About a third of the buildings in the heart of Riga are in the Art Nouveau style. We will be learning about architecture in a couple of weeks if you are in the Art Appreciation class and then again when we learn about the early 20th century. With so many Art Nouveau buildings in Riga, it makes it the highest concentration of this style in all of Europe, even more than Paris. These buildings were built from 1904-1914 during a time of rapid growth and prosperity in the city. Most of them are apartment buildings.
The architects were local Latvians and the sculptural elements you will see were imported from other parts of Europe or created by local craftsmen. What you will see is mostly the exteriors, sculptures and stained glass. The interiors were mostly destroyed during the wars and Soviet occupation. There is a small Art Nouveau museum that has recreated what one apartment might have looked like with furniture, wall and floor decorations, and lighting.
Art Nouveau means "new art" and was a reaction to academic art of the 19th century and was inspired by the natural worlds, especially the curved lines of plants and flowers. Unlike other artistic styles it embraces all art media including painting, sculpture, as well as decorative arts, interior design, jewelry, textiles, and of course architecture.
For this post I am going to show you some of these magnificent buildings and for the lost part they speak for themselves without much additional information.
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