Time to make a new highrise encyclopaedia for Riga... This one includes only the future highrises over 20 floors, not the ones which are built or u/c. Veery exclusive list, btw. ;)
Picture of Riga city development plan, I have encircled the potential groups of highrises. Blue color in the map means - highrises allowed.
http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/5319/attplans3zu.jpg

Kipsala, Kliversala
1. Da Vinci – 25-27 floors, 95 m, multi-use. Approval for construction works was pending in early November... but then proposal disappeared – may be some mistakes were noticed and are corrected now. Works should start in this December or early 2006.
http://img140.exs.cx/img140/6817/davinci7ep.jpg
2, 3, 4. Vertikala pasaule complex. Height and floor count unknown (one building should be at least 35 floors and up to 50 floors high), most likely three highrise buildings. Approval for construction waiting since early October this year. Works may start in this December or early 2006, site is prepared.
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/7289/vertikalapasaule24okt053bk.jpg
5. Balasta dambis 11, 20 floors, high-end apartments. Architecture tender ended in spring this year, results approved by authorities, now technical design under elaboration? To be started in 2006 or 2007?
http://img140.exs.cx/img140/2576/balasta110gr.jpg
6. DAM properties building, 25 floors. Architecture tender has ended? 2006 or 2007...
One of design proposals... Although it seems – another by Behnisch has won, not this one.
http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/2205/dam36qn.jpg
7., 8. Akropole I and II – both – 30 floors office towers. There were several false starts announced, now the exact start of construction unknown – may be somewhere over the 2008. Some demolition works on the site on-going. I am not sure if this is the final design.
http://img263.echo.cx/img263/9827/image19tz.jpg
9. – 13. Kliversala highrise district, 5 highrise buildings up to 24 floors. International tender on draft design ended, now technical design starting. Waiting for approval of demolition in construction site. The first might be started 24-floor hotel, but I don’t believe that this will happen before late 2006.
http://img462.imageshack.us/img462/9826/4kl262sy.jpg
Most likely there are two – three more highrises under preparation in this area.

Panorama Plaza, Spice

14. Panorama Plaza III – 30 floors, 114 m high, high-end apartments – everything approved, should be started in 2006.
15. Panorama Plaza IV – 25 floors, 99 m, high-end apartments - everything approved, should be started in 2006.
In the picture - two buildings in the right side
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/38/panorplaza3tf.jpg
16. Remtes Street office complex (close to the supermarket „Spice”, near Panorama Plaza), 24-26 floors. Public hearings of draft design on-going until 4th January 2006. Most likely works will start in 2006, although it seems - pile driving on-going right now. Architect - Finnish "Evata".
http://img486.imageshack.us/img486/1773/remtes46dec056me.jpg
Unfortunately no highrises expected here anymore. But you can never be sure.

Skanstes Street area
After initial loud announcements turns out – this will be mostly 12 – 20 floor area, few buildings will go over 20 floors. But some are in pipeline anyway.
17 – 19. Skanstes Street residentials – two of them 24 floors high, one – 22 floors high. Earlier it was said that construction may start in late 2005, but I do not see any proposals or permits. 2006???
http://img229.exs.cx/img229/977/skaev37ey.jpg
20.? Hotel in Skanste Street area??? Some years ago it was announced as a highrise building, 20+ floors. This hotel will be owned by one of the big international hotel chains – but the height of the building unknown. Approval for draft design pending.
- „Hanzas dārzi” – just an idea of highrise district close to Skanstes street highrise district, up to 24 floors. Developer – „Aizkraukles banka”. Who can say if this will be realised:
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/5094/hanzasdarzs49uq.jpg
- „Skonto” quartal – several highrises, designing will start after Worl Ice Hockey championship – after spring 2006. I don’t think those will be over 20 floors.

Lucavsala, Zakusala
21 - 24. Lucavsala highrises by Merks, up to 28 floors, a bit more than 100 m, several more over 20 floors. Detailed planning approved, public hearings of design until 23rd December, in early 2006 will be handed over for Riga City Council for approval. Construction shall start in 2006.
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/1455/lucavs36dec058yh.jpg
- Zakusala Estates complex. This project has been thoroughly prepared over the last years, highrises included in Riga City development plan. Now company „Zakusala Estates” is recruiting staff. Group of several highrises, at least one – above 25 floors. Seems – this can’t start before 2007.
- Lucavsala highrise district by consortium „Lucavsala”. With every day hopes for this 910 mio EUR project are waning. Seems, developer has to wait for a bit more friendly City Council? Meanwhile other projects in Riga might overshadow this one.
http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/8063/lucavsala37oa.jpg

Krasta Street
- Zvirgzdusala highrise complex. Idea approved in early 2005, since then not heard about it. Up to 24 floors. Can’t start before 2007 IMHO.
http://img473.imageshack.us/img473/6955/grapju5zb.jpg
There could come several more 20+ floors buildings in this area.

Purvciems and vicinities
25. Apartment highrise on Dzelzavas street, 24 floors – timing and stage of the project unknown.
http://img473.imageshack.us/img473/8867/dzelzavas9nh.jpg
26. Office tower on G. Astras Street, 24 floors – idea approved in late 2004, not heard about the project since then.
http://img140.exs.cx/img140/2209/purvciems1cp.jpg
27. and 28. Two apartment towers on G. Astras Street - 22 and 24 floors. Construction should end in 2007 - construction site under preparation.
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/869/gastras0sq.jpg

Jugla gates
27. Apartment highrise in Jugla, up to 25 floors – was proposed by developer „Savibalts” one year ago, since then not heard about it.
The other half of Juglas Gates is silent too...

Some other projects:
- Riga city adminstrative centre – political decision has been taken, early preparation stages, could become reality somewhere around 2010 IMHO. In the last months it was included in Riga Development plan, not shown in the overview plan above. Will include several highrises, some over 30 floors.
- Mukusala highrise district (near Lucavsala) idea – up to 24 floors. Most likely would not be supported.
- At least four highrises near airport (outside Riga) – up to 24 floors, 95 meters. Very good management behind – might become true in few years.
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/706/lidosta29uj.jpg
- Potential highrise "gates" for Jurmala - at least two highrises at the entrance into city. Still under question.

Really nice :runaway:
Interesting, how will the skyline look like when the highrises are so spread around the city.
My favorite projects:
Kliversala highrise district
Zvirgzdusala highrise complex

Very good list, Gati ! Exclusive, indeed...

My biggest hopes still are set on Kliversala and Kipsala proposals, but seems some real results might be visible earlier at Skanstes str./ Arena Riga area than Kipsala or Kliversala...
Good job btw Gati ;)

Interesting, how will the skyline look like when the highrises are so spread around the city.
This is not chaotic spread. City planned for a long time to create possibly good locations for highrises. F.e. the size of Kipsala-Kliversala does not allow to have all the highrises for Riga - this is small area encircled with valuable architecture, not too many roads leading to it. This area is left for a group of 15 - 20 high-end skyscrapers up to 50 floors high.

Skanste Street area initially was planned to be higher - exceeding 40 floors - but then it was decided that this might degrade the views in historical centre - Skanste Street area is bordering it.

Lucavsala and Zakusala are good locations for highrise districts - but they are a bit far away from the Centre, are available only by very congested bridge. They will develop more successfully when two more bridges over Daugava would be built - but as you see, something will start already in 2006.
Krasta Street seems to be ideal place - but somehow developers did not like it so far. Now some willing ones have appeared.

Podrags and M. Kempes Streets - both are "entrance" gates at future highways leading into Riga. Highrises there will come not earlier than around 2015 IMHO - and only if Riga manages to become a centre or larger importance.

Other highrises have been placed to form a "vertical accents" when entering Riga City. Successful directions (f.e. airport+Jurmala) are developing now, less prestigious ones (Rumbula) are waiting for further development of Riga City.
All of this should look good IMHO.

this is fantastic!!

Well...Some pretty incredible clusters of skyscrapers...I can imagine the scenery in 5 years time...The city will look magical at night!!!...Congrats Riga!!!

Updated in 6th December - added pictures for Lucavsala highrise district and Remtes Street office highrise, some changes in descriptions.

Looks fantastic. I'd only call one of them a skyscraper....but I guess we've been over that before. In any case, I see that the people of Riga is more progress-firendly than the people of Oslo.

This list is quite scary. One of my favourite project is Balasta Dambis. And this (http://img140.exs.cx/img140/2576/balasta110gr.jpg) picture looks cool, but dunno will there be such skyline as seen in the background.

What about Solaris highrises and surroundings? Any updates from that area? I remeber it was looking impressive from plane when landing this summer in Riga airport...

About Solaris.. if i'm not mistaken, they were talking about more Solaris-type highrises, if this project turned out to be successful.. as far as i know, all apartments in both houses are sold out (?).. any rumours if they're (parkhaus) planning new buildings?

So many nice highrises..

Very nice clusters of skyscrapers. Riga is beautiful!

Thanks for positive replies :) (Now I behave as if I am financing, permitting and designing those highrises)
About Solaris III, IV and V - since I have not heard about these plans for one year, I excluded them from the list. Teoretically there is place for three more highrises - when you look at the blue area in the map (upper picture)
Developer of Solaris - Parkhaus - some time ago wanted to build 24-floorer in Kipsala. They are doing something for sure, but it is not disclosed - what exactly.
Here - recent picture of one Solaris building:
http://test.parkhaus.lv/new8/images/IMG_3185.jpg

I simply tried to do the best and to exclude less likely projects. :)

I simply tried to do the best and to exclude less likely projects. :)

It's interesting now to compare. Only the ugliest/less needed highrises - Skanstes, Panorama plaza (and also just 2 out of 4) and Astra Lux - has been built of this list. :ohno: It's interesting though, why Riga wasn't able to build them (at least start) even in the Fat years when there was a real estate madness going on. Did these investors foresaw the coming crash and was farsighted enough not to start these projects? Or they just didn't managed in time because of some bureaucracy (and corruption) in official insititutions - and now they can be thankful for that bureaucracy/corruption because otherwise they would be bankrupted with all those towers which all would be empty of buyers/tenants now?

Fat years here were linked with incredible bureaucracy and... really, corruption. Another factor - incredible unwillingness of Latvians to allow something new - public pressure delayed development plan, city planners delayed plans for development of left bank with "overkill" skyline planning. What is funny - at the end Grindex & Co comes and kicks all those golden plans.

While in other countries corruption helps to build skyscrapers (there's a lot more corruption in planning issues in developed countries than we can imagine), here in Latvia it does not help - explained by internal conflicts between different "clans" and constant changes in their power balance. As some Italian businessman have said to me - in Italy everything is clear - you know where to pay - and things go ahead. In many other countries - the same - f.e. Ireland was mentioned as "good" example. Old, stable and reliable systems. But in Latvia they can never find out - what to do - some parts of system are corrupt, some not, and there is constant change. "Poor investors"... :D

As some Italian businessman have said to me - in Italy everything is clear - you know where to pay - and things go ahead. In many other countries - the same - f.e. Ireland was mentioned as "good" example. Old, stable and reliable systems. But in Latvia they can never find out - what to do - some parts of system are corrupt, some not, and there is constant change. "Poor investors"... :D

Well, maybe our "Obama" could bring Italian style stability of corruption schemes in Riga :lol:

next one will smash it and make his own, be sure :D

Some very long ago forgotten thread! A bit funny to look it through! :) What was an optimism back then, so many plans, projections, hopes raised.. A big pity most of that is gone..