On January 22, the SJSC "State Real Estate Agency" (SRE) concluded a procurement contract for the design-construction of restoration and reconstruction works for the Great Guild concert hall, receiving five bids with contract prices ranging from EUR 10.5 to 13.9 million (excluding VAT), according to SRE board member Jeļena Gavrilova.
The contract with the most economically advantageous tenderer will be concluded after all tenders have been examined. After the contract has been signed, the design phase is scheduled to start within one month and will last for 10 months. Construction work must commence within two months of the conclusion of the contract. The construction work will be carried out in two stages: the first stage will involve the implementation of energy efficiency measures, while the second stage will involve the remaining reconstruction work planned for the Great Guild Hall, as specified in the construction project developed by SIA "CMB" (Ltd.), such as the reconstruction of the Great Hall, the construction of engineering networks, ensuring environmental accessibility, etc. The total term of the contract is 30 months from the date of signing.
Jeļena Gavrilova, member of the SRE board, emphasizes that the project will improve energy efficiency while preserving the historical authenticity of the building, respecting the use of original materials, technologies, and historical construction techniques: "As part of the project, we will renovate the Great Guild Hall in accordance with the historical aspects of the building, as well as make significant improvements to ensure the building's energy efficiency and modern, accessible infrastructure. With this project, we will create new opportunities for various audiences to participate in cultural events, including people with special needs. The Great Guild project is one of SRE's projects that promotes the restoration of Latvian cultural buildings, which is an important part of our development project portfolio."
The aim of the project is to improve the energy efficiency of the building by reducing primary energy consumption by at least 20%, to rebuild the Great Hall, increasing its capacity and improving its acoustics.
As previously reported, the project plans to create new cultural services, making events held in the concert hall accessible to people with special needs, especially hearing-impaired listeners. Concerts and events held in the concert hall will be professionally recorded, making them accessible to the wider public and preserving them for future generations. The concert hall's new equipment will allow it to expand its range of events to include popular music, such as choir and jazz concerts.
A total of around EUR 14.5 million (including VAT) is planned to be invested in the implementation of the Great Guild development project, which the Ministry of Culture has attracted from the European Union's Recovery and Resilience Facility Plan 1.2. Reform and Investment Direction "Improvement of Energy Efficiency" 1.2.1.4.i. Investment "Improvement of Energy Efficiency in Public Sector Buildings, Including Historic Buildings"; and the European Union Cohesion Policy Program for 2021-2027 5.1.1. Specific support objective "Integrated social, economic and environmental development of local areas and promotion of cultural heritage, tourism and safety in urban functional areas" 5.1.1.5. measure "Restoration of unique European cultural heritage to promote its accessibility by developing cultural services" within the framework of the program.
The Great Guild Hall is one of the oldest and most interesting buildings in Riga, housing one of the oldest and most beautiful concert halls in the city. The building is a 14th-century cultural and historical monument. Over time, the building has been expanded several times. The exterior appearance was most significantly changed by the construction of the Baroque facade in 1697, but the interior has been remodeled several times to suit the various functions of the building. Today, the Great Guild Hall is home to the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra. Given the special status of the building, in order to preserve its cultural heritage and architectural value, its restoration process is subject to special requirements and must be carried out in cooperation with the National cultural Heritage Board of Latvia.
SRE is successfully implementing 35 projects of national importance, 14 of which are currently under construction. The total budget for the implementation of these projects is more than EUR 336 million. SRE provides professional real estate management and administration services for 371 buildings and structures, including 1,007 buildings with a total area of 0.97 million m2, as well as 607 ha of land under the buildings and 3,404 land properties with a total area of 883 ha. In 2024, SRE received the "Sustainability Index" platinum award from the Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability for the fourth time, confirming the consistently high sustainability of its management and company operations. The company was founded in 1996 and its 100% shareholder is the Ministry of Finance.
Additional information for the media:
SJSC "State Real Estate"
Corporate Communications and Sustainability Department
Tel.: +371 20235301
E-mail: komunikacija@vni.lv
(Translated with the help of DeepL Translate)
