2024 Latvian Architecture Prize

We are honoured to announce that at Riseba FAD together with Arhiteksti, Steven Myron Holl Foundation in collaboration with Civita Institute, received the 2024 year award in Architecture, for the process project "Astra Zariņa — a force of nature." 

The process included our faculty members, masters and bachelors student´s work from the "Civita 2023" workshop, the 2nd International architectural conference "Rixarch 2024: Blind Spot" and the exhibition "Rome and the teacher, Astra Zariņa," which took place both in Riga and at the civita institute in Bagnoreggio, Italy.

The Jury´s comments about the project:

Astra Zariņa — A Force of Nature is a process that introduces the intellectual legacy of the renowned Latvian émigré architect and educator Astra Zariņa. Zariņa’s views on the urban environment, the significance of historical heritage and culture in architecture, as well as her contributions to the study of Rome and the preservation of Civita di Bagnoregio, have inspired generations of architects worldwide. The process includes the student workshop Civita 2023, the exhibition Rome and the Teacher, Astra Zariņa in Riga and Civita di Bagnoregio, the conference Rixarch 2024: Blind Spot, as well as the ongoing work on the reissue of her seminal book The Roofs of Rome.

"This project sheds light on an ever more important role of the architect — the initiator and researcher. It gives life to an unwritten history and adds a new chapter to Latvian architectural history. Using exhibitions, writings and workshops, their project allows us to rediscover and discover the history of Astra Zariņa. Thus, the authors breathe new life into her ideas which are now more relevant than ever," the jury explains.

- Jury´s text by Latvijas Arhitektu Savienība, can be found at: "https://latarh.lv/new-riga-theatre-wins-grand-prix-at-latvian-architecture-awards-2024"

Photos by: Kristīne Madjare