P.s. If you have a quality photos of renovated historical buildings in Riga and have a patience to write at least few words of comment (at least a building's address), you are welcomed to add to this thread.
Riga Renovations Photo Thread
Decided to make a thread devoted to renovations/reconstructions in Riga last years.
The inner demand is not strong enough but mainly because of trade with residence permits, Riga real estate business has revived - here and there appears renovated historical buildings in Riga centre last years. That's the positive effect of otherwise strongly criticized programme which brings in immigrants mainly from Russia (but also other post-USSR countries and also China (well, Chinese mostly buys cheaper property in countryside not in Riga or Jurmala like wealthy Russians).
1. Valmieras street 28 (1903), one of nicest buildings in centre's southern area of Grīziņkalns, has recently became renovated. Developer has named it "Imperial Residence" and are selling flats there with such texts: "the elegant multi-apartment building is located in the center of Riga, it is surrounded by landscaped, green parks, prestigious restaurants and the most exclusive buildings and offices in Riga". Everyone who knows this area laughs out loud. There are nor "prestiogious restaurants" neither "most exclusive buildings and offices", also nearest parks (Grīziņkalna park and Ziedoņdārzs) are more than km away. Actually this is a run-down, neglected area with lots of traffic on this street (I had to wait some 10 minutes to take this shot with only 2 cars). Apart from that, of course, it's great that Riga has got another tied-up historical building.
After renovation
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Before renovation
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2. Ģertrūdes street 23. Ģertrūdes 23 is one of my favorite buildings in Riga (it has 2 "sisters" - similar buildings in the centre). It is considered as a predecessor of Functionalism style, although it was built in 1909 (architect Eižens Laube), in National romanticism (Art Nouveau) style. The building is renovated about a year ago and the original black color has been changed to white. On the second photo you can see how bad it looked couple of years ago.
After renovation
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Before renovation
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3. Barona street 49. Building on Barona and Stabu streets corner (Barona iela 49, built in 1911) is also named as one of predecessors of Functionalism style in Riga, although basically it belongs to Vertical Art Nouveau. It has got a renovation recently.
After renovation
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Before renovation
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4. Elizabetes street 31
After renovation
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Before renovation
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5. Elizabetes street 21a. Some buildings in Riga are being renovated even when they don't need it very much, while some others screams for renovation for years and nothing happens. This building, in Elizabetes 21a was recently a few years ago but as you see in the second picture, before it wasn't that bad at all. Just a quarter away, there stands more beautiful building which is abandoned and falls apart...
About the building: Elizabetes street 21a was built as a tenement house in 1910 (architect: Mārtiņš Ņukša). This neoclassicism+early modernism building is said to be one of the first pioneers of it's style, which was further developed a decade later with buildings in Poland, Czech Republic and elsewhere.
After renovation
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Before renovation
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6. Stabu street 9. Some buildings are renovated also by municipality, mostly schools. This is such a building on Stabu street 9, built in 1904 and was one of the first "rational" Art Nouveau buildings in the city. It's located in quiet centre place where traffic isn't intensive, nice and calmer area.
After renovation
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Before renovation
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To be continued...
The inner demand is not strong enough but mainly because of trade with residence permits, Riga real estate business has revived - here and there appears renovated historical buildings in Riga centre last years. That's the positive effect of otherwise strongly criticized programme which brings in immigrants mainly from Russia (but also other post-USSR countries and also China (well, Chinese mostly buys cheaper property in countryside not in Riga or Jurmala like wealthy Russians).
1. Valmieras street 28 (1903), one of nicest buildings in centre's southern area of Grīziņkalns, has recently became renovated. Developer has named it "Imperial Residence" and are selling flats there with such texts: "the elegant multi-apartment building is located in the center of Riga, it is surrounded by landscaped, green parks, prestigious restaurants and the most exclusive buildings and offices in Riga". Everyone who knows this area laughs out loud. There are nor "prestiogious restaurants" neither "most exclusive buildings and offices", also nearest parks (Grīziņkalna park and Ziedoņdārzs) are more than km away. Actually this is a run-down, neglected area with lots of traffic on this street (I had to wait some 10 minutes to take this shot with only 2 cars). Apart from that, of course, it's great that Riga has got another tied-up historical building.
After renovation
Before renovation
2. Ģertrūdes street 23. Ģertrūdes 23 is one of my favorite buildings in Riga (it has 2 "sisters" - similar buildings in the centre). It is considered as a predecessor of Functionalism style, although it was built in 1909 (architect Eižens Laube), in National romanticism (Art Nouveau) style. The building is renovated about a year ago and the original black color has been changed to white. On the second photo you can see how bad it looked couple of years ago.
After renovation
Before renovation
3. Barona street 49. Building on Barona and Stabu streets corner (Barona iela 49, built in 1911) is also named as one of predecessors of Functionalism style in Riga, although basically it belongs to Vertical Art Nouveau. It has got a renovation recently.
After renovation
Before renovation
4. Elizabetes street 31
After renovation
Before renovation
5. Elizabetes street 21a. Some buildings in Riga are being renovated even when they don't need it very much, while some others screams for renovation for years and nothing happens. This building, in Elizabetes 21a was recently a few years ago but as you see in the second picture, before it wasn't that bad at all. Just a quarter away, there stands more beautiful building which is abandoned and falls apart...
About the building: Elizabetes street 21a was built as a tenement house in 1910 (architect: Mārtiņš Ņukša). This neoclassicism+early modernism building is said to be one of the first pioneers of it's style, which was further developed a decade later with buildings in Poland, Czech Republic and elsewhere.
After renovation
Before renovation
6. Stabu street 9. Some buildings are renovated also by municipality, mostly schools. This is such a building on Stabu street 9, built in 1904 and was one of the first "rational" Art Nouveau buildings in the city. It's located in quiet centre place where traffic isn't intensive, nice and calmer area.
After renovation
Before renovation
To be continued...
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7. "Viršu dārzs" is a children garden building in Mežaparks district, elitist villas area. It was restored few years ago, in the upper picture it's a photo of it after restoration and in the lower picture - how the building together with surroundings looked few years back. Originally it was built in 1939, it was women's rehabilitation clinic back then. It was turned into children garden in Soviet times. After regaining independence, the building was almost given to some embassy, but then finally a heiress was found who resigned from ownership but with condition that children garden will be preserved here.
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8. School building on Tērbatas street 15/17 was the first of National Romanticism buildings in Riga - Latvian national architecture style. This building is especially interesting with exclusive materials used in construction - for example, travertine used in facade cladding was brought from Staburags cliff. It becomes even more unique when you know the fact that Staburags was sunked later when Soviets built a hydro power plant on Daugava - now this cliff is under water for decades.
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9. This building, located in the very heart of a city - Dom square - is now a Foreign Art museum in Riga, so, if Riga is "small Paris", then this is our "small Louvre". Historically the building used to be Riga Bourse. It was renovated few years ago, on the second pic you see how it looked before (actually not bad either):
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10. Cēsu street 23 - large and charming pre-war tenement house which previously falled apart is now renovated. This building was built in 1908, and it represents the so-called "rational" Art Nouveau which is more minimalistic but elegant anyway. The architect is Konstantīns Pēkšēns which in overall has designed >250 (!!) buildings in Riga.
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8. School building on Tērbatas street 15/17 was the first of National Romanticism buildings in Riga - Latvian national architecture style. This building is especially interesting with exclusive materials used in construction - for example, travertine used in facade cladding was brought from Staburags cliff. It becomes even more unique when you know the fact that Staburags was sunked later when Soviets built a hydro power plant on Daugava - now this cliff is under water for decades.
9. This building, located in the very heart of a city - Dom square - is now a Foreign Art museum in Riga, so, if Riga is "small Paris", then this is our "small Louvre". Historically the building used to be Riga Bourse. It was renovated few years ago, on the second pic you see how it looked before (actually not bad either):
10. Cēsu street 23 - large and charming pre-war tenement house which previously falled apart is now renovated. This building was built in 1908, and it represents the so-called "rational" Art Nouveau which is more minimalistic but elegant anyway. The architect is Konstantīns Pēkšēns which in overall has designed >250 (!!) buildings in Riga.
Thanks, Tin_Can! Just large part of this historical heritage is still breaking apart... Many great (and between them some truly outstanding) buildings can become lost forever.
But... not these ones!
11. Probably the restoration number 1 of previous years in Riga is culture palace "Ziemeļblāzma" ("Northern Lights"), an Art Nouveau architectural gem from 1913, located in Vecmīlgrāvis district. The weirdest fact about this impressive building is that it's architect officially is unknown (but some sources indicates the drawings could have been made by Augusts Dombrovskis who financed the construction, with the help of certified architect Gustavs Šķilters). It's recent renovation costed around 13 mio EUR and now it has reborn as a notorious culture centre for north-eastern area of Riga. In the lowest photo you can see how the place looked few years ago.
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From the view tower next to it:
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Inside:
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How it looked before:
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12. Ausekļa street 4 is one of the most exclusive building in Riga's "Silent centre". This Art Nouveau building (originally built in 1899) is renovated few years ago and the prices of flats there aren't advertised but offered to millionaires personally. According to unofficial information, a flat in this posh building costs 1-2 mio USD.
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13. Historical building on Eksporta street 5 has celebrated it's 100 years anniversary (it was built in 1913) with a renovation. I just don't understand why the original red colour is changed to this creamy-grey-white. The building is a part of Vorburg - a city block consisting of eight buildings, built just before WW1 (1912-1914), so they are one of last pre-World War development examples in Riga.
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Before:
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14. In the former historical wreck, in May the new Mercure hotel will open it's doors. They have changed the building by adding modern structures, as you see. But the illumination is really stunning, the colors are changing. It adds this place a dynamic, metropolitan character.
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But... not these ones!
11. Probably the restoration number 1 of previous years in Riga is culture palace "Ziemeļblāzma" ("Northern Lights"), an Art Nouveau architectural gem from 1913, located in Vecmīlgrāvis district. The weirdest fact about this impressive building is that it's architect officially is unknown (but some sources indicates the drawings could have been made by Augusts Dombrovskis who financed the construction, with the help of certified architect Gustavs Šķilters). It's recent renovation costed around 13 mio EUR and now it has reborn as a notorious culture centre for north-eastern area of Riga. In the lowest photo you can see how the place looked few years ago.
From the view tower next to it:
Inside:
How it looked before:
12. Ausekļa street 4 is one of the most exclusive building in Riga's "Silent centre". This Art Nouveau building (originally built in 1899) is renovated few years ago and the prices of flats there aren't advertised but offered to millionaires personally. According to unofficial information, a flat in this posh building costs 1-2 mio USD.
13. Historical building on Eksporta street 5 has celebrated it's 100 years anniversary (it was built in 1913) with a renovation. I just don't understand why the original red colour is changed to this creamy-grey-white. The building is a part of Vorburg - a city block consisting of eight buildings, built just before WW1 (1912-1914), so they are one of last pre-World War development examples in Riga.
Before:
14. In the former historical wreck, in May the new Mercure hotel will open it's doors. They have changed the building by adding modern structures, as you see. But the illumination is really stunning, the colors are changing. It adds this place a dynamic, metropolitan character.
15. This week I discovered that also one of the famous Riga's Art Nouveau buildings on Alberta streeet has been renovated - it's Alberta street 2a.
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This thread makes me want to take a trip to Riga this summer 
1 - 8 of 8 Posts
