CONFERENCE
Thanks to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the UL has implemented two projects that are aimed to improve the research equipment and to create the proper infrastructure for humanities and social sciences needs, thus providing modern facilities for research.
"With the renovation of the Kerkovius's House not only the UL Library has gotten its second breath, but also a national architectural monument, the witness of the spiritual and secular life of certain era, has experienced its second birth, and hereafter it will be the home for the UL institutes of Humanities. The UL Library has been carefully keeping our heritage for seventy years, and it is the duty of the university and the City of Riga to take care of it in future as well, and to make sure it is duly honoured and passed forward to next generations of students, teachers and researchers," said Professor Mārcis Auziņš, Rector of the University of Latvia.
Ludwig Wilhelm Kerkovius was an influential and respected citizen of Riga – the city councillor, mayor assistant, later also the mayor (1890–1901), holder of Riga honorary citizen title, chairman of the Riga Picture Gallery and initiator of the Riga Museum of Arts construction. The time of L. W. Kerkovius was characterized by a rapid industrial boom, population growth and resulting construction boom. With his support, a well-considerate construction of Boulevard Circle and parks took place, as well as many other improvements of Riga city landscape introduced.
The house of L. W. Kerkovius for his family of nine children was engineered by Vidzeme province architect Jānis Fridrihs Baumanis. The project of the building is dated 1874, but the construction was finished in 1878. The three-story building is designed in expressive neo-Gothic forms, following the asymmetric design style of neo-Gothic palaces.
After L. W. Kerkovius, the UL came into possession of the building in the 1940s; it retained its former owner's spiritual endeavours and turned into a home for the UL Library which in 70 years has become a recognized and popular place not only for students and professors, but also for researchers from other countries, Latvian business representatives and residents of Riga.
Now the national architectural monument is renovated, and in the place of old courtyard buildings a new building which will be the home place for several scientific institutes of the UL is constructed. After the restoration, one can view in this historic building the ornate panel doors with carved applications, wood panels with Art Deco-style decorative borders, fragments of historical parquet, colourful tiles in the lobby, a prominent sample of interior culture of the late 19th century – polychrome interior coloration in master's fireplace room, coloration of the stairwell and lobby, unique spiral staircase and other interior elements.
The reconstruction of the UL Library building in Riga, 4 Kalpaka Blvd., was carried out from 13 April, 2012 to 15 January, 2013 in accordance with the technical project developed by „Arhitekta L.Šmita darbnīca”, Ltd. Construction supervision of reconstruction and restoration works was performed by „Celtniecības kvalitātes aģentūra”, Ltd, author supervision – by „Arhitekta L.Šmita darbnīca”, Ltd.
The total cost of renovation works was 2,603,657 LVL, including 1,123,336 LVL –from ERDF project "Development of science infrastructure for national research centre of the Latvian language, cultural heritage and creative technologies" (ERDF co-financing: 1,005,386 LVL, UL funding: 117,950 LVL, "National research centre of socio-economic and public management research Infrastructure Development" project funding – 1,059,901 LVL (ERDF co-financing 948,612 LVL and UL funding: 111,289 LVL), and 420,419 LVL from UL own funding.
Translated by students of the professional study programme Translator of the University of Latvia.
