Publicity image

From May 2 to 4, the wood architecture, craftsmanship, production and design festival «Wood Days» («Koka dienas») will take place in the town of Cēsis. The project aims to display current woodworking technologies and high–value products as well as to inform about wooden construction advantages, prices and availability in Latvia.

Stories Editorial April 24, 2017

The first and one of the most important events of the «Wood Days» is an interdisciplinary conference which will be held at the «Cēsis» Vidzeme Concert Hall, featuring Latvian and international experts — architects, manufacturers, designers, technical engineers, scientists, and craftsmen. Inspirational wood–industry stories will be presented; design, art, manufacturing, and craft skills will come together as one; issues and problems will be identified and their solutions sought. Visitors will have the opportunity to hear presentations from acclaimed specialists and educators in their respective fields from Austria, Finland, Italy and the UK. The conference is organised by Riga Technical University, Faculty of Architecture. It will take place on May 2, simultaneous Latvian and English interpretation will be provided.

Another event of the «Wood Days» is the exhibition where wood production and crafts businesses from Vidzeme and Latvia will present their products and technologies. During the exhibition, visitors will be able to attend a design consulting workshop, run by designers Charles Bourrier and Elīna Bušmane, and a seminar on the life cycle of wooden houses, led by Helmut Krapmeier. Competition in which business owners will assign a mock project with a deadline for completion and interdisciplinary teams will compete to come up with the best solutions, is also planned. The exhibition will take place from May 2 to 4.

A wooden building restoration workshop will also take place during the festival. It is organised by architect Ervīns Krauklis, restoration specialists Jānis Tolpežņikovs from the association «Nākotne pagātnei / A Future for the Past», Ieva Zilberte («Koka darbnīca») and artist and restoration specialist Edgars Raitums («Raituma krāsas», Kuldīga), in cooperation with the State Inspection for Heritage Protection, the Cēsis History and Art Museum, restoration specialists, enthusiasts, and the Kuldīga Restoration Centre. The event will include a theoretical seminar and practical workshop on restoring architectural details, using traditional tools, paints and materials.

The set of activities will be completed by «Carpenter and Woodworker day» on May 10, organised by the Cēsis Vocational High School in cooperation with Priekuļi Technical School and its branch in Ērgļi. The event will include tournaments among teams of students and educators, skill demonstrations and competitions.

From May until October, interactive tours «Wooden Cēsis» will be organised by historian Sanda Salmiņa and the Cēsis History and Art Museum, with the support of the State Inspection for Heritage Protection, and the owners and inhabitants of the historic wooden buildings. Participants will learn historical facts and have the opportunity to get a look inside of the buildings.

A detailed programme of the «Wood Days» events is available on its website.