Gatis
February 23rd, 2005, 08:43 PM
Some days ago there was something a bit similar to "flaming" started by me regarding the past of highrises here. Unfortunately it is not easy to find good materials to base my stories about "glorious past dreams" .
Happily latest journal „Latvijas architektura” shows some of the unrealised highrise dreams in Riga from the past. I believe that better investigation would result in a book of proper size, full with interesting pictures, but here come at least some things.
- - -
In the beginning of 20th century in Riga maximum allowed height was only 6 floors. Only on the corners some architects managed to get 8-floor towers. But in some cases there were exceptions. This is one of them – Finnish proposal for Riga City Council building in 1901 – in Old Riga, in place, where Jacob’s caserns are located. 12+ floors ? I have some doubts if all these could be called – floors. But the height of the building should exceed 60 m, I think.
http://img143.exs.cx/img143/166/riga19018if.jpg
In early 1930ies there started ideas about full fledged highrise district in Riga – but there was no demand and not enough financing. Unfortunately no pictures of these plans seen yet. At the end of 1930ies president Ulmanis was much supporting construction of highrises. One more tender for the City Council building... In 1937 won a proposal with 12 floors. As some years passed, there was planned considerably higher office tower. Unfortunately can not find picture.
One of the earlier design proposals – City Council with decorative ~160 m high tower.
http://img143.exs.cx/img143/7070/rigaratsnams6hj.jpg
In 1939 the construction of highrise Riga City council started... but WWII stopped it. Besides this in 1939 there was started construction of highrise Post Office tower – also stopped by WWII. Both buildings were built in Old Riga, although several architects proposed Kipsala for highrise buildings then.
After WWII in late 1940ies there were planned several highrises in Stalin barocco style. The largest, with height ~130 m was planned in Uzvaras parks, but there were several more planned as well. Finally was built only one – 108 m high Academy of Science.
1960ies came with ambitious plans to turn Riga into real highrise city. One of ideas was to make highrise district in Krasta Street, where highrises would repeat panorama of Old Riga:
http://img137.exs.cx/img137/589/krastaiela0xy.jpg
The height of the buildings was above 30 floors. Krasta Street is good place for highrises... a bit sad that it was covered with flat supermarkets in 1990ies.
Another large group of highrises was planned in Centrum (I have posted this before), somewhat lover. This project proposed to demolish many Art Nouveau buildngs and to make extensive underground part in here.
http://img199.exs.cx/img199/8531/centrs60ie2mx.jpg
There was made also tender on architecture to reconstruct centre of Riga. Proposal of Estonian architects proposed large group of administrative highrises in the front of Old City (1969):
http://img143.exs.cx/img143/3186/rigaeestiprojekt0ib.jpg
Group of St Petersburg architects proposed several pretty high buildings too (not well seen here):
http://img143.exs.cx/img143/8471/rigaleningrad3bx.jpg
Development of several highrise districts was included in general plan of Riga.
In 1970ies ambitious highrise district was planned along Deglava Street – main street going from Riga to Moscow direction. There was planned to make it 130 m wide, dig the street in to channel and place numerous highrises along it:
http://img199.exs.cx/img199/7721/deglava4uc.jpg
One of the planned highrises there – hotel „Sputnik”. 1970ies... times of weird taste
http://img143.exs.cx/img143/5271/sputnik8pv.jpg
In 1970ies everybody still expected highrises to be built in places where these were planned in 1960ies... but little happened.
In late 1980ies there was developed another project for highrise district in Kipsala – with detailed design for several buildings well started:
http://img199.exs.cx/img199/1891/kipsala80ie4yp.jpg
To the right from Preses nams you see the planned USSR Institute of Marine Geology – the construction nearly started... but didn’t. The instituted already was moved to Riga – I know many elder Russian scientists, who taught geology to me in highschool. If most Russians here would be like them... one more dream :) To the left from Preses nams – group of public buildings with 25 – 40 floors. I am not sure, but I think that the highest among them was planned as hotel.
Modifications of Kipsala highrise district in late 1980ies – instead of geologists came „Sheraton” and wanted to build large hotel. But the times started to change.
http://img137.exs.cx/img137/7183/kipsalasheraton6zc.jpg
One of several un-realised projects from 1990ies: „Sarlotes centrs”. Located in Art Nouveau centre, corner of Brivibas, Miera and Sarlotes Streets. Now here stands abandoned Functionalism building and small green square. I think that highrise here would not fit... and am glad that it was not built. Project in 1995, architect V. Valgums – he designed also „Saules akmens”. Not that high yet:
http://img143.exs.cx/img143/9183/sarlotescentrs8oc.jpg
Later version, from 1999, German architects, some 35 floors. I think, this highrise as such is great... just the place is wrong:
http://img143.exs.cx/img143/5018/sarlotescentrs28wt.jpg
All these unsuccessful projects made Riga planners very careful about new highrises and created confidence that highrise district should be developed very carefully. Population in Riga was very negative towards highrises in 1990 as well - last decades with the attempts to destroy historical centre have made people angered about highrises. I hope, that most of the errors from the past have been taken into account today.
- - -
This account by far is not full. There have been many more unfulfilled "dreams".
One contemporary picture.... Look from Saules akmens to narrow strip of land between Balasta dambis street and Agenskalna Gulf. Do you believe that three highrises are planned here?
http://img143.exs.cx/img143/4748/balastadambis5ei.jpg
In front, where the building with red roof stands: DAM Property building, 25 floors. Behind you see grey roof of River passenger station – here would be built 25 – 28 floor „da Vinci”, 95 m high. It will have large ground part as well. On the other side of Zunda channel, on corner there is planned 20-floor apartment „house on the hill”.
Happily latest journal „Latvijas architektura” shows some of the unrealised highrise dreams in Riga from the past. I believe that better investigation would result in a book of proper size, full with interesting pictures, but here come at least some things.
- - -
In the beginning of 20th century in Riga maximum allowed height was only 6 floors. Only on the corners some architects managed to get 8-floor towers. But in some cases there were exceptions. This is one of them – Finnish proposal for Riga City Council building in 1901 – in Old Riga, in place, where Jacob’s caserns are located. 12+ floors ? I have some doubts if all these could be called – floors. But the height of the building should exceed 60 m, I think.
http://img143.exs.cx/img143/166/riga19018if.jpg
In early 1930ies there started ideas about full fledged highrise district in Riga – but there was no demand and not enough financing. Unfortunately no pictures of these plans seen yet. At the end of 1930ies president Ulmanis was much supporting construction of highrises. One more tender for the City Council building... In 1937 won a proposal with 12 floors. As some years passed, there was planned considerably higher office tower. Unfortunately can not find picture.
One of the earlier design proposals – City Council with decorative ~160 m high tower.
http://img143.exs.cx/img143/7070/rigaratsnams6hj.jpg
In 1939 the construction of highrise Riga City council started... but WWII stopped it. Besides this in 1939 there was started construction of highrise Post Office tower – also stopped by WWII. Both buildings were built in Old Riga, although several architects proposed Kipsala for highrise buildings then.
After WWII in late 1940ies there were planned several highrises in Stalin barocco style. The largest, with height ~130 m was planned in Uzvaras parks, but there were several more planned as well. Finally was built only one – 108 m high Academy of Science.
1960ies came with ambitious plans to turn Riga into real highrise city. One of ideas was to make highrise district in Krasta Street, where highrises would repeat panorama of Old Riga:
http://img137.exs.cx/img137/589/krastaiela0xy.jpg
The height of the buildings was above 30 floors. Krasta Street is good place for highrises... a bit sad that it was covered with flat supermarkets in 1990ies.
Another large group of highrises was planned in Centrum (I have posted this before), somewhat lover. This project proposed to demolish many Art Nouveau buildngs and to make extensive underground part in here.
http://img199.exs.cx/img199/8531/centrs60ie2mx.jpg
There was made also tender on architecture to reconstruct centre of Riga. Proposal of Estonian architects proposed large group of administrative highrises in the front of Old City (1969):
http://img143.exs.cx/img143/3186/rigaeestiprojekt0ib.jpg
Group of St Petersburg architects proposed several pretty high buildings too (not well seen here):
http://img143.exs.cx/img143/8471/rigaleningrad3bx.jpg
Development of several highrise districts was included in general plan of Riga.
In 1970ies ambitious highrise district was planned along Deglava Street – main street going from Riga to Moscow direction. There was planned to make it 130 m wide, dig the street in to channel and place numerous highrises along it:
http://img199.exs.cx/img199/7721/deglava4uc.jpg
One of the planned highrises there – hotel „Sputnik”. 1970ies... times of weird taste
http://img143.exs.cx/img143/5271/sputnik8pv.jpg
In 1970ies everybody still expected highrises to be built in places where these were planned in 1960ies... but little happened.
In late 1980ies there was developed another project for highrise district in Kipsala – with detailed design for several buildings well started:
http://img199.exs.cx/img199/1891/kipsala80ie4yp.jpg
To the right from Preses nams you see the planned USSR Institute of Marine Geology – the construction nearly started... but didn’t. The instituted already was moved to Riga – I know many elder Russian scientists, who taught geology to me in highschool. If most Russians here would be like them... one more dream :) To the left from Preses nams – group of public buildings with 25 – 40 floors. I am not sure, but I think that the highest among them was planned as hotel.
Modifications of Kipsala highrise district in late 1980ies – instead of geologists came „Sheraton” and wanted to build large hotel. But the times started to change.
http://img137.exs.cx/img137/7183/kipsalasheraton6zc.jpg
One of several un-realised projects from 1990ies: „Sarlotes centrs”. Located in Art Nouveau centre, corner of Brivibas, Miera and Sarlotes Streets. Now here stands abandoned Functionalism building and small green square. I think that highrise here would not fit... and am glad that it was not built. Project in 1995, architect V. Valgums – he designed also „Saules akmens”. Not that high yet:
http://img143.exs.cx/img143/9183/sarlotescentrs8oc.jpg
Later version, from 1999, German architects, some 35 floors. I think, this highrise as such is great... just the place is wrong:
http://img143.exs.cx/img143/5018/sarlotescentrs28wt.jpg
All these unsuccessful projects made Riga planners very careful about new highrises and created confidence that highrise district should be developed very carefully. Population in Riga was very negative towards highrises in 1990 as well - last decades with the attempts to destroy historical centre have made people angered about highrises. I hope, that most of the errors from the past have been taken into account today.
- - -
This account by far is not full. There have been many more unfulfilled "dreams".
One contemporary picture.... Look from Saules akmens to narrow strip of land between Balasta dambis street and Agenskalna Gulf. Do you believe that three highrises are planned here?
http://img143.exs.cx/img143/4748/balastadambis5ei.jpg
In front, where the building with red roof stands: DAM Property building, 25 floors. Behind you see grey roof of River passenger station – here would be built 25 – 28 floor „da Vinci”, 95 m high. It will have large ground part as well. On the other side of Zunda channel, on corner there is planned 20-floor apartment „house on the hill”.