The works to restore the original spaciousness and removal of mezzanine covering at the former dining hall of Riga Castle, i.e. Remteris, have been completed as part of the restoration and reconstruction project of the oldest – convent (kastel) – part of Riga Castle implemented by SJSC State Real Estate (SRE), informs SRE Chairman of the Board Renārs Griškevičs.
As part of the renovation of the oldest part of Riga Castle, the original spaciousness of the hall which was in the last stage of renovation – Remteris – has been restored. Separating walls and mezzanine covering have been removed during the renovation of the hall, thus restoring its original spaciousness. The ceiling beams dismantled during the renovation have been retained for re-use in the manufacture of furniture necessary for the Museum. In order to improve the load-bearing capacity of the vaults, the necessary works have been carried out at the level of the fourth floor and attic to reduce the load on them, and also the testing and installation of the column tie rings.
“The oldest part of Riga Castle, at every step, presented various historical evidence and challenges, the works are progressing according to plan, and we have now completed about 60 per cent of the total scope of the first two phases. We are actively working, jointly with the project team, to ensure that Remteris is fully completed in autumn and that in one year the renovated premises would be available to the National History Museum of Latvia. The most important works to be carried out in the coming months are the restoration of the walls, the renovation of the floors using recovered historical boards and the renovation of the stairs to the third floor,” says R. Griškevičs.
“We faced various challenges during the dismantling of the mezzanine covering in Remteris. These challenges were mainly related to the load-bearing capacity and technical characteristics of the hall’s structures which have been affected by the evolution of the space over the centuries. Experts from Germany were also invited in order to help remove the covering of the 18th century and to restore the hall to its original state as in the 16th century. For a year, we have been working to develop and implement the most appropriate and currently visible solution, and we are proud to be able to appreciate what we have achieved together,” says Anastasija Pimenova, architect at the partnership “Riga Castle Kastel Project” and the responsible author’s supervisor.
Until now, the Castle has revealed various historical evidences from its origins. The most significant of them are the 600-year-old hot air or hypocaust furnace, evidence of historical decoration from different periods of construction, previously unrecorded wall paintings in the Chapel and Remteris Hall, and the 16th century historical wall on the south side of the facade. Interior finishing works are currently in progress and the restoration of premises is near its completion.
“Riga Castle has been a ‘living organism’ already since the start of its construction and during the eight centuries of its existence it has always been modernised and adapted to its function as a residence. One of the restored wings of the Castle still serves the national representation function. Whereas the rest of the Castle, built by the Teutonic Order, has been restored to its characteristic appearance of Latvian medieval culture. Along with the removal of mezzanine covering that deformed the original spaciousness of Remteris, the former dining hall of Riga Castle, this unusual space has confidently returned to Latvia’s cultural heritage and in the near future, with its medieval aesthetics, will organically fit into the exhibition spaces of the National History Museum of Latvia,” says Ojārs Spārītis, Head of the Monuments Council.
The restoration of the kastel part of Riga Castle has significantly increased construction costs and the tender for the restoration of “Daugavas gāte” has so far been closed without result. Jointly with the Ministry of Culture, efforts are being made to attract the necessary funds. As part of the renovation works, it is also planned to rebuild the heating networks of A/S “Rīgas Siltums” so that they can be connected to the rainwater sewerage engineering networks, and also to lower the street level in the Daugava River at Pipers Tower to Horns Bastion, to build a bridge that will allow access to the main entrance of the Museum, and for the first time in 400 years, natural light will reach the basement area of the castle.
The total area of the construction project of the kastel part of Riga Castle is 11.9 thousand square metres, of which 6.7 thousand square metres will be renovated and 4.4 thousand square metres will be commissioned. The remaining 5.2 thousand square metres in phases I and II are not being renovated. These works are included in the next phases of the renovation project. While the construction works are in progress in Riga Castle, it is possible to watch the latest video in a series of videos made by SRE “Buildings and Legends” here. This video tells a story about the renovation project of the kastel part of Riga Castle.
Under the guidance of SRE, the construction works of phases I and II of the kastel part of Riga Castle are being carried out by AS “LNK Industries” by investing the State budget funding attracted by the Ministry of Culture. The total budget of the project is almost EUR 22 million. The renovation of the kastel part of Riga Castle is carried out according to the construction design developed by the partnership “Riga Castle Kastel Project”. The project is expected to be completed in 2024 so that the National History Museum of Latvia can return to its historic home and also to arrange and open some of its exhibitions to the public. The next phase of the project includes the restoration and reconstruction of the remaining premises of the kastel in order to arrange the main exhibition of the Latvian history in the Castle.
Photo gallery available here.
