Vestabalt presents the jewel of Riga’s art nouveau – Alberta street!
For Riga and its historic centre, it is essential to find and highlight a unique story — something that sets us apart from other European cities and becomes our calling card, our recognition, the lasting impression and memory for visitors once they leave.
Undoubtedly, one of Riga’s most striking and recognisable features is its historical centre, boasting over 800 unique Art Nouveau buildings. Today, around 2,000 apartments are built in Riga each year, most of which belong to the economy class and are constructed using fibre blocks and drywall. This seems almost unbelievable when compared to the fact that the majority of the Art Nouveau buildings were constructed within just ten years — from 1904 to 1914 — during a true building boom in the city.
We can only admire the craftsmanship of that era’s artisans, the boldness of the architects, and the financial ability of property owners who adorned facades and stairwells with intricate patterns, geometric forms, expressive faces, full-height human figures, peacocks, floral motifs, stained glass, wall and ceiling paintings, the famous stoves and fireplaces of Celms and Bērzs, and many other lavish decorations.
Riga is truly a metropolis of Art Nouveau, possessing an outstanding and unique cultural and historical heritage of great importance to all of Europe. This should be more actively promoted to international tourists, and we should take pride in names such as Laube, Pēkšēns, Bockslaff, Scheel, and Mikhail Eisenstein.
In today’s world, where architecture is becoming increasingly classical and rational — with clean and simple lines — the Art Nouveau buildings of Riga’s historic centre will only grow in value and irreplaceability over time. We can only hope that the abandoned buildings in the city centre will soon find brave new owners willing to restore them, preserving and revitalising their historic character, making Riga’s centre even more well-kept and attractive.
Linked objects
- 194 m²
- 5
- 2/4
- Ad is not active
- 178 m²
- 5
- 6/6
- 83 m²
- 3
- 2/6
- Ad is not active
- 244 m²
- 6
- 2/4
- 123 m²
- 3
- 5/5
- 95 m²
- 3
- 2/4
