Art Nouveau objects in Riga

Alberta iela 4 (1904.)

Architect: Mihails Eizenšteins

The building in Alberta iela 4, once Apartment House of Active State Councillor Andrey Lebedinsky created by civil engineer Mikhail Eisenstein in 1904. One of the best examples of Eclectically Decorative Art Nouveau created by Mikhail Eisenstein. As it is not crammed with decorative elements, the façade appears elegant and balanced. An elliptic window with a balcony on the second floor is its centrepiece which is crowned by three keyhole-shaped windows with balconies that are surmounted by a curved metal cornice. The attic includes heads of three Gorgons as a reference to Joseph Maria Olbrich’s Secession Building. The layout is the same as in the other houses built in Alberta iela. The building has a sumptuous staircase, in some rooms stylish stucco reliefs and magnificent tile stoves can still be seen. The building was renovated in 2007. 

 

Author Dr. arch. Jānis Krastiņš

 

 

 

Photographs Margarita Fedina