Institute of Art History of the Latvian Academy of Art Anna Ancāne ...

happened in several phases, as the initial core formed and the town’s
territory gradually expanded north-westwards and south-eastwards. The
basis of street network has remained unchanged since the 13 th century.
Kaļķu Street and the perpendicular Šķūņu-Skārņu Street emerged as the
axes of the structure. Street network acquired a regular, semi-circular
shape between the present Zirgu, Rozena, Kungu and Grēcinieku Streets,
marking the routes towards the main dominants of urban space. Riga’s
plan took shape according to similar principles as in other Hanseatic
towns, but here it developed after a peculiar, individual pattern
conditioned by topographical, political, social, economic and religious
factors. The interaction of all these elements created the early Riga, the
basis for evolution during the next centuries.
I.2. Types of Riga’s medieval dwelling houses
In 1293 the first building regulations of the town were passed, requiring
building all constructions of fireproof materials. Regulations also set the
maximum of dwelling house height and width as well as established the
perimetric building practice. From the 13 th to the 15 th century, local
modifications of the town’s dwelling houses were largely related to the
forms of gables. The dominant type of building with a vestibule (diele)
rapidly spread from Lübeck to the coastal regions of the Baltic Sea,
including Riga.
I.3. Changes in Riga’s buildings in the 16 th century
This period was particularly adverse to cultural and artistic developments
in Livonia as post-Reformation turmoil and war hindered the growth. The
number of inhabitants increased significantly in Riga; as a result, all
construction limits were exhausted by 1500. Since the building of
ramparts had started in the mid-century, the old defensive wall lost its
significance and was built over from both sides. A quite wide zone
emerged between the ramparts and the wall where new streets were
created. In the last quarter of the 16 th century the town received fresh
impulses regarding construction forms and types of buildings. Dutch
trade expansion was an important factor in the exchange of cultural
inventions: master builder Joris Joriszen Frese brought the traits of late
Renaissance architecture to Riga. Side-gabled solutions started to
increase in the architecture of dwelling houses, their volumes got bigger
and the spatial structure – more complex.
I.4. Innovations in Riga’s architecture of the 1 st half of the 17 th
century
Construction of secular buildings came to the foreground on the threshold
of the 17 th century. Stylistic traits of the new epoch were manifested in
both church spires and silhouettes of public buildings. Changes in the
street network were related to the plan of improving Riga’s fortification
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