Dynamic architecture with breath-taking views of the Latvian capital city behind the windows and green gardens on the rooftops. This is a brief description of the two office buildings to be erected in Riga centre designed by the famous Latvian architect Andris Kronbergs and developed investment management company Capitalica Asset Management. The company will invest more than EUR 60 million in the area that may become one of the new business districts of the capital city of Latvia in a few years.
The area of A-class innovative offices will occupy around 50,000 square meters, including the underground garage. As the new offices are going to rise in a carefully protected part of the city, the design of the buildings is entrusted to a real expert in their field, i. e. one of the most famous Latvian architects A. Kronbergs.
He has an impressive list of architectural works: Riga airport reconstruction, Latvian National Bank building project in Riga, various commercial buildings. A. Kronberg’s merits were also appreciated by the Latvian state, i. e. in 2009 he was awarded the Order of Three Stars for his contribution in promoting the country’s architecture abroad.
Limited by strict rules
Kronbergs, who has accepted the challenge to create the project for the company Capitalica Asset Management of SBA Group, is confident that this business centre has a huge potential to become a magnet that will attract other developers of business centres in the area in a few years.
According to the architect, the new business centres will offer a number of exceptional features, which will place the project developed by Lithuanians among the most desirable ones in the capital city of Latvia.
“The building is designed on a 1.3-hectare plot at the intersection between the central UNESCO-protected old town famous for its Art Nouveau style and the new Riga. Since the plot is situated in the intersection of these two parts of the city, the heritage requirements for newly constructed buildings are very strict. Especially for the height of the buildings and the building-up of the area. For this reason, business centres that we design could not have more than 12 floors or cover an even larger area. From an architectural point of view, this is a huge and very interesting challenge”, tells A. Kronbergs.
The green oasis to escape from computers
Besides its convenient and prestigious location, the new business centre will be distinguished for its special attention to green ideas. And it’s not just about energy-efficient solutions inside the building.
Although the offices will be located in Riga, often referred to as the megapolis of the Baltic region, their employees and visitors will be able to forget they are surrounded by the jungle of concrete and glass. Each building will be decorated with large, green planes that will become open terraces.
“On the roof of the lobby, the staff will be able to feel as if in the garden on a green hill planted with trees, shrubs and flowers, and cafés will be open during the warm season. All of this will become a viable green space resembling a park. There will be plenty of green spaces, as roof gardens will be installed above floors 5 and 11”, tells the Latvian architect.
According to A. Kronbergs, already at the design stage, the future buildings were developed in compliance with the BREEAM Excellent highest standard criteria. This means that the new offices will comply with the most diverse variety of sustainability and environmental requirements: from efficient waste management and the amount of energy used for cooling and heating to the maintenance.
“It is also important to note that the interior spaces of buildings will be very easy to modify. We do not yet know the exact tenants and their needs, however, the office space will be arranged and tailored to their individual needs in a very smooth and fast way”, says A. Kronbergs.
The first project outside Lithuania
There are two other characteristics of the new buildings that relate to sustainability and eco-friendliness, i. e. ergonomics and comfort of workplaces.
“Public spaces will be provided with different recreational zones, and employees who return from them back to their workplaces will be inspired by the views behind the windows. Buildings are designed so that the view from the windows would not be obstructed by other buildings. This is why we decided to lift the first floors of the building onto the columns. In addition to this, the facade of the building is also designed taking into account the fact that the sun’s activity and the amount of heat it produces differ on different sides. Therefore, the southern part of the facade is protected from overheating more than the northern one”, the architect reveals the solutions used in the office building developed by Lithuanians.
The new business centre in Riga’s Skanstes district is expected to open in 2021.
The development of the above-mentioned office complex in Riga has become the first step of Capitalica Asset Management to the neighbouring Latvian market. The company plans to attract EUR 5 million for the partial development of the two A-class business centres designed in Riga through the distribution of a public three-year bond issue from the 2nd of May to the 3rd of December.
Capitalica Asset Management, 80 percent of the shares of which is owned by one of the largest Lithuanian capital business groups SBA and 20 percent – by Andrius Barštys company Fox Holdings, currently manages Kaunas business centre Kauno Dokas, Klaipėda shopping centre Luizė and Vilnius business centre 135.
