Venspilio saulės laikiklis. Venspilio Mokslo ir inovacijų centras

Abstract

A reserved minimalist shape, although monumental in its size, along with a rational internal structure, has earned a victory for Ambrasas Architect’s Group in the re-held contest in Ventspils, Latvia. Creating an object that would aspire to be a sort of a sign and would greet those comming from the Riga side of Venta River over the only bridge - such was the ambitious undertaking of the contest organisers. To create a building that would become a part of the city's identity, one needs not only effort, būt also subtle sensitivity so as to not overdo it and to avoid the object feeling unfamiliar in its own space and time. A restrained, yet expressively shaped object, not littered with pretentious architectural fancies, one that is not overly active in its environment, one that is not exaggerated nor decorated with signs of its functional purpose - this, in my opinion, is how a contemporary building should be like. The details of such building are not seen as a pretext to express or signify the purpose of it, but rather stay out of sight, each in its own place, highlighting the character of the building, rather than upstaging its essence.