Simtgades Alley 3 — where is such an address in Riga? The building itself does not yet exist. The completion date is set for December 31, 2034.
But everyone knows the picturesque promenade along the city canal, starting from Valdemara Street. Currently, there are tennis courts, and in the future, the second stage of the National Theatre and various services will be located there.
How much does it cost
The construction can be called a legacy of the brief tenure of Mayor Burovs, during which a contract was signed — on April 8, 2020 — between the Property Department of the Riga City Council and AB3D LLC. The document provided for the development of a construction project and author supervision. Initially, the completion date was set for October 9, 2028, as recorded in Cabinet of Ministers Order No. 487 2.1.
Construction costs were initially estimated at 22.9 million euros; finishing works at 1.8 million euros, and stage technologies at 15.3 million euros. In total, 39,966,536.28 euros (excluding VAT).
As noted in the annotation from the Ministry of Culture, "after the completion of the design work, no decision has been made regarding the financing model for the construction of the Latvian National Theatre." Therefore, the prospects for now are postponed to a hazy future. As for the cost, no one can even remotely imagine what will happen with our euro currency in 9 years...
Breakfast with a view of the canal
The architects have many ideas for the 11,500 square meters: the new "Black box" hall is located at the northern end of the site by Kronvalda Boulevard, with a foyer on the alley side featuring two entrances for the audience. Visitors will also have access to a café/bar located on the second floor of the building and a restaurant on the rooftop terrace, which can be reached by stairs or an elevator. One can enjoy a "magnificent view of the park and the canal." There is a plan to connect the new and old buildings at the level of the third floor.
In the central part of the building under construction and on the side of Kronvalda Boulevard, there will be theatrical workshops and actor dressing rooms/makeup rooms; a kitchen; a smoking room for staff. In the area adjacent to the existing extension, there will be entrances and ramps to the underground parking (46 parking spaces only for staff) and for trucks. The building will also have freight elevators, emergency stairs, and exits.
"The volumes of the upper floors are arranged in such a way as to spare the crowns of the Century Oaks as much as possible," the architects note.
The package for extending the construction deadlines, prepared by the head of the investment and project department of the Ministry of Culture, Madara Linde, is expected to be approved by January 20.
