Press information
 | Jānis Krastiņš Riga Architectural Guide 135 × 240 mm, 400 pages, more than 800 illustrations Softcover with foldout maps ISBN 978-386922-286-8 (English) EUR 38.00 / CHF 49.40 May 2014. DOM publishers, Berlin |
Now available at DOM publishers:
Jānis Krastiņš
Architectural Guide Riga
Hanseatic League, art nouveau, Soviet-style modernism – its architecture alone is reason enough for Riga to be European Capital of Culture in 2014. The Architectural Guide Riga offers a comprehensive overview of the architecture and urban development of the Latvian capital, whose cityscape forms an intricate pattern of architectural styles while the overall layout is clearly structured and easy to navigate.
The author is the architectural historian Jānis Krastiņš, a native of Riga and acknowledged expert in all questions relating to the city. In this lavishly illustrated volume he presents nearly eight hundred buildings from different periods in Riga’s eight hundred years of architectural history. Nine geographically organized chapters take readers across the largest city of the Baltic States, from the Old Town with its castle to the boulevards of the central districts and the various suburbs. A separate chapter highlights fifteen architectural monuments in the city’s environs.
After the arrival of Bishop Albert of Bremen in 1201, the ancient seaport flourished and grew under the powerful influence of neighbours such as Sweden and Russia. The result is a complex structure including the Hanseatic Old Town, traditional wooden architecture, the world’s largest ensemble of art nouveau buildings, majestic functionalist edifices, and examples of Soviet-style modernism. Since Latvia achieved its independence in 1991, the city has been reviving a rich architectural tradition. The past ten years have seen a regular construction boom giving rise to numerous residential and commercial buildings, hotels, office buildings, and new education, sports, cultural, and entertainment venues, all of which are presented in this encompassing architectural guide.
The Architectural Guide Riga offers a well-grounded overview of the varied architecture and urban development of the city, whose wide range of architectural styles makes it something of a museum of European architectural history. With its great wealth of material, the book also provides a meticulous inventory of the city’s major buildings. Detailed maps and an index assist travellers in finding their way around.
 |  |  |
| © Janis Krastinš | © Janis Krastinš | © Ugis Bratuškins |
| View all press images |
The Architectural Guides by DOM publishers are handy travel companions for readers interested in architecture and culture. Projects are carefully selected and researched to make each individual book a ready work of reference, while background information and attractive design inspire armchair travellers to imaginary journeys.