proposals by caruso st john, david adjaye + henning larsen unveiled for latvia art museum

proposals by caruso st john, david adjaye + henning larsen unveiled for latvia art museum
(above) adjaye associates + AB3D’s tilted roof structure references domestic latvian architecture
all images courtesy of malcolm reading consultants

UPDATE: on june 16, 2016, it was announced that adjaye associates‘ proposal for the new latvia art museum has been selected as the winning scheme, beating out six other international firms. the british studio will work with latvian practice AB3D to deliver latvia’s first major public-private cultural initiative. the €30 million museum will support the nation’s growing artistic community and give riga and the baltic region an attraction which speaks to new audiences as well as art enthusiasts. see more on each of the seven designs below:

david adjaye, principal of adjaye associates, comments: ‘I am honored to have been selected for this ambitious and much-needed project. this museum will be a beacon that both celebrates latvia’s incredible artistic legacy and meaningfully links the country to the international art community. the entire process – from collaborating with ab3d to cultivate a design that both understands and enhances its context, to the transparent nature of the competition – has been a pleasure, and stands as a testament to latvia’s profound commitment to the importance of contemporary art to its cultural life.’

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the latvian museum of contemporary art is set to become a cultural and arts center, as well as a beacon of national significance. located in latvia’s capital city riga, its unique collection will span art and visual culture in latvia and the baltic sea region from the 1960s to the present day. the seven international firms comprised of adjaye associates, architects lahdelma & mahlamäki, caruso st john architects, henning larsen architects, neutelings riedijk architects, sauerbruch hutton and wHY will work in partnership with a latvian practice.

adjaye associates (UK) + AB3D

british firm adjaye associates will collaborate with AB3D to offer an experience of contemporary art that synthesizes art practice and art perception. speaking to a wide spectrum of artwork, the building comprises a group of flexible spaces for a multi-nodal display sequence – offering smaller spaces for intimate works through to more expansive environments to facilitate larger installations. the form resonates with traditional domestic latvian architecture, like a simple wooden house, elevated to an institutional architecture. this suggests the idea of the museum as a home for the collection, inviting a wide audience to participate in the cultural and civic exchange it will offer. the roof structure refers to a distinctive architectural trope of the region. each tilt is a highly specific geometry designed to sculpt the pure northern light in order to define the interior organization and flexibility of the museum.

henning larsen architects (denmark) + mark arhitekti

henning larsen architects (denmark) + mark arhitekti

danish firm henning larsen’s proposal aims to draw people from all over the world and cater to everyone no matter the age, nationality, gender and experience in art. lmoca’s architecture is a result of functional and programmatic ambitions. its twisted form seems like an effortless gesture, reaching out and connecting to riga and its citizens. by twisting the volume, two generous entrances are created: one towards the city, the other towards the city garden. both entries are connected to a centralized foyer and atrium – a gateway, where filtered daylight lures people towards the central hub and all museum functions. the twist results in an undulating roofscape, creating a dynamic, illuminated sculpture within the city garden and to the skyline of riga.

caruso st john architects (uk) + arhitektu birojs jaunromāns un ābele

caruso st john architects (UK) + arhitektu birojs jaunromāns un ābele

drawing influence from the art nouveau history of the city, the spirit of the proposal starts with the circumstances of the project at the centre of new hanza city. not only will the new institution be the first building of its type in latvia, but the site is a blank sheet of paper, where not even the roads have yet been built. the design is conceived as an idealized vision of a museum, bringing together art, architecture and landscape in an almost arcadian composition of buildings and gardens. from within the museum, visitors will see art in the galleries and art in the gardens around, as if they are standing at the centre of a large park. this outward-looking and open museum will be the centerpiece of the green fields of new hanza city, a destination and a meeting point for citizens as the new city takes shape slowly around it.

lahdelma & mahlamäki architects (finland) + made arhitekti

lahdelma & mahlamäki architects (finland) + made arhitekti

named ‘gemma’ – the architects describe their design of the contemporary museum of art of latvia will meet the two demands of a modern museum: it is at the same time a ‘container’ and has an identity of its own. the systematic ‘container’ offers a flexible setting for different exhibitions and events. the identity – the vital experience – is created by the combination of lobby and atrium called gemma.the identity of the new museum is based on tradition, on the way timber has cleverly been used as building material, creating continuity between the present and the past.

the atrium ‘gemme’ inside lahdelma & mahlamäki architects (finland) + made arhitekti’s design

wHY (US) + OUTOFBOX architecture + ALPS

wHY (US) + OUTOFBOX architecture + ALPS

in a city known for its facades, wHY’s scheme acts as a streetscape, physically and programmatically the neighborhood evolves around it – a hub in a continuous urban fabric. this cultural aggregator performs as an interior public space in the winter, and in the summer months opens up, unfolding into the landscape to invite the energy of the city in.

wHY (US) + OUTOFBOX architecture + ALPS scheme acts as a streetscape

sauerbruch hutton (germany) + arhitekts ingurds lazdiņš

sauerbruch hutton (germany) + arhitekts ingurds lazdiņš

described as ‘the non-iconic museum’, it will facilitate as an anchor and counterpoint in the new ‘hanza-quarter’. the latvian museum of contemporary art (lmoca) takes on a position of ‘non-iconicity’. appearing like a simple shed or warehouse, this proposal deliberately avoids architectural comparison with the contemporary expressionism of the new residential and office developments in its immediate context. neither does it enter into the increasingly inflationary global competition for architectural extravagance in museums. the lmoca will be a place of quiet but strong character, intimacy and surprise. additionally, it offers a wide range of enclosed and interstitial spaces that await interpretation as gallery, studio, performance space, agora, construction site or storage space.

appearing like a simple shed or warehouse, this proposal deliberately avoids architectural comparison with the
contemporary expressionism

neutelings riedijk architects (netherlands) + brigita bula arhitekte
image credit

neutelings riedijk architects (netherlands) + brigita bula arhitekte

the dutch firm’s concept for the LMoCA is set up as a covered public space in the park, featuring a long white canopy over a black treasure box. visitors are welcomed in the atrium, a public passage from city to park, for cultural events in riga. the atrium is surrounded by stairs and ramps leading to all museum departments. the galleries in the heart of the building create an art journey – visitors can roam in a series of continuous spaces, exploring different spatial qualities and light conditions that make numerous types and sizes of exhibitions possible. the filigree white concrete skin of the museum reminds of the rich texture of the birch tree. all the inspiration for building materials, colours and appearance is sourced from abundant yet subtle palette of latvian nature and riga center buildings.

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