11 nominees apply for the Latvian Architecture Annual Award / Article

11 nominees have been nominated for the final of the “Latvian Architecture Annual Award 2021”, the representatives of the selection jury announced at the press conference.

The jury noted that among all the applications received this year for the Latvian Architecture of the Year Award, objects of national significance, as well as skilfully designed private houses, unique processes and historical objects restored according to the era were visible.

Nominees for the Latvian Architecture Annual Award 2021 (in alphabetical order):

• Reconstruction of an office building on Miera Street. Authors: “Didrihsons arhitekti”;

• Reconstruction of the Song Festival stage in Mežaparks. Authors: “Austra Mailītis and Juris Poga Architects’ Office”;

• Exposition “It’s not for you! It’s for the building” at the Venice Biennale of Architecture. Authors: “NRJA (No Rules Just Architecture)”

• Lindenholm – 1st stage of residential construction. Authors: “Didrihsons arhitekti”, “Linia”, “Labie koki”, “IN4 Design Ideas”;

• MAD Architectural Space. Authors: “NRJA”;

• Ogre Central Library. Authors: “PBR”;

• Private house in Jurmala “House 61”. Authors: “SAMPLING”;

• Reconstruction of Rūmene barn – construction of exhibition halls and apartments. Authors: “Zaiga Gaile’s Office”;

• Stork barn. Authors: Andra Šmite;

• Three-slab house. Authors: “AIR”;

• Villa Dahlia. Authors: “ETER”.

The list of nominees echoes this year’s theme “Being Together”: among the nominated works is one of the largest buildings in the history of Latvia – the Song Festival Stage in Mežaparks, where more than 40 thousand people can gather, and four individual residential houses for families “MAD arhitektūras telpa”, created by the architectural firm “NRJA”, united the architectural community, while the Lindenholm residential quarter offers green, car-free yards where to meet neighbors, “commented Evelīna Ozola, a representative of the selection jury.

The works submitted for the Latvian Architecture Annual Award were judged by a selection jury – architect Andris Kronbergs (“ARHIS architects”, “LAGB 2020” Grand Prix recipient), authors of the objects awarded in 2020 – Ilze Liepiņa (“Silver Architecture”) and Oskars Vāvere (” ROOME architects “), architect and urbanist Evelīna Ozola, artist Ēriks Božis, writer and poet Inga Gaile and director Uģis Olte.

The jury evaluated the submitted works according to the following criteria: idea and concept, project unity or integrity, compliance with the project task, context and scale, diligence and thoroughness, as well as social significance and emotional impact.

In the next stage, the evaluation of the works is handed over to the final jury, which will select the winners of the main prizes.

In the program of the Latvian Architecture Annual Award 2021, it will be possible to see an exhibition of nominees’ works, which will open on August 23. Just like last year, this year the exhibition will be displayed on advertising stands in the urban environment of Riga. On August 25, a discussion on modern architectural processes will take place, but already on August 27, professional lectures will take place and also the most anticipated event – the solemn ceremony of the Latvian Architecture Annual Award 2021. Nominees and other interested people with an active Covid-19 certificate will be invited to participate in the ceremony.

For the Latvian Architecture Annual Award

The Latvian Architecture Annual Award is an annual national architecture competition with the aim of identifying and popularizing the best performances of Latvian architecture and promoting the high-quality development of architecture. The annual award is the largest event of the year in Latvian architecture, recognized as a nationally significant event, and the award itself is the highest award in Latvian architecture. The Latvian Architecture of the Year Award is organized by the Latvian Union of Architects in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia.

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