2008-06-25
The New Three Brothers. Latvia realizes long-cherished visions
With the realization of the National Library, the Museum for Contemporary Art and the Concert Hall Riga, Latvia intends the three biggest construction plans for the upcoming years.
Before a trip to Riga, you think on your own knowledge about this Baltic city: the Latvian capitol, a Hanseatic city, or famous for its Art Nouveau buildings are keywords coming probably into your mind. A long fight for political independence, orientation toward Western Europe, Hanseatic cosmopolitan history and a boom of economy you might have heard or read about somehow. But do you have a real imagination about the appearance of the town, the Latvian people and their culture?
All the more astonishing it is, when you arrive at the modern, mid sized Riga International Airport. During the drive from there to the hotel you will be definitely surprised by the high number of luxury cars and civil works. Later on the city guided tour you get an imagination about the ongoing change: modernized or new houses, lovely parks (though it is not allowed to enter or even lay down on the meadow!), the streets are busy with young people and tourists. Well-known store brands, international banks and lots investors found their ways to Riga. But we were interested in whats going on in arts and culture! During a visit in the state agency The New Three Brothers (J3b) we learn from our correspondent Mario Zetzsche, who works there in the museum department, which three century arts projects Latvia wants to realize. If you come from Germany, where nearly annual a museum or theatre is opened with a big ceremony, you normally stop dead at a term like project of the 21st century. But recognizing the size of the country - with just 2.3 million less inhabitants than Berlin and smaller than Bavaria - these three projects become a noteworthy achievement.
The state agency is charged to realize the three construction projects, directly mandated by the ministry of culture. The name derives from a pretty building ensemble in the old city - three historic craft and trade houses from the 16th and 17th century, destroyed in the Second World War and rebuilt finally in the 1950s.
First Brother - The National Library
The National Library is really a century project for the country. The need for a library was already identified in 1928, and first plans go back to the year 1972. Since that time, the political class quarrels with the construction, swallowing nearly 140 million LVL (!200m) including the area around. Since 1999, the library get prominent support by the UNESCO, but only 2005 the legal act about "The Nationalization of Properties and Land for National Needs" had been passed. Calculated is a construction time of 2008 until 2012, architect is the US-American Gunnar Birkerts, who was born in Latvia.
Lets summarize some facts: The Library maintains a collection of over 6 million volumes. It is planned to provide more than 1000 reading desks as well as rooms for administration, conferences, events and exhibitions. The capacity will allow to host about 3.000 visitors a day. An underground car park will make the venue complete. The building is more than just a library, it is a very prestigious object representing the independence and national proud of Latvia. As a "Castle of Light" it should symbolize the formation of a legend: "It contains images and references to the most important Latvian tales and songs the mountain symbolizes the castle of light, which is said to swallowed up into the ground during the bloody period of oppression. Following this tale, the castle of light will be rising from the dark, when brave men and women call for it, and only then the people will be free, the architect Gunnar Birkerts said. So the
pointed building is dominated by a glass front, which shows a bright illumination in the night. The building comes along with the project "Light Network", an overdue integrative information system, which should connect the 2.000 libraries in the entire country. It allows, for example, to order books or just inspect them.
Second Brother - The Museum for Contemporary Art
The art of Eastern Europe becomes internationally more and more successful. Thats why it is surprisingly, that Latvia has still not a museum for contemporary art or even a continuously open public exhibition. The state agency The New Three Brothers is responsible for two projects regarding the planned art museum: at first the reconstruction of a former power plant in the harbor district, secondly the setup of an own collection focused on Latvian and international fine art especially from the Baltic area. The project is noteworthy, because after the opening of the National Art Museum in 1905 no museum building has been realized in Latvia at all! The closed harbor district, where the power plant TEC 1 (1905) stands, is opened for artists since spring 2005 as a working space. The star architect Rem Koolhaas from the firm OMA could be gained in 2005 for the plan to rebuild this power plant. His concept includes a wide preservation of the old substance in a respectful manner. The architect followed the example of the favorite Latvian amber: Like amber encloses insects bodies, the vitreous mantle encloses the old building and makes it visible.
The museum should be realized in a public-private partnership. The Latvian administrative collectivity Jaunrigas attistibas uznemums (JAU) and its Norwegian investor, who has purchased the harbor district Andrejsala, support this enterprise. But when the 20 year planned construction will begin, isnt clear.
Nevertheless with verve and profound knowledge in fine art, the state agency acquires pieces for the collection. Already 100 master pieces can be recorded and presented on a digital library. The financial background for the acquisition of the paintings is a gift of 1 million LVL (1.4m Euro) by the Aizkraukles Bank. The fund for acquisitions is floated in a period of 10 years beginning in 2005. It is not pretty much, but at least this cooperation is a good start. The process is supported by a board of 12 members from the national and international art scene, among them curators, museum directors, art critics and artists.
Thus there was no contemporary art museum so far, the reception of modern art was not possible sufficiently, and serious gaps resulted. There was a break between the Latvian and European art, misunderstandings of art processes and in the interpretation of the past, missing expert know-how, stereotypes in the public opinion, artists, whose didnt got attention and, last but not least, two generations without enough cognition about contemporary art. Thats why a museum is desired, which enables complete accessibility and which removes any barriers for the visitors, in order to point up both the artistic processes and the role of such a museum. Said Astrida Rogule, director of the department responsible for the building-up of the collection for
the museum.
Third Brother - The Riga Concert Hall
For Latvia, music really matters. The small country has 30.000 organized singing people, more than 100 music schools, 4 symphony orchestras and several famous choirs. But Latvia has no suitable venues to make concerts at international standards. So we come to the third brother, the Riga Concert Hall. For this building, plans already exist since the 1980ies. But only in 2006, the concept of the Latvian Andis Silis won the competition. The impressive multipartite architecture reaches an area of about 22.000 square meters with space for 2 concert venues (1500 and 400 seats) and repetition rooms. The construction time is scheduled for 2010 until 2013.
The Little Daughter
Due to the experiences in cultural enterprises the staff of the state agency has been gained during the recent years, the City of Liepaja put them in charge for another project. Following the plans by the Austrian architect Volker Giencke, another concert hall should be realized in the third largest town in Latvia. The construction should begin later this year.
State Agency "The New Three Brothers"
The state agency J3B operates under the wonderful name "state administration institution" and is directly mandated by the Minister of Culture, Mrs. Helena Demakova, an active and single-minded young politician. The aim of this state agency is the construction of national and cultural significant buildings. Its is responsible for supervision and fund raising on the basis of public-private partnerships. Nearly everybody is fascinated after the presentations, but despite the engaged promotion of these cultural projects it becomes obvious, how less complete and sustainable the financial and organizational future of this buildings is. But in fact no famous arts temple in the world would get realized having those concerns at the starting point. And with recognizing the efforts with the New Three Brothers in Riga, there is nothing else for us to say "Ready steady go"!
More information:
http://www.j3b.gov.lv
http://www.gaismaspils.lv
http://www.koncertzale.lv
http://www.camriga.lv
All the more astonishing it is, when you arrive at the modern, mid sized Riga International Airport. During the drive from there to the hotel you will be definitely surprised by the high number of luxury cars and civil works. Later on the city guided tour you get an imagination about the ongoing change: modernized or new houses, lovely parks (though it is not allowed to enter or even lay down on the meadow!), the streets are busy with young people and tourists. Well-known store brands, international banks and lots investors found their ways to Riga. But we were interested in whats going on in arts and culture! During a visit in the state agency The New Three Brothers (J3b) we learn from our correspondent Mario Zetzsche, who works there in the museum department, which three century arts projects Latvia wants to realize. If you come from Germany, where nearly annual a museum or theatre is opened with a big ceremony, you normally stop dead at a term like project of the 21st century. But recognizing the size of the country - with just 2.3 million less inhabitants than Berlin and smaller than Bavaria - these three projects become a noteworthy achievement.
The state agency is charged to realize the three construction projects, directly mandated by the ministry of culture. The name derives from a pretty building ensemble in the old city - three historic craft and trade houses from the 16th and 17th century, destroyed in the Second World War and rebuilt finally in the 1950s.
First Brother - The National Library
The National Library is really a century project for the country. The need for a library was already identified in 1928, and first plans go back to the year 1972. Since that time, the political class quarrels with the construction, swallowing nearly 140 million LVL (!200m) including the area around. Since 1999, the library get prominent support by the UNESCO, but only 2005 the legal act about "The Nationalization of Properties and Land for National Needs" had been passed. Calculated is a construction time of 2008 until 2012, architect is the US-American Gunnar Birkerts, who was born in Latvia.
Lets summarize some facts: The Library maintains a collection of over 6 million volumes. It is planned to provide more than 1000 reading desks as well as rooms for administration, conferences, events and exhibitions. The capacity will allow to host about 3.000 visitors a day. An underground car park will make the venue complete. The building is more than just a library, it is a very prestigious object representing the independence and national proud of Latvia. As a "Castle of Light" it should symbolize the formation of a legend: "It contains images and references to the most important Latvian tales and songs the mountain symbolizes the castle of light, which is said to swallowed up into the ground during the bloody period of oppression. Following this tale, the castle of light will be rising from the dark, when brave men and women call for it, and only then the people will be free, the architect Gunnar Birkerts said. So the
pointed building is dominated by a glass front, which shows a bright illumination in the night. The building comes along with the project "Light Network", an overdue integrative information system, which should connect the 2.000 libraries in the entire country. It allows, for example, to order books or just inspect them.
Second Brother - The Museum for Contemporary Art
The art of Eastern Europe becomes internationally more and more successful. Thats why it is surprisingly, that Latvia has still not a museum for contemporary art or even a continuously open public exhibition. The state agency The New Three Brothers is responsible for two projects regarding the planned art museum: at first the reconstruction of a former power plant in the harbor district, secondly the setup of an own collection focused on Latvian and international fine art especially from the Baltic area. The project is noteworthy, because after the opening of the National Art Museum in 1905 no museum building has been realized in Latvia at all! The closed harbor district, where the power plant TEC 1 (1905) stands, is opened for artists since spring 2005 as a working space. The star architect Rem Koolhaas from the firm OMA could be gained in 2005 for the plan to rebuild this power plant. His concept includes a wide preservation of the old substance in a respectful manner. The architect followed the example of the favorite Latvian amber: Like amber encloses insects bodies, the vitreous mantle encloses the old building and makes it visible.
The museum should be realized in a public-private partnership. The Latvian administrative collectivity Jaunrigas attistibas uznemums (JAU) and its Norwegian investor, who has purchased the harbor district Andrejsala, support this enterprise. But when the 20 year planned construction will begin, isnt clear.
Nevertheless with verve and profound knowledge in fine art, the state agency acquires pieces for the collection. Already 100 master pieces can be recorded and presented on a digital library. The financial background for the acquisition of the paintings is a gift of 1 million LVL (1.4m Euro) by the Aizkraukles Bank. The fund for acquisitions is floated in a period of 10 years beginning in 2005. It is not pretty much, but at least this cooperation is a good start. The process is supported by a board of 12 members from the national and international art scene, among them curators, museum directors, art critics and artists.
Thus there was no contemporary art museum so far, the reception of modern art was not possible sufficiently, and serious gaps resulted. There was a break between the Latvian and European art, misunderstandings of art processes and in the interpretation of the past, missing expert know-how, stereotypes in the public opinion, artists, whose didnt got attention and, last but not least, two generations without enough cognition about contemporary art. Thats why a museum is desired, which enables complete accessibility and which removes any barriers for the visitors, in order to point up both the artistic processes and the role of such a museum. Said Astrida Rogule, director of the department responsible for the building-up of the collection for
the museum.
Third Brother - The Riga Concert Hall
For Latvia, music really matters. The small country has 30.000 organized singing people, more than 100 music schools, 4 symphony orchestras and several famous choirs. But Latvia has no suitable venues to make concerts at international standards. So we come to the third brother, the Riga Concert Hall. For this building, plans already exist since the 1980ies. But only in 2006, the concept of the Latvian Andis Silis won the competition. The impressive multipartite architecture reaches an area of about 22.000 square meters with space for 2 concert venues (1500 and 400 seats) and repetition rooms. The construction time is scheduled for 2010 until 2013.
The Little Daughter
Due to the experiences in cultural enterprises the staff of the state agency has been gained during the recent years, the City of Liepaja put them in charge for another project. Following the plans by the Austrian architect Volker Giencke, another concert hall should be realized in the third largest town in Latvia. The construction should begin later this year.
State Agency "The New Three Brothers"
The state agency J3B operates under the wonderful name "state administration institution" and is directly mandated by the Minister of Culture, Mrs. Helena Demakova, an active and single-minded young politician. The aim of this state agency is the construction of national and cultural significant buildings. Its is responsible for supervision and fund raising on the basis of public-private partnerships. Nearly everybody is fascinated after the presentations, but despite the engaged promotion of these cultural projects it becomes obvious, how less complete and sustainable the financial and organizational future of this buildings is. But in fact no famous arts temple in the world would get realized having those concerns at the starting point. And with recognizing the efforts with the New Three Brothers in Riga, there is nothing else for us to say "Ready steady go"!
More information:
http://www.j3b.gov.lv
http://www.gaismaspils.lv
http://www.koncertzale.lv
http://www.camriga.lv
An article by Veronika Schuster, editor (Translation by Dirk Heinze, editor-in-chief)
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