The early-20th century museum has a brand-new wing, too Renovations and additions of historic museums can go oh so many ways.
This restoration of the Latvian National Museum of Art, in the country?s capital, Riga, shows it can go well. Masterminded by two local firms, Processoffice and Andrius Skiezgelas Architecture, the monumental revamp of the nearly 90,000-square-foot site tackled both the early 20th-century main building?s facade and a reimagining of its interior spaces, as well as the addition of a new, underground wing, illuminated by skylight. It opened last May.
The old-meets-new vibe is very much present, right down to the building materials: Board-formed concrete and steel in the new wing meet the herringbone wood floors and neoclassical, Art Deco, and Vienna Secessionist flourishes in the original structure?from ceiling molding, to door frames, and stained-glass transom windows. Take a look around and see more over on Designboom.

The early 1900s Latvian National Museum of Art now has a new underground extension, which is illuminated by a skylight, at center.

Here, herringbone-wood floors and a monumental neoclassical door frame (also wood) meet the clean lines of a new staircase.

The museum?s new wing, built underground, is illuminated by a skylight.

Via: Designboom

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