NRJA has followed the principle of «adding by removing» — by revealing hidden historical layers, a sense of newness is created, while embodying the 135 years of existence of the Rīgas Cirks building. The reconstructed arena is an example of radical conservation — only the layers that were ready to detach themselves due to decay were peeled off, not hiding any unaesthetic elements behind cladding or correcting non–architectural details. The hidden dimension of the building — time — is revealed in a seemingly random way, relinquishing direct authorship over what to reveal and what to keep hidden
Client: VSAI Rīgas Cirks
Address or location:
Merķeļa Street 4, Riga, Latvia
Commissioning:
2022
Technical information:
3875 m2
Contractor:
PS AIDACO GROUP
Main subcontractors, partners:
Main subcontractor: Nordberg Construction, Study of architectural heritage: Ilze Mekša, Constructions: Aidaco
Author of photos:
Vladimirs Svetlovs, Aleksandrs Kendenkovs, Uldis Lukševics, Rīgas Cirks
