner of Mariinska Street. Unseen pictures”.
By the time the Grand Kino began operating, the New Latvian Theater (later the New Riga Theater) had already existed intermittently in Riga for ten years; it was associated with the work of prominent Latvian playwrights Rūdolfs Blaumanis, Rainis and Aspazija. The latter’s play “Sidraba šķidrauts” (“The Silver Veil”) was staged in 1905, reflecting the bloody events of the revolution; due to the politicized nature of the play, the police broke into the theater right during the second act and sealed the building.
The theater was able to continue its work only three years later and moved into the building at 25 Lāčplēša Street. It was replaced by the Dailes Theater (1920-1977), then the State Young Spectator Theater of the Latvian SSR (1977-1992). Since 1992, the New Riga Theater with two stages has been here again. Alvis Hermanis, a star of European directing, has been the artistic director of the theater for 28 years; in addition to Latvia, his productions have been staged in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and other countries.
With Respect For the Past
In the 21st century, Lāčplēša Street and its surroundings have evolved through the elegant renovation of its industrial and residential heritage. Many houses have been carefully restored, including the magnificent neoclassical house of the architect Eižens Laube at 48 Lāčplēša.
Closer to the Central Railway Station, the Zuzeum, a museum of contemporary art, will open in 2020 on the site of the former early 19th-century cork factory and the Riga Hydrometeopribor experimental plant. Many industrial features, including brick walls and a cylindrical tower, have been preserved and are the main value of the project.
New buildings are rarely erected in this part of Riga, as it is very close to the Old Town, which has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997, and this area is considered a protected zone. As a developer who plans to develop the Lačpleša Skvērs mixed-use quarter, this proximity places an additional responsibility on us: we are required to make delicate and precise decisions that will not conflict with the historical building.
The total area of Lačpleša Skvērs is almost 60,000 m². The project is a new urban quarter, which organically combines open spaces and a spacious event area. It will be the centre of public activity, aimed not only at the residents of the quarter, but at all citizens, especially pedestrians and cyclists. At the same time, large car parks will be provided for drivers.
Quarter’s Future
The main goal of the project is therefore to create a fully-fledged, comfortable and functional neighborhood for living, working and recreation, while integrating it harmoniously into the historic environment.
⊛ Respect for history
Honouring the industrial heritage of the district, the semantic centre and dominant of Lačpleša Skvērs will not be a new object, but an existing chimney from the 19th century. It will be surrounded by a place for meetings and walks.
⊛ Caring for the citizens
The quarter will be built according to the “city within a city” principle: in addition to 600 apartments, there will be a lot of commercial space: the area of offices, cafes, shops and other commercial premises will amount to about 14,000 m². In total, there will be 10 buildings in Lāčplēša Skvērs: 6 residential and 4 office buildings.
⊛ Sustainability
The project is positioned as green and environmentally friendly: special attention will be paid to the preservation of existing plantings and the planting of new trees, evergreen shrubs and flower beds. Energy-efficient façade solutions will provide natural climate control for the interiors.
⊛ Sophisticated image
When working with historic buildings, it is particularly important to choose new materials and solutions that emphasise the old textures. To highlight the industrial past of the district, clinker bricks will be used on the facades in combination with modern materials and compositional solutions.
The Lačpleša Skvērs project is the answer to the question of how to preserve and enhance the value of the historic environment without rejecting new construction. In 2022, it was nominated by the BRELF Awards jury for the most ambitious concept among Latvian real estate projects.
In the future, this area will become another cultural symbol of the district, a place for festivals, exhibitions, shows and a meeting place for many talents and heroes.
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