The development of the Riga Makerspace prototyping workshop at A. Briāna iela 13 continues apace. The construction has achieved 71% of the monthly plan so far. Meanwhile, according to Jeļena Gavrilova, management board member of SJSC ‘State Real Estate’, the interior finishing work and the construction of indoor utilities have been completed in all of the buildings of the upcoming TabFab culture and creative industry support centre at Miera iela 58a, and it is planned to begin the grounds improvement work.
Two major creative industry and cultural education development projects are expected to be completed this year, with buildings at Miera iela 58 and A. Briāna iela 13 in Riga, which will provide support to students of the Riga Design and Art Secondary School (RDMV), the Latvian Academy of Culture (LKA), and the Latvian Academy of Art (LMA).
‘The Riga Makerspace prototyping workshop and the TabFab culture and creative industry support centre are important projects that not only create new opportunities for cultural education, but also contribute to the revitalisation of the city’s historic areas. Almost two thirds of the work have been done, and we are preparing these sites for handing over to the educational institutions this year,’ Gavrilova said.
The work currently done at the renovated technical school building of the Riga Makerspace prototyping workshop, with an area of 1500 m2, includes the installation of the heating and climate control systems, the ventilation system, the indoor water supply and sewer lines, as well as power and low-current lines, plasterboard partition walls, wooden windows, plastering of window openings, finishing work, construction of the stairwell slab, tiling work, plastering and painting of the ceilings, and installation of window sills. Meanwhile, in the new building, which has an area of 3600 m2, facade and parapet construction is currently taking place, as well as the installation of window sills, heating and climate control systems, ventilation system, water supply and sewer systems, power supply and low-current systems, plasterboard partition walls, and finishing work.
‘Modern infrastructure and access to prototyping technologies will not only improve the academic and vocational education process, providing the students with critical design skills, but will also open up opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborative projects involving the RDMV Centre of Excellence for Arts Education and LMA, thus enabling interaction between those still learning in secondary education and university students. Cooperation is one of the key preconditions for achieving higher goals and succeeding in development. Increasing the competitiveness of future designers and other young creative professionals is one of our leading priorities,’ Baiba Lukaševiča, deputy head for creative work at the Riga Design and Art Secondary School art education competence centre, said.
It is planned that six workshops will be created at A. Briāna iela 13, in accordance with the curricula of RDMV and LMA, for a high-quality and competitive study process. The Lifelong Learning Prototyping Service Centre will also offer seminars, lectures, and other events available to anyone interested.
The project is being implemented by the P un S Būvniecība general partnership, with a total construction cost of 12 million euros (including VAT). For the development of the Riga Makerspace prototyping workshop, the Ministry of Culture has raised funding through the Growth and Employment European Union fund activity programme and through the national budget (including the COVID-19 funding intended to stimulate the economy through investment in construction) . The project is scheduled to be completed in autumn 2024.
Meanwhile, the construction of the TabFab culture and creative industry support centre is progressing at Miera iela 58a. Its first phase is to be completed in the summer of 2024, enabling LKA students and creative industries people to start the next academic year on the new premises.
‘The reconstructed Tobacco Factory Quarter buildings supervised and managed by SJSC “State Real Estate” are critically important for enabling the Latvian Academy of Culture to develop faster. Moving to these buildings will allow us to achieve the Academy’s strategic goals: to build a strong, cohesive, and modern space for academic, creative, and research activities, and to be open to broader internationalisation. Audiovisual arts students, as well as master and doctoral students will be able to work in a modern environment that is suitable for and supporting of the process of their studies, which will be the first step in LKA’s overall move to its new home the TabFab Quarter,’ the newly elected LKA rector, professor Dāvis Sīmanis, said.
As of now, the structures of the TabFab culture and creative industry support centre building are already in place, with the indoor finishing and the installation of indoor utilities in progress. The development of the quarter is divided into two phases, with the first phase currently underway, involving the redevelopment of 3 buildings for the LKA and the National Film School.
The construction, costing a total of 5.8 million euros (including VAT), is done by SIA Marels Būve, working with the NRJA architect firm and LKA. To finance the project, the Ministry of Culture has raised funds via the Growth and Employment EU fund operational programme, namely its Specific Support Objective (SSO) 5.6.1 ‘Promote the revitalisation of Riga, enabling the efficient socio-economic use of its territory’ and SSO 4.2.1.8 of the ‘Modernisation of the learning environment in higher education institutions’ programme. The construction is expected to be completed in the summer of 2024, while the entire project is to be over by the end of 2024, with the implementation of the interior finish design, and the procurement of the equipment the Academy needs.
Before these projects began, the building of the former Riga Consumer Industry Technical School (Riga Makerspace) and the site of the former Riga Tobacco Factory (TabFab) were considered some of the city’s degraded areas. These ongoing developments are not only helping to clean up the urban space, but also to develop the neighbourhood with better education opportunities for students and to increase investor interest in pursuing new business ideas in the neighbourhood.
About SRE
SRE provides professional real estate management and administration for 419 building and structure properties, comprising 1049 buildings with a total area of 0.98 million square metres, as well as land beneath structures with a total area of 585 hectares, and 3385 land properties with a total area of 937 hectares. SRE is one of 17 Latvian companies that in 2023 received the highest platinum award as part of the Sustainability Index of the Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, confirming the good governance and sustainability of its operations. The company was founded in 1996 and the Ministry of Finance is its sole shareholder.
