Rīga, Latvia
“I remember that Riga was once a truly “green“ city. HOFT’s main contribution to the overall appearance of the capital are the trees that rise vertically above the city, replenishing what has been lost over time. It is something truly unprecedented in this area,”states Zane Tetere-Sulca of Open AD.
“When you enter the courtyard, you are captivated by an absolutely meditative and sacred sensation that contrasts with the daily bustle. Nevertheless, the modern glass structure above the historical building perfectly highlights the contrasts of the centuries, without which the modern city cannot exist,“ the architect continues.
The House of The Flying Trees, developed for R.Evolution City by Open AD, KROKS Architects, and landscape architect Zane Legzdina, is a a residential apartment complex, consisting of 2 main construction volumes – a renovated 5-story historical building that goes back to 1881 and a brand-new 7-story building – within both of the façades, bonsai trees are integrated, giving an illusion of flying or levitating trees.
The result of this collaboration is a unique experience of nature presence in the middle of a commercial and always bustling city.
The House of the Flying Trees has recently been awarded a 2022 International Architecture Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
The residential complex comprises 42 apartments with their area varying from 76 sq.m. up to 232 sq.m with an opportunity to combine and reconfigure them.
Each apartment has an autonomous and spacious balcony with a width no less than 1,80 m and the height of the interior ceiling – 2,9 m.
Under both of the buildings, 2-level underground parking is located that is connected to both of the buildings.
Large picture windows allow residents to gaze at beautiful and picturesque views of Art Nouveau gems on the street side and levitating trees in the inner courtyard.
The 3 main conceptual pillars of the project apart from the highest quality architecture and design is to preserve the building’s historical values as much as possible by renovating them, providing the natural presence and giving the experience of the contemporary paintings.
When opening the gates of a historic building with a completely classic façade of the 19th century, one gets into the inner yard where a sample of a modern architecture lays, but such an unusual one that gives the impression of opening a door to a wonderful hidden world, just like in Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking-Glass.”
The façade has always been considered the face of the building, but this is a brand-new conceptual project where the main gem is hidden from the gaze of passersby, so the tradition of being curious and looking at what’s inside has been revived here as well.
The main challenge to overcome during the project was the reconstruction of the historical building so that none of the rich past heritage is lost or somehow damaged, moreover, all reconstruction processes had to be carried out in accordance with strict regulations from the National cultural heritage administration side.
Nonetheless because throughout all of the reconstruction the main declaration is a responsible and well-thought-out approach and thanks to fruitful cooperation with all involved team members, in terms of planning and execution every rule is observed. Another challenge is very dense circumstances in which the construction process had to be managed and executed.
It takes very meticulously, forward, and strategic planning to foresee the main hardships from a construction point of view and take them into account within the circumstances of a densely populated area.
Due to the fact that flying trees is a pioneering concept within the region, comprehensive and time-consuming research had to be carried out in order to reach the best examples and positive practices on the international scale that can be adapted to the case.
It is important not only to make sure that trees are liveable in northern weather conditions but also to create a sophisticated engineering system for tree maintenance, watering, drainage, etc.
All bonsai trees of the HOFT are coniferus such as mountain pine, black dwarf pine, and cedar which are specially selected for the weather conditions of Riga, and have already passed acclimatization and have little growth potential.
The design solution, which allowed the integration of bonsai into the architecture of the building, was applied for the first time in the Baltics.
Trees literally hanging in the air on the facade, terraces and in the courtyard of the house create a unique atmosphere and a sense of a different course of time.
Situated at the very heart of the Quiet center of Riga on Strēlnieku St. 5, the choice of location for HOFT is close to perfect.
The area around Strēlnieku and Alberta St. is the most prominent, reputable, safe, and desirable district in Riga.
HOFT has become a vivid example of 21st-century architecture, surrounded by UNESCO-listed architectural heritage sites. Living here is like living in an architecture open-air museum.
Project: HOFT – House Of The Flying Trees
Architects: Open AD
Design Team: Zane Tetere-Sulce, Kristaps Sulcs, Dins Vecans, and Undine Linde
Collaborating Architects: KROKS architects
Landscape Architects: Zane Legzdina
General Contractor: Velve SIA
Client: R.Evolution City
Photographers: Alvis Rozenbergs, Jurijs Korjakins, and Klavs Loris
