Auditorium, Riga

Concept and text: Péter Magyar 

The design was made for an international tender published to invite concepts for auditoriums in Riga as well as for minor structures associated with them, preferably by connecting and complementing the two existing exhibition halls. Shaped ideally as far as acoustics are concerned, the four auditoriums grew out of an originally four-sided then a pentagonal based pyramid with decreasing dimensions and a seating capacity of 325, 275, 225 és 175 people to meet the requirements of seating 1,000 people. The fifth side serves vertical circulation and allows for unhindered access to the four main functions. The other compulsory rooms are organised around an inner atrium which is shaped like a truncated cone. I have interpreted the extra floor area owing to the height as an office to be rent, making use of the promotional advantages of a building so significant. The design submitted for the tender is made complete with 11 upper horizontal roof plates and a glazed illuminating fixture above them so as to make it a complete pentagonal pyramid. Considerations of environment-awareness were regarded in harmony with the criteria of the tender, as a result, wind turbines on these upper plates would have been meant to reduce energy consumption.

Virtual model and graphics: Trevor Rickett
3D model: Jacob Frazier