On 6 March 2025, a time capsule with messages for future generations was buried in the foundations of the Great Hall stage of the Great Guild, marking the end of the dismantling phase of the Great Guild's reconstruction and renovation project. The restoration, renovation and construction of the new volumes will continue in the course of the project, says Jeļena Gavrilova, Member of the Board of SJSC "State Real Estate" (SRE).
The Ministry of Culture, the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO), SRE and LTD “RERE MEISTARI” placed a time capsule with messages for future generations in the foundations of the Great Hall stage of the Great Guild. The messages include information about the project participants, wishes for future generations and possible finders of the capsule, as well as artistic and philosophical messages.
"Restoring, preserving and adapting cultural heritage buildings to modern requirements is an extremely responsible and time-consuming task. The current deterioration of the building of the Great Guild has led us to think about how to make it accessible and functional again, not only for our cultural luminaries, but also for visitors, while preserving its unique values. I am convinced that all parties involved are aware of the importance of this project and are investing a lot of effort in order to not only carry out the planned works qualitatively, but also to meet the deadlines," says Agnese Lāce, Minister for Culture.
"The LNSO is extremely pleased that the long-awaited renovation-insulation project of the Great Guild is in the implementation phase and the works are progressing rapidly! We are especially happy that, along with the various technical improvements, after the renovation we will be able to enjoy music in acoustic conditions that meet today's requirements," says Indra Lūkina, the member of the LNSO Board.
"The LNSO and the Great Guild form a fundamental pillar of art, culture and music with a glorious past. Our task is to adapt the historic spaces of the house to modern requirements and the needs of the user, while respecting the work and knowledge of the old masters. We are pleased to have the opportunity to participate in the restoration of such an important cultural monument," says Ms Gavrilova.
"This is a unique opportunity for the team of LTD "RERE Meistari": to carry out reconstruction and restoration works in the architectural monument of national importance "The Great Guild". It is a great honour and a great responsibility, because the Great Guild is a very special place in Latvia. It is not only a great cultural and historical treasure and a pearl in the heart of the Old Town, but it is also a place where professional musicians contribute their talents and enrich the souls of our Latvian residents and visitors. The team of LTD "RERE Meistari" will do their best so that in a year and a half we can enjoy not only the sounds of the Latvian Symphony Orchestra, but also the visual pleasure," says Ervīns Koncevičs, Manager of LTD "RERE Meistari".
Dismantling works have been completed in the Great Guild and energy efficiency improvements have been agreed so far. The project will continue with the restoration of the historic windows and doors, the installation of the structures and the reconstruction of the internal utilities.
The project will preserve and develop the Great Guild, an architectural monument of national importance. The history of the building is as colourful as that of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra. During the reconstruction and restoration, the Great Hall stage, audience seating and ceiling structures will be rebuilt, and environmental accessibility measures will be undertaken. The project will restore historic wooden windows and doors, as well as insulate the roof to improve the building's energy efficiency. In addition, the project will reconstruct internal utilities, including water, heating, ventilation, electricity and low-current networks. The basement area of the building will also be transformed, with the reconstruction of the visitor facilities and cloakroom area. In addition, some rooms will be reconstructed to meet the needs of the administration and musicians.
A total of around EUR 16.2 million (VAT included) is planned to be invested in the development of the Great Guild. The Ministry of Culture has attracted programme funding of EUR 10.08 million from the activity 5.1.1.5 ‘Renovation of unique European cultural heritage to improve its accessibility and develop cultural services’ of Specific Assistance Goal 5.1.1 ‘Work towards integrated social, economic, and environmental development, and improvement in cultural heritage, tourism, and security in local areas’ of the EU Cohesion Policy Programme for 2021–2027. Of this, ERDF funding amounts to EUR 8.5 million and state budget funding to EUR 1.5 million. The Ministry of Economics has, in turn, mobilised funding of EUR 6.18 million to increase the energy efficiency of the Great Guild from the investment 1.2.1.4.i ‘Improving energy efficiency in the buildings of the public sector, incl. historic buildings’ of the reform and investment direction 1.2 ‘Improving energy efficiency’ of the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility; of which the funding of the Recovery Fund is EUR 5.18 million and the state budget funding is EUR 995 thousand. The project is planned to be completed by the end of 2026.
The Great Guild is one of the oldest and most interesting buildings in Riga, and it houses a concert hall with one of the most expensive histories and most impressive looks in the city. The building, constructed in the 1500’s, is a protected cultural historic heritage site. It has seen multiple expansions over time. The most significant impression on its appearance was left by the construction of its Baroque façade in 1697, although the indoor spaces have been rebuilt a few times, adapting them to the changing functions of the building. Today, the Great Guild is the home of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra. Given the special status of the building and the need to preserve the cultural heritage of the building and its architectural value, there are special requirements set for the renovation procedure, and it must take place in conjunction with the Latvian National Heritage Board.
Photos from the event are available at: https://failiem.lv/u/6e5w382dex.
