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Reconstruction of the Riga Circus Historical Arena

NRJA

NRJA has followed the principle of «adding by removing» — by revealing hidden historical layers, a sense of newness is created, while embodying the 135 years of existence of the Rīgas Cirks building. The reconstructed arena is an example of radical conservation — only the layers that were ready to detach themselves due to decay were peeled off, not hiding any unaesthetic elements behind cladding or correcting non–architectural details. The hidden dimension of the building — time — is revealed in a seemingly random way, relinquishing direct authorship over what to reveal and what to keep hidden.

City

Riga

Country

Latvia

Use Before

Culture

Use After

Culture/ Educational

Area After

3875 m2

Construction

1888

Year

2022