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Is it the most iconic Art Nouveau building in Riga? Most probably - yes. Huge sculptural faces which tops this building's facade is often used as a symbolizing picture of Riga
| MAIN FACTS | |
|---|---|
| LOCATION | Latvia, Riga |
| ARCHITECTURE | Art Nouveau |
| BUILT | 1903 |
| ARCHITECT | Mikhail Eisenstein |
| RATING (9/10) |  |
The duality concept
Architecture experts still tend to denounce Eisenstein’s buildings as too pompous, frivolous, created for a cheap popularity. They really may seem like an overdecorated Christmas trees - just a very posh facades with no relation to the “real soul of the architecture”. However, if we take this argument as valid, we can go further and say that any external decorations or even plays of forms which doesn’t strictly follows the rule “form follows function” aren’t a part of architecture and are unnecessary. And that is a dangerous step to take - because the next one would lead to the disastrous mistakes the architecture made in 1960ies - 1970ies.
Ode for woman
To me, Elizabetes street 10b and other Eisenstein’s buildings are “true soul” not only of architecture but the art in general. There is no need for any other proof than one’s own personal feelings (either you sense art there or not) - but educated people have took much deeper look to all the stuff on the building’s facade and found many interesting layers of symbolic meanings. Women would love some conclusions - the two heads on the building’s serpent is said to be symbolizing the feminine power, their face expressions exuberating a calm and rational approach, while the screaming male face is said to be symbolizing the opposite - “demonic and disturbing forces of the world”. Of course, it’s hard to verify whether such ideas was really behind the author’s imagination or they were born only in the observer’s mind. Some insights are to be found in the memories of Mikhail Eisenstein’s son, film director Sergei Eisenstein. He has told that there were also a strong inspirations of ancient Mayan Indians culture in the facade decorations of Elizabetes 10b.
