arch.riga

Stabu iela.

Nestled in the heart of Rīga, this majestic 1911 edifice rises with baroque grace and a stoic elegance that whispers of a bygone era. Its warm ochre façade is adorned with regal pilasters, sculpted caryatids, and ornamental balustrades—each detail a chapter in the building’s silent story.

Above the arched windows and wrought iron gates, time has etched its signature in plaster: “1911”—a proud marker of its birth at the cusp of two centuries. The expressive stone faces, weathered yet dignified, seem to watch over the street below, as if guarding memories held within.

This is not just architecture; it is Riga’s soul carved in sandstone. A place where history lives not in museums, but in the walls that still breathe, the doors that still creak, and the stories that still echo.

Elizabetes iela

🔹 Built in 1899–1900, desegned by Karl Johann Felsko — one of Riga’s foremost masters of 19th‑century eclecticism. His rich façade compositions grace multiple corners of the city, and this building is a prime example .

🔹 A harmonious blend of styles — Renaissance-inspired pediments, Baroque turrets, Empire-era pilasters, and even early traces of Art Nouveau detailing unite through a restrained yellow-and-white palette. Almost every sculptural element survived restoration, preserving Felsko’s vibrant vision .

🔹 Addressed to Empress Elizabeth — Elizabetes Street was named for Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna (wife of Alexander I). The historic name was restored in 1991 after Soviet-era renaming .

🔹 Heart of the “Quiet Centre” — Though overshadowed by Art Nouveau’s flamboyant icons nearby (like Elizabetes 10b by Mikhail Eisenstein), No. 37 stands as a refined precursor — a late 19th‑century statement of elegance before the Jugendstil explosion .

🔹 A living building today — Now a well-maintained residential and commercial property, it houses apartments, boutiques, and offices. The historic façade, complete with sculpted finials and balconies, remains impressively intact.

Skolas iela.

One highly unusual example of how much a building's courtyard can hide. The site is located in an extremely dense perimeter development, resulting in the famous well courtyards, which are completely surrounded by buildings.
It is difficult to convey the sensation of being in this place. It is both clastrophobic and incredibly free, especially when you look up at the clouds flying overhead.

Often the courtyards are left in the background, when all the creativity of the author goes into creating an interesting and ornate facade. This is clearly not the case here. From the outside the building is built in the style of National Romanticism, while inside, instead of boring monotonous cladding we see a whole world of details and beautiful elements.

Not to mention the atmosphere, which in places like this you can practically cut with a knife. Just now you were on a noisy and lively street and a few steps away you are standing in the middle of the quiet, monumental walls of tranquillity.