Facade
Music has been played in Dzintari dunes since the end of the 19th century, when instead of the current Dzintari Concert Hall the former Edinburgh venue house with a concert garden was located. The erratic weather conditions, as well as the large influx of listeners prompted the municipality of Riga Jūrmala City to think about the construction of an indoor concert hall in Dzintari. The joint design of Viktors Mellenbergs and Aleksandrs Birzenieks won the project competition for the architectural solution of the concert hall and landscaping of the concert garden. As a result of this collaboration, the first indoor concert hall in the history of Latvia was constructed.
The project of the indoor hall, also known as the Small Hall, and concert garden with the open stage was developed by Viktors Mellenbergs, the acoustic solutions were created by Aleksandrs Birzenieks, and artist Ansis Cīrulis designed the artistic solution and wall paintings in the central lobby of the concert hall.
The indoor hall is a building of neo-eclecticism, which uses both the architectural principles of the order of classicism and elements of national romanticism and Art Deco. It is a one-storey longitudinal wooden building consisting of three sections with a stylised, extended column portico.
Mellenbergs chose to paint the facade so that the wooden texture would be visible throughout. For the painting of windows, doors and individual decorative elements, covering oil paint was used. Due to the limited budget, the foundations of the former Edinburgh venue house and parts of the theatre hall had to be used. Beams, rafters and other timber materials from old Jurmala summer houses were also reused in the construction. The central facade of the concert hall, facing Turaidas Street, is the most splendid part of the building.
The facade, that was renovated in 2015, can be viewed in its authentic shape. In order to produce stylistically coherent window units, while also ensuring the necessary thermal installation, technology frequently used in aviation was employed. The reconstruction and restoration of the building, as well as the construction of additional premises were designed by the architectural bureau “Jaunromāns un Ābele”.
From Turaidas Street, the visitors of the concert hall can enjoy the 21st century architecture – the box office that was opened in 2006 and the white entrance pavilion completed in 2015 with its spectacular glazing, as well as the historic building of the 1930s.
Dzintari Concert Hall is a cultural monument of national significance and the only concert hall included in the Latvian Cultural Canon. Since reconstruction, the Small Hall has been available for concerts and events throughout the year.
The atmosphere of the resort is incomplete without music. The white beach, the rustling pines and the music flowing from the concert hall together create a special ambience.