The exhibition “Birkerts - Accents of the 20th Century” by the National Library of Latvia at Saules skola

To mark World Architecture Day, on 8 October the exhibition “Birkerts - Accents of the 20th Century”, created by the National Library of Latvia, will be opened at the MIKC Daugavpils Design and Art Secondary School “Saules skola”.

During the event, city architects, students and teachers of “Saules skola”, as well as anyone interested, will have the opportunity to meet the Chairman of the Latvian Association of Architects, Artūrs Lapiņš, the architect and founder of SIA “ARHIS ARHITEKTI” Andris Kronbergs, and the exhibition curator Jānis Dripe, who will give presentations.

The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the world-renowned Latvian architect Gunārs Birkerts (1925-2017). Its special value lies in the exhibition materials created 37 years ago in the architectural office “Birkerts & Associates”. The exhibition will feature original panels, architectural drawings and models that characterise Birkerts’ work during an important stage of his creative career. The display will be complemented by texts created in the context of the centenary and large-format architectural photographs.

During his professional career, Gunārs Birkerts designed nearly 300 buildings, including museums, universities, churches, schools and libraries. His architecture is characterised by the combination of functionality with symbols and metaphors. The exhibition also pays special attention to Birkerts’ attitude toward Nordic architecture and its masters, and includes selected drawings and notes from his childhood.

The display also recalls an important event in the history of Latvian architecture. On 4 August 1989, the exhibition “Gunārs Birkerts. ARCHITECTURE” was opened in Riga St Peter’s Church, and was visited by 28,000 people over the course of a month. At that time there was great public interest in Gunārs Birkerts also in connection with the idea of entrusting him with the design of the building of the National Library of Latvia.

Originally, the exhibition was on view at the Latvian Museum of Architecture. The exhibition graphics were designed by artist Tatjana Raičiņeca, while the text authors are architect Jānis Dripe and art historian Ingrīda Peldekse.

At the initiative of the exhibition curator Jānis Dripe, it continues to travel around Latvian cities, and Daugavpils and “Saules skola” have been chosen as the first stop outside Riga, where the exhibition will be on view until 20 December.

More information:

Inguna Kokina,

Director of the MIKC Daugavpils Design and Art Secondary School “Saules skola”,

phone: 26428390,

e-mail: inguna.kokina@edu.saules.lv,