A CULTURAL VENUE IN RIGA

A NEW ARTS AND CULTURE VENUE EVIART GALLERY OPENED ITS DOORS ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2023, IN THE DAMBIS INDUSTRIAL AREA OF RIGA, ADJOINED BY BUKULTU STREET AND GANIBU DAMBIS. EVIJA, THE OWNER OF THE GALLERY, POINTS OUT THAT THIS IS A UNIQUE EVENT IN THE CONTEXT OF RIGA, AS THE VAST, HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT BUILDING MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO CO-INHABIT FOR AN ARTIST'S STUDIO, AN EXHIBITION HALL, A PERFORMANCE SPACE, AND A VENUE FOR VARIOUS CULTURAL EVENTS. THERE IS ALSO PLENTY OF SPACE FOR SEMINARS AND CHAMBER CONFERENCES. CREATIVE INDUSTRIES ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT THEIR IDEAS AND WORK TOGETHER TOWARD THEIR IDEAS IMPLEMENTATION. THE POTENTIAL RANGE OF EVENTS IS RICH, AND IT WILL SOON DYNAMICALLY INTEGRATE THE GALLERY INTO THE CULTURAL MAP AND ART SCENE OF RIGA. AGENCIES THAT HOST PROMOTIONS, PRESENTATIONS, AND TASTINGS THAT INTEGRATE INTO THE ARTS ARE ALSO WELCOME. CREATIVE SYNERGY IS THE CORE VALUE OF EVIART GALLERY.

HISTORICAL VALUE

EVIART GALLERY IS HOUSED IN A BUILDING CONSTRUCTED IN 1894, WHICH, ACCORDING TO THE RIGA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR J. KRASTIŅŠ, WAS LIKELY DESIGNED BY ARCHITECTS REINHOLDS ŠMĒLINGS AND ĀDOLFS AGTE. NOTABLY, THE BUILDING REMAINS LARGELY UNKNOWN, AND NO AVAILABLE SOURCES MENTION A PROJECT BY ŠMĒLINGS AT THIS LOCATION — MAKING IT A SIGNIFICANT DISCOVERY FOR RESEARCHERS OF RIGA’S ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY. REINHOLDS ŠMĒLINGS (1840–1917) SERVED AS THE CHIEF ARCHITECT OF RIGA FROM 1879 TO 1915 — A PERIOD OF RAPID URBAN GROWTH AND ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION.

HISTORICALLY, THE BUILDING MOST LIKELY HOUSED THE RIGA CITY FARM COMPLEX WITH A WATER TOWER. IT HAS ARCHITECTURAL AND ARTISTIC VALUE, INCLUDING SCHMAELING'S SIGNATURE RED BRICK FAÇADE, THE VAULTED PATTERN IN THE CEILING OF THE ROOM, AND THE 5-METER-HIGH GRID OF DECORATIVELY DESIGNED CAST-IRON COLUMNS WITH LACING. THE WINDOW OPENINGS WERE ONCE ARCHED, AS HISTORICAL PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW, BUT THE SOVIET-ERA DEMOLITION OBSESSION MADE SURE THE ARCHES WERE REMOVED. ONLY ONE ARCHED OPENING OF THE BUILDING WAS SPARED.

HOWEVER, THE WINDOWS ARE WIDE AND NUMEROUS ENOUGH TO GIVE THE SPACE THE DAYLIGHT IT NEEDS FOR CREATIVE PROCESSES. ARTIST EVIJA ZAUSAEVA WAS INSPIRED BY THE IMPRESSION OF HISTORY AND SPACIOUSNESS THAT THE BUILDING GAVE WHEN SHE FIRST SAW IT - IT INSPIRED HER TO CREATE A CULTURAL EVENT VENUE WORTHY OF THE 21ST CENTURY.

THE RESTORATION PROCESS

THE RESTORATION PROCESS WAS APPROACHED WITH CARE, AIMING TO PRESERVE THE AUTHENTIC MATERIALITY OF THE SPACE — MORE A CLEANING THAN A FULL RESTORATION. THE TONE OF THE CAST IRON COLUMNS WAS MATCHED AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE TO THE ORIGINAL, THOUGH REPAINTING WAS NECESSARY TO PROTECT THE STRUCTURE FROM MOISTURE. MODERN SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN DISCREETLY INTEGRATED TO PROVIDE THE GALLERY WITH ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND AMENITIES. AS A RESULT OF THE RENOVATION, THE GALLERY’S MAIN EXHIBITION HALL NOW SPANS 414 M², WHILE THE TOTAL FLOOR AREA OF THE SPACE IS 536 M². HEATING AND VENTILATION SYSTEMS WERE INSTALLED IN THE CEILING.

FLOOR PLAN:

1.1. HALL 414 M2

1.2. UTILITY ROOM 75 M2

1.3. WC 3.9 M2

1.4. WC 2.6 M2

1.5. WC 2.6 M2

1.6. COATROOM 19 M2

1.7. BOILER ROOM 11.8 M2

1.8. CORRIDOR 7.6 M2

TOTAL: 536.5 M2