After waiting for some 80 years finally has been started Latvian national Library project. There still will go time until construction starts. Right now there is built fence around the construction site, on-going investigations of infrastruture around to install new one and to remove the existing ones. There is expected that in next week will start demolition of the houses there. Construction will not starte earlier than in next year.

All the property has been purchased by the state finally.

Project site: (Latvian version is much more informative, with more pictures)
http://www.gaismaspils.lv/

One more informative site:
http://www.lera.com/projects/lv/

http://www.lera.com/pimg/latvianlibrary/8567381_large.jpg

This will be highrise building - 66 m high, extremely costly.

Wow... I don't believe they actually are starting this... :)))

wow! Great to see... now 2 mega baltic cultural projects are UC... (well soon 1 since KUMU will be opened soon)

how costly is it?

Library is just one of the three big cultural projects in Riga, part of the so-called "New three brothers" (includes also contemporary art museum and new concert hall). Library is the most expensive one.

/\ Oh! But any info when the art museum goes UC and the Concert hall...

Tallinn should soon start construction of a new opera theatre at the harbour too...

Costs of those three projects are not known for sure (detailed projects have not been elaborated) - but the estimated costs are:

1. National library - 120 mio EUR project (these costs include wast modernisation of library system in Latvia). To be completed in November 2008.

2. Accoustic concert hall - 42 mio EUR. International architecture tender announced. To be completed by 2010.

3. Museum of Contemporary Art - 28 mio EUR. To be completed by 2010.

120 mio €. NICE, alot of money, hope the result will reflect the cost ;)

Sorry, the total costs of the project are higher. This building with all the whistles and bells within will cost 150 mio EUR.
The company which builds it, shall get bank loan. State will repay it until 2032.

New three brothers homepage
http://www.j3b.gov.lv/lat/jaunumi/zinas

English version will come later.

He hee, some hours ago this Webpage did not work yet...

Quite untypical shape, but that`s cool.

What a nice architecture!

I think the design is outdated :ohno:

Hard to say how the building will look in real life, for example how will be the real colors. Very important is not only form but materials they use outside. their lok and color. and hope they will use as less concrrete outside as possible. this is very boig building especially for the environmenyt where it is located, it should look too monstrous. but light and healthy. Like a part of the nature and river surrounding it. glas, wood, and transparent constructions would be nice.

Great news, this library will really amazing!

A bit stupid question from me ... where exactly will this building stand??? i mean atleast on which street :(

This will be quartal between Kugu iela, Akmenu iela, Valguma iela, Uzvaras bulvaris.
Here map for you with some future highrises too (there will be more than this):
http://img393.imageshack.us/img393/6210/centrslibr1sm.jpg

Behind the library there is expected to rise New City administrative centre, where most likely would be highrises too. Thus the building will not look that massive. Should be noted though that these quartals have some valuable buildings too. One valuable building would be removed to have the place for library.

thnx ;)

Looks like something from the 70s.
Seriously, the design's been around for a while and it's outdated. Why don't they simply announce a new contest?

Why should it be done? There are lots of box shaped skyscrapers built today - they are sooo 1950ies too

Unfortunately I have to agree with blimey here, design looks oldish, besides that it's too massive and bulky. They should have came up with something more contemporary considering the amount of money to be spent on this project.

About time...i think this is the very first project i've ever seen from Riga, almost two-three years ago when I first got interested in such things;)

And personally, I don't see anything wrong with the design.

Here's something thats being built in RIga's neighbourhood...

National library in Minsk (Belarus)

http://newbuilding.nacbibl.org.by/fotostages/2005/jul/IMG_3907_.jpg

That is highly unusual building - the one in Minsk. But I think - I like it.

I think it's Belarussians started a secret space program that world is not aware about :|

That thing in Minsk looks like some military installation, perhaps a secret nuclear launcher site covered under name of "national library" :runaway:

No, its just that...White Russians like their books:yes:

Btw, you guys should see the state of things in Serbia's national library...when it rains, all the books get wet:lol: We need a new one, too:(

Isn't that futuristic diamond shaped library sinking?

The one in Riga looks not that bad to me, it is much better than the one in Minsk. Some more renderings from http://www.j3b.gov.lv/
http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/3530/perspectivesmay161page10ir.jpg

http://img422.imageshack.us/img422/2769/perspectivesmay161page38bw.jpg

Uggliest library I've ever seen, Have to say...

Agreed! I should take some pictures of the beautiful library in Tromsø one of these days. ;) It sure looks a lot better!

Today in TV news there is brodacasted visualisation of the project - very impressive one!
Will look and give a link, when it gets available.