Latvian National Museum of Art

Status: Competition 1st prize 2010, realisation 2015
Location: Riga, Latvia
Program: Wilhelm Neumann building: restoration and new exhibition halls in the cupola and attic spaces. 1st floor replanned to include conference hall, cafeteria, book shop, kids education rooms and museum administration offices. New extension – 3 exhibition halls, artwork storages, restoration workshops, supporting and technical premises
Space: 8 250 m²; public space 2 500 m²
Architects: Processoffice: Vytautas Biekša, Rokas Kilčiauskas, Marius Kanevičius, Giedrius Špogis, Ježi Stankevič, Austė Kuliešiūtė, Miglė Nainytė, Giedrė Datenytė, Mantas Peteraitis, Sandra Dumčiūtė, Povilas Marozas, Sandra Šlepikaitė;

Considering the unique architecture of the LNMM building, its importance of representation, and significant contribution to the cultural heritage the proposed extension strategy is based on:

• preservation of the existing building capacity and authentic details;
• clearly expressed modern volume and subtle minimal design of the additional spaces needed for renewal and extension of museum functions;
• redesign of the functional strategy of the existing building, that would allow more efficient use of the existing building and ergonomic integration of the extension.

Following these aspects we offer a functionally and aesthetically balanced project of the reconstruction and extension of the building of the Latvian National Museum of Art, preserving the building as a historical urban landmark and giving to it modern functionality.