In today’s Latvia, only a few bay windows older than the rich historical quotes of the 19th century Historicist period are on view in their original locations. A bay window built in the mid-17th century has survived in the northwest corner of Riga Castle; this is the only such ancient structure in Latvia whose artistic quality permits comparisons to other Mannerist and Baroque examples of Northern Europe. Especially significant in Latvia’s history of architecture and art are the decorative reliefs on the bay window façades. This article aims to bring together the information we have so far and include changes resulting from the latest studies. This means giving a precise picture of how much and what exactly has been preserved from the original bay window construction and analyse its architectonic and artistic significance in the context of Riga’s 17th century architecture, while adding new facts to the known construction history. The walls of the Riga Castle bay window are made of a stone framework with decoratively treated slabs filling the space between the uprights and profiled horizontal cornices beneath the window openings. Each storey has a separate small, octagonal premise with doors leading to the rooms inside the block. The initial openings of the bay window were twice as high as those visible now. The stone walls were doubled inside with a half-timbered construction. Regardless of the details transformed over time, they give an idea of the artistic expression of the original reliefs and the programmatic message of the bay window’s décor. Even in the form of copies, this clearly demonstrates the artistic and architectural tendencies of a particular epoch, remaining among the most significant examples of 17th century Northern European Mannerist sculpture in Latvia.
There is little information on the life and works of Riga architect Alfred Aschenkampff; however, his name features in almost all art history books dealing with Riga’s Art Nouveau buildings or the city’s history on the threshold of the 20th century. He designed one of the first Art Nouveau buildings in Riga – the apartment house at 7 Audēju Street – as well as pavilions for the 1901 Industry and Crafts Exhibition that was very significant in the history of Riga. When dealing with the Aschenkampff’s output in Riga, the wooden architecture of Āgenskalns in particular, new and important objects can be added to his few known works. In the late 19th – early 20th century, Riga saw economic growth and a booming number of inhabitants; as a result, the city spread out and the density of buildings increased too. In Āgenskalns at the time, several developmental trends are evident, both continuing the building tradition of previous centuries and reflecting the 19th century Western tendencies of urban planning. Buildings designed by Aschenkampff are situated along the old trade routes – Slokas and Kalnciema Streets – as well as in completely new quarters – on Kristapa, Sabiles, Melnsila and other streets. In the ten-year period from 1895 to 1905, nine buildings were constructed to Aschenkampff’s designs in Āgenskalns; eight of them have survived up to the present in various technical conditions. Comparing earlier designs with the buildings constructed after the turn of the century, transformations related to the advent of Art Nouveau in Riga are brightly evident. It has been assumed so far that Art Nouveau was very modest in Riga’s wooden architecture but Aschenkampff’s case proves that this statement cannot be applied to at least some architects. The wooden houses examined in the article show various possible scenarios for the buildings of this type – one had burned down, some are maintained in good condition and carefully repaired or restored while others are reconstructed beyond recognition. Therefore, Riga’s wooden architecture cannot be always assessed from the buildings’ present image, and original construction designs have to be consulted to grasp the architect’s ideas.
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