Historic Vidzeme market has hopes for renovation

A car-free, pedestrianized market square, restored historic pavilions with space for new functions, including culture and education. This is the vision for the Rīga Vidzeme Market. The owner of the market, Rīgas nami Ltd, plans to find a tenant for the next 30 years through an auction, Rīgas Nami said in a release on November 27.

The project, developed by the architecture and design firm Sampling. proposes opening up the Vidzeme market area to pedestrian traffic, creating a coherent and flowing public open space. The market square is designed to be car-free, with no parking spaces, focusing on a multifunctional and ecological environment. The existing historic pavilions, together with the outdoor space, should be offered as a place for various new functions - culture, recreation, education, civic participation, and other functions.

Ojārs Valkers, Chairman of the Board of Riga Houses, pointed out that a 30-year lease for Vidzeme Market will be announced in the near future:

"The lease conditions, in addition to ensuring the continued operation of the market, will also include conditions for the restoration of the historic pavilions and the landscaping of the area. The feasibility study project will therefore serve as a road map and will help the new tenant to set priorities for the development of the market."

The vision for the development of the Vidzeme Market pavilions preserves their historic and high-quality details. As Riga Houses pointed out, the 19th-century meat pavilion is remarkable for its large scale, as well as for the sophisticated details in the building's interior, such as the cast iron and iron structures separating the trading areas. The proposed refurbishment solution allows to preservation of the historic volume and interior elements of the building, while increasing the usable space, introducing a multifunctional atrium and providing a variety of functions in the market.

In the dairy pavilion, it is proposed to create two sections, with the first dedicated to the commercial function, planned in the lower part of the building, opening onto the courtyard. The second is intended for a cultural function, including space for conferences and exhibitions, workshops and other activities.

The proposed vision for the pavilions would result in a 1.8 and 1.6-fold increase in commercial space respectively.

Vidzeme Market is one of the oldest large markets in Riga and was the first in the capital to have pavilions. On October 15 1902, two pavilions were opened at the corner of Brīvības and Matīsa Streets - the first indoor pavilion in Riga for meat sales and an outdoor pavilion for other food products. The market buildings were designed by Riga's chief architect Reinhold Schmaeling. This market has been known as the Vidzeme Market since 1924. Its buildings are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Historic Centre of Riga'.

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