Press information, 6 March 2025. Prepared by VNI. On 6 March 2025, a time capsule containing messages for future generations was sealed into the foundations of the Great Guild’s Great Hall stage, marking the completion of the dismantling phase of the Great Guild’s reconstruction and renovation project. The project will now continue with restoration, renovation and new-construction works, notes Jelena Gavrilova, board member of the state joint-stock company “Valsts nekustamie ipasumi” (VNI, State Real Estate).
Into the foundations of the Great Guild’s Great Hall stage, the Ministry of Culture, the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO), VNI, and SIA “RERE Meistari” placed a time capsule containing messages for future generations. The messages include information about the project’s participants, wishes for future generations and whoever may find the capsule, as well as artistic and philosophical reflections.
“Restoring, preserving and adapting culturally and historically significant buildings to modern requirements is an extremely responsible and, at the same time, time-consuming task. I am confident that all parties involved understand the importance of this project and are investing enormous effort to ensure the planned works are not only carried out to a high standard, but also completed on schedule,” says Culture Minister Agnese Lace.
“The LNSO is extremely pleased that the long-awaited Great Guild renovation and thermal insulation project has moved into its implementation phase and that work is progressing rapidly! We are especially glad that, alongside various technical improvements, after the renovation we will be able to enjoy music in acoustic conditions that meet modern standards,” says LNSO board member Indra Lukina.
“The LNSO and the Great Guild together form a cornerstone of art, culture and music with a splendid past. Our task is to adapt the spaces of this historic home to modern requirements and the needs of its users, while respecting the work and knowledge of the master builders of old. We are pleased to take part in the restoration of such a significant cultural monument,” notes J. Gavrilova.
“For the team at SIA ‘RERE Meistari,’ this is a unique opportunity – to carry out reconstruction and restoration work on a nationally significant architectural monument, the Great Guild. It is a great honour and a great responsibility, because the Great Guild is a very special site in Latvia. It is not only a great cultural-historical treasure and a jewel in the heart of Old Riga, but also a place where professional musicians share their talent, enriching the souls of Latvia’s residents and visitors alike. The team at SIA ‘RERE Meistari’ will do everything possible so that, in a year and a half, this space can once again offer not only the sound of the Latvian [National] Symphony Orchestra, but a visual delight as well,” says Ervins Koncevics, head of SIA “RERE Meistari.”
At the Great Guild, dismantling works have now been completed and energy-efficiency improvement solutions have been agreed upon. In the project’s further implementation, restoration of the historic windows and doors will continue, along with the start of structural assembly works and the reconstruction of internal engineering networks. As part of the project, the Great Guild – a nationally significant architectural monument – will be preserved and developed. The building’s history is as rich as that of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, which calls it home.
During the reconstruction and restoration, plans call for rebuilding the Great Hall’s stage, seating and ceiling structures, and carrying out activities to improve accessibility. The project will also restore the historic wooden windows and doors, and insulate the roof to improve the building’s energy efficiency. In addition, internal engineering networks will be rebuilt, including water, heating, ventilation, electrical and low-voltage systems. Changes are also planned for the building’s basement area, where visitor facilities and a cloakroom zone will be built, while certain other rooms will be reconfigured to meet the needs of administration and musicians.
A total of approximately EUR 16.2 million (including VAT) is planned to be invested in the Great Guild’s development project. The Ministry of Culture has secured EUR 10.08 million in funding through the European Union’s 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy Programme, under the measure supporting the renewal of unique European-scale cultural heritage to improve its accessibility through the development of cultural services – of which EUR 8.5 million comes from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and EUR 1.5 million from the state budget. The Ministry of Economics, meanwhile, has secured EUR 6.18 million in funding for the Great Guild’s energy-efficiency measures through the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, under its investment direction for improving energy efficiency in public-sector buildings, including historic buildings – of which EUR 5.18 million comes from the Recovery Fund and EUR 995,000 from the state budget. The project is planned to be completed by the end of 2026.
The Great Guild is one of Riga’s oldest and most fascinating buildings, home to one of the oldest and most beautiful concert halls in Riga. The building is a 14th-century cultural-historical monument. Over time, the building has been expanded on several occasions – its exterior was most significantly altered by the construction of a Baroque facade in 1697, while its interior has been reconfigured many times to suit the building’s various functions over the years. Today, the Great Guild is home to the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra. Given the building’s special status, its restoration process is subject to special requirements in order to preserve its cultural heritage and architectural value, and must be carried out in cooperation with the National Heritage Board of Latvia.
About VNI: the state joint-stock company “Valsts nekustamie ipasumi” is currently implementing 110 projects with total investments of EUR 410 million. VNI provides professional management of real estate comprising 411 buildings and structures totalling 979,000 m2, land beneath buildings totalling 6.27 million m2, and 3,203 land properties with a total area of 8.94 million m2. In 2024, VNI received the Platinum Award of the Sustainability Index from the Institute of Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility for the fourth time, confirming its consistently high standards of governance and corporate sustainability. The company was founded in 1996 and is 100% owned by the Ministry of Finance.