To ensure the National Acoustic Concert Hall successfully appears in Riga in the next decade, the safest road is using the Congress Centre, said Riga’s Mayor Mārtiņš Staķis during an online seminar with Ministry of Culture and Latvian Union of Architects (LAS) about the best possible locations for the concert hall.
He said the National Acoustic Concert Hall hides within major potential, and there are no doubts – there should be a concert hall. As for Riga City Council’s motivation to see this project through, Staķis said it would be much easier for the capital city to implement its own project – Kronvalda Concert Hall.
«The project is ready – it has been coordinated with all relevant institution. We can begin as early as tomorrow. At the same time, the ruling coalition in Riga City Council also considers the benefits if the National Acoustic Concert Hall were to be put in the Congress Centre. We can see there are more benefits than losses for our country and our people,» said the mayor.
He also said this is a «historic moment», because Riga City Council and government have the same parties. This means it is possible to resolve the issue with the acoustic concert hall together. Staķis admits this is not the easiest path, because the project is complicated from an architectural and legal viewpoint. He allowed that it is possible that a special law will need to be adopted. However, the mayor stressed «everything is in our hands».
«I would like to stress that of all three possible locations – Industrial goods market, Andrejsala and Congress Centre – there are objections towards only one: Industrial goods market. We have no objections for Andrejsala, since developing this area is important for the city. We will do our part to assist and provide support there. If a different location for the concert hall is picked, you can rely on support from Riga City Council because Latvia will have a National Acoustic Concert Hall,» said Staķis, stressing that Riga City Council will respect any decision, but will be satisfied if the Congress Centre is picked.
At the end of the seminar Minister of Culture Nauris Puntulis stressed that many compromises were mentioned, adding that a compromise is the only path that leads to a new concert hall. According to the minister, his subjective opinion is that the concert hall should be located on Elizabetes Street 2, Riga.
«My subjective opinion should not be an obstacle on the path towards an acoustic concert hall in Riga. I would be irresponsible of me as a minister. It would be irresponsible of me as a musician. I am prepared to accept a compromise for the concert hall’s location in Riga,» said the minister.
Riga’s mayor approves of turning Congress Centre into National Acoustic Concert Hall
