Rīgas Ola

I  d  e  a

The project of the expansion of the museum RĪGAS OLA (Riga Egg) – is A DEDICATION TO LATVIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM AS AN ARBITRARY PLACE FOR THE STORAGE AND EXPRESSION OF NATIONAL CULTURAL HERRITAGE.

The project seeks keeping all old urban, plastic architectonic and interior structure as a valuable historic heritage; to extend it harmoniously and democratically. Reclining to the national traditions the project seeks to provide a new modern National content.

C o n c e p t i o n               

Latvian National Museum is reflected as Old illuminated and New translucent layers. Architecturally, metaphoric correlations of the sculptural sign are possible with the images of a mound (pilskalns), life tree, bud or ritual egg (Lieldienu Ola). New accent is a joint between the old museum building and park.

The associative structure which covers the possible meanings codes a positive perspective and invites for a new course of the Baltic culture. The importance of sign-message is clearly posed in the programme itself. Vertical position of egg bulk is a place of conversion where nature merges into culture both in the sense of content and form, and indicates the formulation of Latvian creative potential as well as mandatory conservation of furtherance. New visual icon would be recognizable as the sign of museum and city in a world-wide context.

During the process of design of new cultural sign, it is conceptually and contextually sought to find common denominators with city signs. Inherence to Riga city of the building-object and its scale is seen as generally valuable feature. The object is given an individual content and tactful plastics as well as sculptural character the reading of which is clearly related to recent and historic context. Old plans of the square are taken into account as well as old amphitheatre of the song festival. Reference is made to neo-Byzantine neighbourhood of buildings. In Riga, traditions of the symbol of “chanterelle” with the new egg are cherished and it also has a conceptual relation.

F  o  r  m

As if remotely opening the north-east corner of the park, a slight incline is made which does not obscure the old building and creates comfortable situation from the south-west side. This is a public green area with an artistic accent-building “Rīgas Ola“, benches and postamental bilks of hall illumination which keep a plastic bulk tracery developing from the egg into the park. In the northern side, between the raised and unmoved relief a pyramid bulk-postament is arranged. Its leaning surfaces of blue specular glass catch the images of the city and sky, and the egg laid on the edge creates several moods and invites for new reflection of form and content.

New shape of the egg is more related to sculptural elements of the park than with the old bulk of the museum. An egg, as the object in the park, is placed in the net of the reconstructed park structure (the old lime bow with a path is emphasized).

Both during the day and night, the view of the action in the translucent egg as if suppose the idea of a live egg (Lieldienu Ola). Weaves, found in the action, create a real feeling of community.

F  u  n  c  t  i  o  n

All functional structure is kept in the old part of the building. Additionally, panoramic lift is installed in the present area of the open landing. The lift is treated as a piece of art. Its expression is related to the hypertrophied version of the present building pillars. Through a clear coloured glass column it is vertically moved through all the levels of the building. In a basement floor of the building (Alt.+0.00), public areas are projected instead of warehouses. That is a hall with locker-rooms and tills, reading-rooms, cafes and other spaces with connections from northern and southern sides. Café terraces anticipated in the southern part join the amphitheatre space of the egg. In the present attic of the building the floor of the conference halls is projected with panoramic fields installed on the roof.

The Old and the New bulks are related to underground joint in which new exhibition and additional premises are designed. Exhibition area has a natural upper illumination through postamental bulks of hall illumination and north-west pyramid windows. New great hall (1000m²) has a vertical relation with educational-exhibition egg bulk and the pass from it outside. Into 3 education-exposition levels one can get from the great hall in a panoramic lift or by helical stairs. On the highest level of the egg (Alt.+36.00) there is a panoramic synoptic field is installed with the place for the flag raising.

C o n s t r u c t i o n / F i n i s h i n g

White ferroconcrete monolithic framework is used for building constructions. Window construction – bent facades of frameless glass.

Authors:  M. Maziliauskas with Š. Bagdonaitė, V. Redecki, P. Vitkauskas, D. Čipkus

Rīgas Ola, Latvian National Museum,  2010