# Riga - The City of Architecture



## JohnnyMass (Feb 6, 2005)

Beautiful!
More please!


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## Andre_idol (Aug 6, 2008)

Great pictures. Wonderful architecture indeed


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## cameronpaul (Jan 15, 2010)

I think Riga is on my "must visit" list of cities. Don't know if it suffered extensive damage in WW2 - perhaps you could enlighten me on this?


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## Patrick Highrise (Sep 11, 2002)

superb pictures of a lovely city. Myself just been to the neighbours (Tallinn in Estonia) but this city sure does look very interesting too for a visit!


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## Purple Dreams (Jan 31, 2007)

Nice thread- nice pics and explanations


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## Salazar Rick (Feb 6, 2009)

Nice city


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## sergio_tyurin (Apr 3, 2011)

Christmas. Riga


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## Linguine (Aug 10, 2009)

very nice, lovely new photos from Riga...thanks for sharing.:cheers:


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## sergio_tyurin (Apr 3, 2011)




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## capricorn2000 (Nov 30, 2006)

beautiful. there's that certain distinct architectural characteristic of those buildings
and I simply love that retro trams.


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## irmscher9 (Apr 21, 2013)

Riga is a lovely city. In fact it will be one of the most beautiful cities in the world when most of the building in the city are renovated.


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## MilbertDavid (Nov 23, 2012)

quite a charming city with all those nice spires and towers and I particularly like your pic # 3 with the luxury cruise ship blending with the skyline.


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## Vecais Sakarnis (May 22, 2007)

25. *Ģertrūdes iela 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 freshly renovated and the original black color is changed to white.










26. One charming and distinctive Art Nouveau example is on *Tērbatas street 14* - the building with clock in place of traditional corner gazebo. Built in 1909 as a bank building. Black granite which is used as cladding on this building was brought from Finland and Sweden. The building was neglected during Soviet times, it was reconstructed in 2007 (costs: about 1,5 mio EUR). However it's not as posh as it was 100 years ago, because reliefs were aureate back then. 










27. *Alberta street 4* is one of the most famous Riga's Art Nouveau symbols, built in 1904. It's one of 6 Eisenstein's works in Alberta street and few years ago was completely reconstructed - there are 8 luxurious flats now. Building's facade is ornated by many Art Nouveau elements - mythological animals, faces, flora themes, etc. What I found the most amazing about this building is it's window style in 2nd, 3rd and 4th floor, central part of the building. To my mind, exactly this combination creates the main character of the building.










28. *Stabu street 9 *is built in 1904 and was one of the first "rational" Art Nouveau buildings in the city. It's located in quiet place where traffic isn't intensive, so, after renovation could be quite a nice apartment place in centre. Also children's dental clinic is operating there. 










29. The same building at night:










30. Unseen angle to one of Riga symbols, *Liberty monument* & Brīvības boulevard - it's taken from SEB bank building at the corner of Vaļņu and Kaļķu streets.








'

31. View to one of landmark places in Riga - *Townhall square*, you see Riga Townhall to the left, House of Blackheads to the right. You may think that you see many historical buildings here, but the truth is, that only lower part of St Peter's church here is older than 50 years - everything else are replicas. Current House of Blackheads was built in 2001, Riga Townhall - in 2003, but St Peter's church tower was rebuilt in 1973. All of them were torned down in World wars. There is also a modern building "Kamariņa nams" (the green one), regarded as one of the ugliest modern buildings in Old Town. It's all together isn't the standard of "harmonious cityscape" but still is an interesting mix of different eras trying to blend together (you don't see the Occupation museum here, which hasn't tried it and stands sharply out of the suroundings).


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## irmscher9 (Apr 21, 2013)

Man , I'm happy that I was born in Riga!


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## Ysh (Nov 22, 2005)

Townhall Square is the best! Thanks for sharing!kay:


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## Rижаниn (Nov 10, 2012)

*promenade*









*sea ​​port*









*eclectics*


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## paul62 (Jan 27, 2012)

A very good thread.


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

The only cosmopolitan city in the Baltics, with the most stunning art nouveau buildings in the wider region.
Great photography! kay:


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## JoseRodolfo (Jul 9, 2003)

great thread!!!


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## Rижаниn (Nov 10, 2012)

big hits in Forestpark:
*Folk Song Festival*


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## GhostOfDorian (Dec 29, 2012)

The world is big enough for more than one City of Architecture. But Riga is definitely one of those cities.


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## Vecais Sakarnis (May 22, 2007)

GhostOfDorian said:


> The world is big enough for more than one City of Architecture. But Riga is definitely one of those cities.


Well, I understand that of course. But how would the thread name "Riga - one of the cities of architecture" sound? Quite awkward and non-assuring, wouldn't it?


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## GhostOfDorian (Dec 29, 2012)

^^ I' didn't want to critize the thread title, I wanted to underline it.


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## irmscher9 (Apr 21, 2013)

Nice one! It's very hard to compete with Riga when it comes to architecture!


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Wonderful thread!


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates from Riga


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## madonnagirl (Aug 7, 2011)

one charming city of cobble-stoned streets and vintage tramways.


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## Vecais Sakarnis (May 22, 2007)

32. When you are on Riga bridges, it provides rather wide scenery and skylines of both banks of Riga. One of the main eye attractions here is the blue-lightened *Railway bridge*, in an international competition acknowledged as one of best urban lightenment projects in the world.










33. The bridge was built in 1872 but got blown up in WW1 and also WW2. Interesting that the first time it was done by Russian army when they left Riga by invading Germans in 1914. Germans rebuilt the bridge but after 30 years it were they who blewn up it when Wehrmacht left Riga because of invading Red army. It was rebuilt in 1955.










34. Perspective from other (southern) side, Salu bridge. Blue lighting interplays with Old Town's yellow tones.










35. White *National opera house* turned into golden cake by winter sun.










*36. Dom square* you can see here from two different perspectives - the first photo shows it from 2nd floor of Riga bourse, on the 2nd photo from ground level you see what's missing in the first one - the *Riga Cathedral *and a few buildings on square's Western side. Needless to say that Dom square is one of main squares in Riga Old town, along with the Townhall square and Līvu square. The square in summer is always full of people, mostly tourists, relaxing in street cafes but in winter...










37.










38. ...but in winter the main *Christmas market* is set up here.










39. Riga is full of decaying buildings (sadly) and many of them are/was beautiful buildings, but there are only a few cases where decadence really gives some additional aesthetic value... Probably one of those buildings could be this one on *Miera street 18* - a really fairy-tale house which would probably wouldn't look so charming if renovated! Unfortunately there isn't much info about this mysterious house on the net, except the fact it has become one of creative people centres in the city (btw, Miera street was recently crowned as "the hipsters capital of the world" in international media). 










*40. Aristīda Briāna street 3 - Maikapara house.* This beautiful villa is hidden behind the ugly concrete fence in distant (north-east) area of Riga centre. It was built in 1876, but rebuilt in rococo style in 30ies. The villa has served as a representation place to host high-profile guests in Soviet times - there has been Nikita Khrustchev, Joseph Tito, etc. In 90ies, it served as Latvian president's residence for a while (but the surrounding area is quite run-down and there has been funny stories about the drunkards disturbing president's sleep at nights). Now it houses embassy of Japan.










41. Evening image of *Elizabetes street *at sunset time. Elizabetes street's composition in this place (looking from southern part of it) is made of canyon of 19th/20th Century buildings and as a target in perspective there appears also *Radisson Blu hotel* highrise, built in soviet time, 70ies, reconstructed more than 10 years ago.










42. Sunset at Riga's northernmost point - *Mangaļsala breakwater*. Well, if we want to be correct geographically, then Mangaļsala breakwater isn't Riga's northernmost tip (it is somewhere in Vecāķi beach, at the city's administrative border). However, let's not spoil romance with such trivia. Despite of it's distant location (more than 25 km from city centre) the breakwater is very popular place for (mostly) young people to hang out in nice weather like it was last Saturday. And it's popular between seagulls too, as you can see in the sky.


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Beautiful photographs.


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## GhostOfDorian (Dec 29, 2012)

I absolutely agree, Jane. They are gorgeous.


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## skymantle (Jul 17, 2010)

City of architecture indeed. Beautiful :cheers:


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## Vecais Sakarnis (May 22, 2007)

Thanks for kind comments!


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## charliewong90 (Nov 24, 2009)

quite a charming city and I love your night shots.


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## alexander2000 (Aug 6, 2011)

lovely city and I love the old architecture.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Amazing, very nice updates once again :cheers:


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Riga is really a nice city with great architecture, I visited last year!


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## capricorn2000 (Nov 30, 2006)

lovely photo update and I love that sunset shot.


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## EagleswordTW (Jul 28, 2014)

I went for Riga some weeks ago and what I expected was a city with new commie buildings. What I saw was a old and beautiful city with its own old town and large blocks with 1800 to 1900s jugend style. What did surprised me was that there was almost no commie buildings in the city center. Even after 60 years of Russian rule. I know there was many damaged houses but overall was it fine. But I wasn't there for a long time but I will return.


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## EagleswordTW (Jul 28, 2014)

One of every beautiful buildings in Riga. 
Jugend house in Riga by Eaglesword


This is probably the most beautiful building in all of Riga, the embassy of Spain. The picture is taking in a bus.
DSC_1The embassy of Spain in Riga, Latvia.261 by Eaglesword


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## Vecais Sakarnis (May 22, 2007)

Time for some new photos?

All photos mine, from my web page: www.photoriga.com

*43. Riga's skyline* *from north of centre*, below you see Eksporta street which goes next to Daugava river, carrying much of lorry transport to Riga industrial harbour. In the distance, to the left is Old Town skyline but on the right side modern skyline of Ķīpsala.










*44. Old Town's panorama* closer










*45. Z-Towers* - upcoming twin towers from one perspective, south of centre:










46. ...and from different place, north of centre. Vanšu bridge in rare evening fog:










47. A square in historical suburb of Maskavas district










*48. Akmens bridge* in sunset:


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