17 Offers Have Been Received for the Sketch Competition on Reconstruction of the Song Festival Open-air Stage
Up to 17 October the potential applicants could submit their offers for the competition “Reconstruction of the Song Festival Open-Air Stage at Mežaparks”.
Similar to the sketch competition of the New Riga Centre project, 17 applicants have submitted their offers. All the received works are being currently evaluated by the Jury Commission, which shall announce the competition winners on 5 November. The winner will receive the prize of EUR 21,000.
“With this wide-scale competition, a new stage in reconstruction of the large open-air stage will be started! This is a real hope and chance for our unique chorus singing tradition to obtain the corresponding qualitative and perfect acoustic setting. There will already be considerable improvements for the 2008 Song Festival and we expect to see the 2010 Song Festival on the ideal open-air stage,” acknowledges the Riga City architect Jānis Dripe.
The aim of the competition is to obtain the best possible conception of the architectonic and acoustic reconstruction of the open-air stage, which can be used as a basis for developing the technical project, facilitating rational usage of funds in the designing and construction process.
The Jury Commission is headed by Chairman of the Riga City Council Jānis Birks. The Commission members are the Deputy Chairman of the Riga City Council Andris Ārgalis, the Riga City Architect Jānis Dripe, Director of the City Development Department of the Riga City Council Pēteris Strancis and other competent state and municipal representatives. Specialists from other states are also participating in the Jury Commission: Architect Klaus Kada from Austria, Prof. Mati Rautiola from Finland, as well as Presidents of the Welsh, Estonian, Lithuanian and Latvian Unions of Architects. Two experts will prepare statements for the Jury – the European Ekistics Association consultant Linda Madalika from Estonia and architect Uldis Balodis from Latvia.
The Jury Commission evaluates the submitted sketches in accordance with the following criteria: Architectonic image of the Song Festival Open-air Stage and its correspondence to the acoustic requirements, constructive solution of the Song Festival Open-air Stage and application of innovative technologies, as well as the functionality of the Song Festival Open-air Stage territory zoning.
The total fund of the competition awards is EUR 63,000, anticipating EUR 21,000 for the first place, EUR 15,000 for the second place and EUR 7,000 for the third place. Five incentive bonuses are anticipated as well – by EUR 4,000 each. These amounts are indicated after taxes.
Riga City Council
City Development Department
Public Relations Division
phone 67012916, 67037934
marija.abeltina@riga.lv
dace.kirke@riga.lv
