The Saeima conceptually supported the law on the establishment of the Riga Philharmonic

The Saeima conceptually supported the draft law on the National Concert Hall Rīgas filharmonija, which provides for the creation of a new acoustic concert hall in Riga.

It is planned that the concert hall will be created by reconstructing and expanding the Riga Congress House.

The bill provides for the hall to be granted the status of a national interest object.

It is expected that the construction will be carried out by the Riga municipality in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture.

The bill stipulates that by December 31 of this year, the municipality will ensure the development of the construction project in accordance with the idea chosen in the architectural sketch competition. By the end of the year, the municipality will also present a control estimate of the project to the ministry for approval. According to the Riga City Council, contracts for the design have already been signed.

The development of the construction project will be financed by the Ministry of Culture from state budget funds. The construction work until the facility is put into operation will be financed by the Riga municipality. The Cabinet of Ministers will determine the procedure by which the state compensates the municipality for its financial investments. The concert hall must be put into operation no later than four years after receiving funding.

According to the calculations of the architects who won the sketch competition, based on 2023 prices, the implementation of the project may cost approximately 61.3 million euros, as stated in the annotation to the bill. The philharmonic will have three halls - a large hall, a small hall, and a multifunctional hall.

It is planned that the quality of construction will be monitored by the council for the construction of the concert hall. It will include representatives from the Ministry of Culture, the Riga municipality, and the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra. There will also be a member of a public organization representing the music industry, a representative of the Union of Latvian Architects, and four individuals invited by the Minister of Culture, who have experience in music, finance, cultural heritage protection, or law.

It is expected that after the construction is completed, the Riga municipality will transfer the concert hall for long-term use to the Ministry of Culture. The ministry will ensure its operation, maintenance, and management, as well as determine the procedure for its use.