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Architects: Onlyonly Studio
- Area: 100 m²
- Year: 2025
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Photographs:Anna Traumane
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Manufacturers: ALAN DEKO
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Project Management: Rīgas nami, Ilona Anževska (Company: "Rīgas nami ")
Text description provided by the architects. In the heart of Riga, five monumental pavilions stand as a testament to architectural reinvention. Riga Central Market, built in 1930, is designed circularly, repurposing the metal structures of former German Zeppelin hangars from World War I. Today, it is Europe's largest market, situated within the UNESCO-listed historic center of Riga. Within the Meat Pavilion, onlyonly studio has introduced a new architectural intervention, adding a contemporary layer to this story of transformation.
The degustation zone stands as a luminous volume inside Meat Market Pavilion, beneath its historic exposed trusses. Translucent metallic curtains envelop the space, creating a flexible boundary that can be configured to suit various events and group sizes of up to 50 people. The Project embodies the market's visual references and the culture of textiles in architecture, inspired by vendors' self-assembly methods using fabric for shelters and walls.
As evening falls and the market's natural light dims, the space transforms. Light filtering through the translucent metallic curtains creates an ethereal atmosphere, turning the degustation area into a glowing focal point within the market hall. Following New European Bauhaus principles of sustainability and cultural inclusion, the design thoughtfully integrates with existing market elements while creating new possibilities for cultural exchange. The adaptable curtain system allows the space to shift between public and private configurations, serving both traditional market functions and contemporary needs for culinary tourism and cultural programming.
Through this intervention, onlyonly studio demonstrates how sensitive architectural additions can create new cultural destinations within historic structures, enriching the market's role as a meeting point between local traditions and contemporary urban life.
