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News
1. New Office Address of SIA 'Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums' 2. Andrejsala's Nameday: November Afternoon Arts Medley 3. "Port Pro" AS completes sale of its subsidiaries 4. What does the urban future look like? 5. Riga Port City development project augments Rīga's competitiveness 6. Architectural Conference for Possible Transformation of Andrejsala’s Former Grain Elevator 7. Andrejsala and SIA 'Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums' Visited by Delegation of European Academic Scholars 8. Responses filed regarding the land privatisation/alienation proposals 9. Andrejsala's Detailed Development Plan: Well-Researched and Beneficial for the Latvian Capital 10. Andrejsala's Detailed Plan Secures Institutional Support 11. Latvian Creative Industries Call for New Interdisciplinary Higher Education Programme In Brief Archive 2007 Archive 2006 Archive 2005 Archive 2004 1. New Office Address of SIA 'Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums' Since the 28th of November, SIA Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums has a different incorporation address and office location. It's now in the Anchor Building in 4a Andrejostas Street. On the second floor of the structure, Andrejsala's information centre will also be located. It's purpose is to provide facts, updates and practical solutions regarding the property development and urban revitalisation in Andrejsala, one of the newest districts of central Rīga, covering a variety of aspects from the major future architectural ideas to event spaces and offices currently available for lease as well as upcoming arts and entertainment activities. The information centre plans to operate between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM on weekdays. The new name of the Anchor Building, located in 4a Andrejostas Street, helps to tell the Andrejsala story. For more than a century, here operated the port. The first mooring facilities were introduced in Andrejsala in the 1890s in order to accept sea and river vessels, handle freight and carry out other related business. The Anchor was made into an outdoor sculptural symbol of Andrejsala in 2006, the year when the district started inviting and supporting artists in residence, various artists' clubs and groupings, individual creatives, architectural firms and several businesses. The coming years are expected to see a major part of the entire district's activity move to the Anchor Building, thus bringing to the fore the motto: Andrejsala: a Harbour of Ideas.  2. Andrejsala's Nameday: November Afternoon Arts Medley November 30, 2008 This year's Andrejdiena, the nameday of everyone called Andris, Andrievs, Andrejs or Andrew, takes place on Sunday the 30th of November in Andrejsala, Rīga's district also bearing the same name. The area's real property developer SIA Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums organises the mini-festival for the fourth time already, promising an entire afternoon of arts, discovery and light entertainment. At noon, it starts with the launch of an exhibition titled Andrejsala: Transformation through Time. Its contents, specifically the olden photographs and maps, help the viewer to grasp the range of activities and historical changes that have affected the area from early 18th century to date. Plenty of material has been aggregated to preserve the visuals showing how Andrejsala initially was an island and what economic activity was present here in various periods—such as herring quality control, the rise and decommissioning of the grain elevators, river navigation, forest and coal export business—and these are just the more obvious facts about the district. Alongside with the exhibition, several screenings are offered: TEC-1 (a video performance by Laboratory of Stage Arts), a documentary mix about the previous year's Andrejdiena in Andrejsala and an info movie Introduction of Electric Power: First Steps. Select Latvian feature films also are part of Andrejdiena's programme. Two halls are planned for a free viewing of Sell Me Your Husband (2003, directed by Jānis Cimmermanis), Dangerous Summer (2000, dir. Aigars Grauba) and A Trip to Tukums (1992, dir. Andrejs Ēķis). Interesting artefacts of material culture and technology will be exhibited on a special day organised at the Power Generation Museum, located in 8 Andrejostas Street. The collection of this institution includes rare photographs, videos, a multitude of outmoded yet curious electric appliances. Andrejdiena 2008 is organised jointly by SIA Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums, Platforma Filma, the state agency Jaunie „Trīs Brāļi”, the Museum of the History of Rīga and Navigation, the Power Generation Museum and the photographic studio Imagine 3. "Port Pro" AS completes sale of its subsidiaries November 3, 2008 "Port Pro" AS and its subsidiary SIA "Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums" have sold six business companies that they previously owned and that are active in the tract of land designated as Rīga's Eksporta port. The six companies, now owned by SIA "Rīgas Tirdzniecības Osta", are called AS "Rīgas 1. saldētava", SIA "Ogļu Termināls", SIA "Ostas Nami”, AS "RHS-Forwarding", SIA "Transporta bāze" and SIA "Juta Termināls". The business of the transferred companies is the managing, maintaining and supervising the real property located in the Eksporta port district of the Latvian capital. The sellers decided upon the transaction by following the changing trends in the real property market and by analysing the possibility to meet the agreed deadline (10 years) for the beginning of the Riga Port City real property project's second stage, which concerns the development of the Eksporta port urban area. "Port Pro" subsidiary SIA "Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums" will continue its work on the land use planning and development of Andrejsala. The area's detailed master plan as well as its land use and construction regulations have been finalised, and their final versions have been filed in with the municipality of Rīga. Following the official approval for the detailed plan, the next steps will include the prototyping of distinct quarters and neighbourhoods within Andrejsala. SIA "Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums" was incorporated in the year 2001, with its fixed capital now equalling 22.662 million Latvian lats. SIA "Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums" is a fully owned subsidiary of the Norwegian company "Port Pro" AS. 4. What does the urban future look like? October 26, 2008 From the 26th till 29th of October, SIA Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums is participating in the 32nd congress of the International Urban Development Association (INTA), hosted by Rīga, the capital of Latvia. The programme explores the guidelines for achieving more efficient and pleasant cities—competitiveness, attractiveness and large-scale urban projects—as well as emphasises the need for stimulating cooperation, creativity, arts and culture while materialising the aforesaid goals. The convention offers public addresses and presentations by 70 practicians, government officials and scholars from 27 countries, among them Valters Māziņš, Chairman of the Board of SIA Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums, the developers of Riga Port City (Andrejsala). In his presentation, Mr Māziņš will talk about prerequisites of sustainable development in large-scale projects, co-operation among the developer, the state and society, and solutions to create a pleasant urban environment. The first day of the congress, October 27, is dedicated to topics such as competitiveness, cooperation and cohesion. The next day proposes to examine creativity, culture and territorial attractiveness. The congress will conclude on October 28 when the participants will share their views on area development and the managing of large-scale development projects. The full programme of the congress is available here. The 32nd World Urban Development Congress, headed by the INTA, takes place in cooperation with the Rīga City Council, the Latvian Association of Major Cities, the Latvian Ministry of Regional Development and Local Government, the state agency Jaunie „Trīs brāļi” and the Latvian Ministry of Culture. The event is supported by SIA Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums; VEOLIA Environment; RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens / Paris' Independent Transport Authority). The mission of the International Urban Development Association is to function as a world-leading, on-going forum uniting urban planning and development specialists. The INTA's conventions and exchange platforms help to create a positive synergy between specific urban development undertakings, the lessons learned from them and the results of relevant research. They do so by coordinating cooperation channels between the industry's professionals and academia. The organisation often brings together the most outstanding practitioners from various parts of the planet, thus enabling them to share with one another their newest findings, strategic visions and actively discuss the optimum ways of advancing specific cities' development processes. 5. Riga Port City development project augments Rīga's competitiveness October 15, 2008 From the 6th till 9th of October, Brussels hosted "OPEN DAYS – European Week of Regions and Cities", in which Rīga was represented by Valters Māziņš, chairman of the board of SIA "Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums". The forum's focus was on competitiveness of local areas, innovation and the attracting of creative potential to cities. Valters Māziņš in his address highlighted the competitive advantage of Rīga, which includes its location, investment in urban development, cultural heritage and art milieu, as well as the Latvian capital's current visionary determination to become a new, important and open metropolis in Europe. SIA "Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums" with its Riga Port City development was showcased as a good example of intelligent handling of the long-term development of an urban district. The project is intended to result in the addition to central Rīga of a compact, multi-functional, culturally diverse and resident-friendly living and working environment, the first of this kind in Rīga. "In order to dissuade people from leaving them, major cities need to care for quality living environment and opportunities for growth and expression," Māziņš said. The elaborate future plans that are underway for Andrejsala include the opening, in the centre of the area, a hub of contemporary culture and thought. There, the main feature will be the Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art in a transformed former power station's building, surrounded by the offices of creative organisations, business centres, media outlets, design studios, galleries, exhibition spaces, schools and convention facilities. Thus, Rigans will discover a new and vibrant concentration of activities arising in the very heart of their city." The 6th OPEN DAYS forum, organised by the Committee of the Regions and the European Commission, was aimed at fostering the discussions about regional growth potentials. Being the largest European convention for those involved in regional policy-making and cohesion, it attracted representatives from 216 partnering regions and cities. 6. Architectural Conference for Possible Transformation of Andrejsala’s Former Grain Elevator July 2, 2008 From June 6 till 8, the Andrejsala property development company SIA Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums organised an architectural conference for discussing and modelling the possible future of one of the area's landmarks, the old grain elevator. Teams of experts worked on finding the optimum layout for the eventually transformable building so that, in line with its new functional concept, it would integrate ideally with both the existing and the future surroundings. Additionally the planning of the nearby segment of the Daugava embankment and promenade also required specialist consideration. Six architectural firms had delegated their representatives to participate in the gathering: NRJA, The conference concluded with a deciding of the most successful proposals in their respective categories: 7. Andrejsala and SIA 'Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums' Visited by Delegation of European Academic Scholars July 1, 2008 On the 14th of June 2008, the Andrejsala-based SIA Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums (JAU) received a visit from a group of 40 experts participating in a seminar organised by the Stockholm School of Economics in Rīga. The latter event focused on the topic of 'creative industries', gathering academic scholars from a number of universities located in twelve different European cities. The objective of the Andrejsala visit was to introduce the guests to the main activity of JAU and to the urban development strategies of the district, presented by JAU's chairman of the board Mr Valters Māziņš. Importantly, Andrejsala's land use plan foresees the encouragement and refining of the creative sectors, thus eventually contributing to the future of the entire Latvian capital. The day in Andrejsala also included a discussion and an excursion to various parts of the district. The Stockholm School of Economics in Rīga, by arranging the seminar, took part in an international project titled Accommodating Creative Knowledge – Competitiveness of European Metropolitan Regions within the Enlarged Union (ACRE). The initiative, involving Rīga as one of its partner cities, is led by the University of Amsterdam and aims to assess the opportunities created by the rise of creative industries especially in major cities. JAU publishes and updates the details of its Andrejsala property development project on a dedicated website. 8. Responses filed regarding the land privatisation/alienation proposals February 28, 2008 Andrejsala In line with the land privatisation/alienation proposals issued by the state joint-stock company Privatizācijas aģentūra (PA) and the state joint-stock company Valsts nekustamie īpašumi (VNĪ), SIA Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums and its subsidiary companies have confirmed that they will utilise their pre-emptive right to purchase several designated land lots in Andrejsala, as part of ensuring successful implementation of the first stage of the Riga Port City property development project. No investments have been made by the municipality in the land lots to be privatised or alienated. A total of about 120 hectares (300 acres) of land were put up for privatisation/alienation in Andrejsala and the Eksporta Port district. The current plan of SIA Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums and its subsidiaries will result in the purchase of land lots in Andrejsala totalling 36 hectares (89 acres) at the price of 23 million lats. The land privatisation/alienation proposals had been prepared by the PA and VNĪ according to the regular applicable procedures. The price for the privatisation/alienation of the land was established by the Latvian State Land Service, using the legally mandated methodology set forth in the Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers concerning the valuation of privatisable land lots. It is planned to fund the purchase from the existing assets of the purchasing companies and from their stakeholder AS PortPro's investment in the businesses. Eksporta Port AS Rīgas 1. saldētava, a subsidiary of SIA Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums, has decided to not utilise its legal right of pre-emptive purchase of the land lot situated in the Eksporta Port district. After an evaluation of the land lot's current usage pattern, AS Rīgas 1. saldētava deemed that buying the lot would not prove the most economically viable option. However, AS Rīgas 1. saldētava will continue to be the long-term lessee of the land lot in the Eksporta Port district, as provided for by existing legislative acts in the case when the company chooses to forgo its pre-emptive right of purchase. In the territory, currently there is a lot of active stevedoring business and it is used entirely for carrying out typical port-related functions. In the future, along with the development of Rīga and considering the trends in the real property market as regards the demand for office, commercial and residential space, there will take place a reconsideration of the implementation details of the Riga Port City project's second stage, aimed at transforming the Eksporta Port district into a new, attractive and multifunctional urban area. The Rīga city's master plan for the period from 2006 to 2018 foresees construction in compliance with the urban central and mixed standards for the Eksporta Port district. 9. Andrejsala's Detailed Development Plan: Well-Researched and Beneficial for the Latvian Capital February 18, 2008 At the Latvian Architectural Society's (LAS) discussion club, a round-table debate was held on the topic of Andrejsala's detailed plan's finalised version. The participants of the 14th of February 2008 meeting focused on local issues such as the future layout and organisation of its public space, the intended solutions of the Daugava embankment area, connections between Andrejsala's and adjacent areas' greens as well as the future crossings of the river. A number of architects and representatives of various organisations were present: Rīga's chief architect Jānis Dripe, the head of the State Inspectorate for Heritage Protection (VKPAI) Juris Dambis, the head of the Rīga City Council's City Development Department's Urban Planning Division Gvido Princis, representatives of the two companies that developed the detailed plan SIA Grupa 93 and SIA Forma, the Andrejsala property developer SIA Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums, the Latvian Construction Engineers' Society, etc. Dainis Bērziņš, an architect who reviewed the detailed plan and had formed a generally positive opinion on the project, noted that the plan for redeveloping the district was based on an unprecedented, in terms of its vastness and depth, analysis. Bērziņš was queried whether the new development would improve or complicate the local situation and that of Rīga as a whole, to which he responded that the impact would by and large be positive and that Rigans could expect both economic, aesthetic and ecologic benefits. Central Rīga would gain a new and refined waterfront of the Daugava, plus the entire territory's degradation would be reversed, by also preserving the notable buildings that have heritage value. On another note, several risks were pointed out, which were seen as natural, considering the size of the project and related investment as well as the fact that a number of other districts would be redeveloping within the same period of time. The discussion also touched upon the need, along with the development of the district, to introduce adequate transport infrastructure, which would serve the locals and help to avoid causing hindrances for the neighbouring areas. Jānis Asaris, the deputy head of the VKPAI, remarked that in the heritage protection aspect the detailed plan proposed a range of positive outcomes: the using of the historic railway in the new layout, the impression given by the overall outline, the intention to preserve the old buildings – the power station, the customs building, the old silo and the Krasta railway station – as well as the envisioned green promenade connecting the district to Viesturdārzs. According to a recommendation by Asaris, the development could start with renovation of the historic structures and buildings. The discussion paid special attention to future transport solutions, including the Hanza crossing creating a new route across the Daugava, which may take the form of a bridge or a tunnel and which the Rīga City Council would be researching in greater detail in 2008. The detailed plan for Andrejsala currently includes a tunnel but also leaves open the possibility to introduce a bridge-based solution. However, the discussion also concurred that the specific problem areas of the crossing are outside the scope and authority of the detailed plan; they do require a thorough evaluation within the entire city's development plans. Andrejsala's detailed plan foresees a high-quality living and working environment for Rigans that would remain relevant also in 10 to 15 years' time, by proposing an environment whose composition and function would be in harmony with the entire Latvian capital's infrastructure and pace of life. During the meet-up at the Architectural Society's discussion club, Gvido Princis, the head of the Urban Planning Division, observed: "This is the most significant project that has been proposed [for Rīga] in the recent history. Its finalisation secures support, acknowledgement and the sign-off by the authorities. This is how we create new urban environments, by building a composition of new structures that are both necessary and welcome." More information about the detailed plan is posted at the www.andrejsala.lv website. 10. Andrejsala's Detailed Plan Secures Institutional Support On January 30, 2008, the Rīga City Council's City Development Committee confirmed its support for the finalised version of Andrejsala's detailed plan and the regulations pertaining to the land use and construction. In addition, the detailed plan was upheld by the Preservation and Development Council of the Historic Centre of Rīga, the State Inspectorate for Heritage Protection (VKPAI) and several other relevant authorities. The confirmation decree is yet to be processed by the Rīga City Council. Andrejsala's detailed plan was commissioned by SIA Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums and developed by SIA Grupa 93, a project management and planning consultation company, in cooperation with the SIA Forma architect firm. Exhaustive information pertaining to the detailed plan is available here 11. Latvian Creative Industries Call for New Interdisciplinary Higher Education Programme January 23, 2008 SIA Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums and the Stockholm School of Economics in Rīga have carried out a research project in order to determine the viability and demand for a new higher education programme encompassing a range of creative industries. The research, which resulted in a report on the state of things as of the end of 2007, concluded that Latvia does require a modern type of education suitable for the new creative economy, while the supply remains underdeveloped. The final report states that "the area of design has the most potential to form a broad base for an interdisciplinary education program that would integrate various fields of knowledge starting from architecture, product and service design" and comprising also advertising, new media, and so on. This, in turn, leads to the outline of a potentially highly effective platform that would consolidate the theoretical and practical knowledge specific to the branches of design, business and innovation. The newly conducted research concurs with earlier findings* that the Latvian academia and business community still lack a deeper understanding of the potential role of design in strengthening the national economy's capacity of creating added value and in the facilitating of sustainable development. Consequently, the involved parties should pursue two goals: fostering the society's awareness of the applicability of design in stimulating the economy and growth, as well as assisting business owners in better understanding of the value of design in commerce and in the creation of capital and added value. The report also asserts that the future higher education programme in design ought to be competitive within the entire Baltic Sea region. When implementing such a programme, academic partnerships should be created between Latvian and foreign universities, for example, by attracting the experience accumulated in the Nordic countries in the field of design education and by actively involving first-class faculty. The formation of an interdisciplinary higher education programme in arts will also require EU funding and finding suitable partners among domestic and international business companies. Another conclusion is that the implementation of a new higher education programme in design has thus far been hindered by factors such as lack of political and financial support from the government, divergent institutional motives and a resistance to a fundamental reform of curriculum; therefore, a general and shared understanding of the development of the creative industries' education should be reached, ideally resulting in a well-motivated implementation of a new and modern education programme. On the 23rd of January, the research was communicated before a group of representatives from the Latvian Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Education and Science, the Latvian Academy of Art, the University of Latvia, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, the Latvian Academy of Culture, the Latvian office of the Nordic Council of Ministers and Dizaina informācijas centrs. The research paper has been made available online as a PDF file. Summary of the study SIA Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums commissioned the research in order to establish an independent view on the demand for higher education within the creative industries, while considering the fact that Andrejsala is regarded as a potentially suitable location for a respective educational institution. The master plan for the Andrejsala development foresees a unified concept of a venue combining an information centre, an educational environment and a social space, giving home not only to the future Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art but also to theatre facilities, a hub of media offices, a library, a concert hall, a university and several other arts-related organisations. Additionally, in 2007, by cooperating with the RWTH Technical University in Aachen, Germany, seven different graduation projects were created, focusing on the theme of a University for Architecture, Design and New Media in Andrejsala. * Mollerups Designlab: Design for Latvia: Final Report (2004). Copenhagen. Mollerup Designlab A/S.
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