Riga, Estonia

New building of the estonian embassy in Riga

AB3D Architecture Bureau, Juris Mitenbergs

Location

The new Estonian embassy will be located in the, so called, “quiet center” of the city – the district of embassies and hotels in the historical heart of Riga. It is close to several recreational areas – Viesturs’ Garden (Viestura darzs), Kronvalds’ Park (Kronvalda parks), and rapidly developing Riga Port City. The location has a convenient access to the mass transit network – the closest transit stops are on Eksporta Street and Kronvalda Boulevard. Main transportation routes to the location are two-way Eksporta Street, P.Brieza Street, Elizabetes Street, and Hanzas Street, and adjoining one-way streets.

The building will be located on Ausekla Street – a tree-lined street with numerous monumental historical buildings (such as Ausekla Street 3, 5, 7, and 9). The building plot is enclosed by two one-way streets – Ausekla Street and Vidus Street. It is part of a perimeter block that has a peculiar structure – in eighties a building was erected in Ausekla Street 8 with one of its façades facing the current building plot. As the consequence the block among Ausekla Street, Elizabetes Street and Vidus Street cannot be closed down and the embassy building acquires two additional facades.

Composition and context of volumes

- Ausekla Street The prime façade of the new building faces Ausekla Street. The facades of the two adjacent buildings end with flat roofs with eaves height of 21.30 m. We follow the same principle in the design of the embassy building.

- Vidus Street The façade facing Vidus Street is connected to the cornice of the adjacent building. The height of the cornice is 12.00 m. The composition of volumes gradually rises from this point to the height of the Ausekla Street façade.

- Courtyard volume The courtyard volume is designed at the height of 24.00 m to match the courtyard volume of the Vidus Street building.

- Final volume The final building volume develops from the volumes developed previously.

- Territory Ausekla Street volume (submerged by 2 m in 1st floor level) and the vacant territory are surrounded by slightly transparent metal fence. The street side of the fence is adorned with decorative greenery and flower boxes made from reinforced concrete thus increasing the safety and durability of the fence. The plan of the courtyard includes a parking lot for 4 cars. 136 square meters of the territory will be left vacant to ensure fire safety.

Layout structure

The layout of the embassy building is planned in consideration of the functionality – the layout of each area is determined by its functional purpose.

The underground level contains common use premises – fitness room, sauna, ancillary area, archive, storeroom, technical room, and space for garbage containers. The underground garage is designed to have space for 15 cars. Stories above the ground are connected to the underground level by stairways and elevators. The entrance to the garage is planned to be on Vidus Street.

The first floor of the building contains a consular reception area, as well as a vestibule and a cloakroom for a representation room block (entrance form Ausekla Street). Consular reception area is divided in two safety zones separating visitors from the consular staff. Each area has a separate entrance and isolated internal communications. The visitor’s entrance is planed to be from Ausekla Street, the staff entrance – from Vidus Street.

Representational rooms are located on the second and third floor of the building. They are joined by a wide open hall. The vestibule has an access to a designed garden and to the above-the-ground parking lot. The front stairway from Ausekla Street leads directly to the representational area that can serve for large receptions with maximum capacity of 250 guests. Entrance to the representational area is designed in a way that receptions do not interfere with the daily routines of the embassy.

The third floor contains the recreational rooms of representational area and two apartments.

Embassy block is located on the fourth floor of the building. It is entirely separate from other areas of the embassy. It has a separate entrance from Vidus Street, a separate stairway and an elevator. It has an access to representation room block, common use premises and the exit to the courtyard.

The upper levels of the building are intended for residential purposes, including the residence of the ambassador and an apartment. The fifth floor is planned to contain one apartment and a two-storied residence of the ambassador. The sixth floor is planned to include representational rooms of the ambassador’s residence with several access points to a wide, facilitated terrace. The entrance to the ambassador’s residence is planned to be from the courtyard. The car entrance to the courtyard is from Ausekla Street.

Materials

The constructive framework of the building will be made from monolith reinforced concrete. Light glass systems with white frosting stripes will lighten-up the façade on the shady Ausekla Street. Other facades will have dim glass sheets and dark grey concrete panels combined in a rhythmic pattern using a metal framework. The upper levels of the courtyard volume, the courtyard façade of the ambassador’s residence, will be veneered with light metallic grid. The same grid will form shutters for the residence windows.

Europaconcorsi Beta

New building of the estonian embassy in Riga