Practical Information - About the conference venue

University of Latvia

The conference was held in Riga in the main building of the University of Latvia, www.lu.lv/eng/, located within walking distance of city centre and Old Town. Due to its geographical location on the Baltic Sea, Riga is an easily accessible meeting point between eastern and western Europe.

The Great Hall

The Great Hall (then known as the New Hall) was opened and consecrated on September 28, 1935. As the University of Latvia gradually developed, the necessity for new facilities became an increasingly important issue. It was decided to rebuild the existing complex of buildings in accordance with the old architectural style to make it more useful. In 1929, a significant reconstruction of the main building was launched and, according to architect Ernests Stalbergs' project, a cloakroom and canteen for students as well as other auxiliary premises in the basement were built in the inner courtyard. Two years later a new project was approved, planning to build a new celebration hall - The Great Hall - above the cloakroom. It is a monument characteristic of the architecture of the 1930s, revealing the functionalist simplicity of form with the help of stylized elements of classical architecture. The materials of exterior design chosen for the Great Hall were adapted to those previously selected by G. Hilbigs, demonstrating the scrupulous attention of E. Stalbergs to the initial idea of the building's construction. The interior was designed symmetrically, placing columns and a balcony along the edges. A number of models from ancient architectural forms are seen, namely capitals and various ornamental motifs.

Virtual tour

University of Latvia, Riga - map location

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