Riga KIP Island Architectural Competition
Year2017
LocationRiga, Latvia
StatusCompleted
Area5000 m²
TypologyCultural
TeamAli Önalp, Burak Yardımcı, Erhan Arslan, Güney Gültekin
The Riga Exhibition Center currently consists of a combination of fragmented building blocks designed at different times and in different styles. In its current state, these buildings that make up the exhibition center do not present an architectural stance capable of representing the city of Riga.
The main idea in the design of the annex building, which is the subject of the project, is to redefine these disparate structures—which currently lack unity and harmony—with a new architectural face, creating an iconic and distinctive urban structure.
Local design elements belonging to Riga and Latvia, as well as the strong urban silhouette of the historical city of Riga, are important tools used to enrich the architectural background of the design. The design of the building arises from the combination of these local characteristics, the massing of the programmatic components, and contemporary 21st-century architecture.
The building program required within the scope of the competition has been considered in three main parts: indoor activity areas, circulation axis, and outdoor activity areas. The architectural design was developed based on the necessity of this three-part programmatic distinction.
The outdoor activity area is envisioned as an interface to be used by visitors before entering the building. From this area, visitors move into the circulation axis of the building and can seamlessly reach all different functions through this route.
The functions required in the competition program are positioned under a monolithic and massive roof structure. Considering the varying spatial heights required by the sub-programs, the roof structure has been designed to be dynamic and continuous.
The auditorium halls, which feature a flexible floor plan, are located near the entrance and reception areas. Temporary exhibition areas are integrated with small meeting rooms and completed with a bookstore space.
Existing connections leading outside from the current Exhibition 2 area have been preserved, allowing new exits from the annex building to be established via these connections.
