Illustration by FOLD

The semi–finalists of the Latvian Architecture Award 2014 were announced today. Out of 55 works the national jury has nominated 16 to be evaluated by the international jury.

Stories Editorial April 16, 2014

The national jury spent almost two months judging the submitted works, touring all over Latvia to visit them. Most of the semi–finalists represent the reconstruction category, and several multi–disciplinary projects and architectural visions that are not buildings have also been selected. Head of the national jury Miķelis Putrāms comments: «We can be proud that there are very strong restoration and reconstruction examples in our architecture, and we can only wish that this mastery and fine craft of working with historic substances could be applied in new buildings as well.»

All semi–finalists are going to be included in an exhibition of the best works in Latvian architecture, which is going to be displayed in May on Torņa street next to the Architects house, but later will travel to several other cities in Latvia and in Europe. There is going to be a video made about each of the works as well.

The main criteria for judging the 55 submitted works was: idea and concept, integrity or  inner unity, conformity to task, context and scale, accuracy and fundamentality, social awareness and emotional impact.

Semi–finalists

Gors Concert Hall

«Vizuālās modelēšanas studija»

Čiekurkrasti housing complex

«AB3D»

Daugavpils fortress Nicolas gate and bridge restoration

Ineta Buka, Kārlis Ziediņš, Pēteris Blūms, Andrejs Ugrimovs

«Kuldīga: Architecture and Urbanism», a book

Scientific editor Dr.habil.arch. Jānis Krastiņš

Design guidelines for «IF P&C Insurance» customer service points in the Baltics

«1PLUS1»

Gypsum factory housing complex, phase 2

«Zaigas Gailes birojs»

TV show «Nordic Style», episode 40. Waterfronts of Riga and Copenhagen.

«Vides filmu studija»

MANUAL: Urban Sports and Architecture

Kristaps Kleinbergs, Helvijs Savickis, Gunita Kuļikovska, Zane Žeivate

Restoration of street space in Kuldiga Old Town

Construction Department of Kuldiga District Council

Staircase restoration in Riga, 21a Elizabetes Street

«Sudraba Arhitektūra»

Culture Palace Ziemeļblāzma

Juris Skalbergs

Ligatne paper mill town historical center

«Arhitektūras birojs Forma», «Karklins Design Studio»

Community centre in Talsi

«MARK arhitekti»

«top!» store in Salacgrīva

«Arhis»

Wooden building renovation at Riga School of Design and Art

«Zaigas Gailes birojs»

Riga Dome Cathedral restoration works

«Arhitektoniskās izpētes grupa»

The judging will now proceed to the international jury, which will consist of Andrė Baldišiūtė from Lithuania, Charles Bessard from Denmark, Ralf Pasel from the Netherlands and Toomas Tammis from Estonia. Antanas Mockus, the world–famous Columbian politician of Lithuanian descent, is going to be a special guest of the Latvian Architecture Award 2014. As the mayor of Bogota, he employed unconventional methods to achieve development in architecture and urban planning. During the Latvian Architecture Award week, Mockus is going to give a public talk in Riga Bourse.

The awards ceremony is going to be held on May 16. This year, for the first time it is going to be fully broadcast on LTV1. More on the semi–finalists, jury and event programme can be found on the Latvian Architecture Awards 2014 website.