David Adjaye to Design First Contemporary Art Museum in Latvia Since Independence

Latvia has selected British architect David Adjaye and his firm Adjaye Associates, in partnership with local studio AB3D, to design a new contemporary art museum in Riga. This will be the first contemporary art museum in Latvia since the country gained independence in 1991. Adjaye, known for the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo (2003), Marian Goodman Gallery in London (2014), and the Colgate University Center for Arts and Culture, is currently completing the Smithsonian Museum in Washington (opening September 2016) and the expansion of the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York. The design features inclined forms and south-facing glass to maximize natural light, with dedicated spaces for projects and events featuring excellent acoustics. Materials include concrete and wood, following the competition brief to draw on local forms and materials. The museum will complement Riga's vibrant art scene, which includes the Art Riga fair (active since 2014, returning November 2016), the floating gallery Noass on the Daugava River, and the Latvian Art Center. Adjaye Associates is also a finalist for the Barack Obama presidential library in Chicago.