Construction, Culture, EU – Baltic States, Latvia, Legislation, Real Estate

The project by Caruso St John Architects' (Britain) and Arhitektu birojs Jaunromāns un Ābele.

The design projects created by seven international architect bureaus in collaboration with Latvian architects are being presented in Riga today. The winner of the competition will be announced at the end of June.

Surnacovs said that the new museum with its adjacent city garden is being planned as the central quarter of New Hansa City, which is supposed to make the neighborhood of Skanste the modern center of Riga city. The museum's ambition, meanwhile, is to become the most visited art museum in the Baltic States. Along with hosting exhibitions, educational and public involvement events, the museum will also house a significant contemporary art collection.

Latvian Culture Minister Dace Melbarde (National Alliance) thanked the contestants for their work and noted that this is the first time that a competition of architectural design projects is being organized by the London-based Malcolm Reading Consultants.

The teams of architects presenting their design projects to a jury in Riga today include Lahdelma&Mahlamaki Architects from Finland and MADE arhitekti from Latvia, Henning Larsen Architects from Denmark and MARK arhitekti from Latvia, Neutelings Riedijk Architects from the Netherlands and Latvia's Brigita Bula arhitekte, Sauerbruch Hutton from Germany and Latvian architect Ingurds Lazdins, wHY from the U.S., Outofbox Architecture and ALPS from Latvia, Caruso St John Architects from the UK and Latvia's Arhitektu birojs Jaunromans un Abele, as well as Adjaye Associates from the UK and Latvia's AB3D.

At the end of the competition all seven teams of architects will receive remuneration, but only one of the team will continue work on the LMoCA projects.

In 2015, Malcolm Reading Consultants was hired to organize the competition of LMoCA design projects. 25 renowned architect bureaus, none of them from Latvia, were invited to take part in the first round of the competition.

Seven of them were shortlisted for participation in the second round of the competition where they were expected to work in creative partnership with Latvian architects.