The design competition for the Satekles business center, where new SEB office will be located, has ended
The design competition for the Satekles business center, where new SEB office will be located, has ended. A total of 6 design proposals were submitted for the competition and the contract was awarded to the partnership L.SN (SIA Lauder Architects, SIA Sarma&Norde). The jury considered their proposed vision the closest to the business center in this city block as envisaged by SEB Latvia, architects and city planners.
In evaluating applications, several relevant criteria were taken into account, including innovation and originality of the architectural idea, relevance of the site to the quality of the public space, public accessibility and the benefits to the society this block may provide to the city, architectural compatibility with existing infrastructure, cultural context, urban integration and others.
The purpose of the design contest was to obtain a design for the new sustainable office building complex that is well thought-out in terms of urban planning and architecture. The design should include architectural solutions and the site’s joint master plan for the creation of a complex of office buildings on three interlinked plots in Riga between Elizabetes, Birznieka-Upīša, Dzirnavu and Satekles streets. Construction of the Satekles business center is expected to start in the 1st quarter of 2023.
The design competition was organised by the real estate developer Linstow Baltics with whom SEB Latvia signed an agreement this autumn on the construction and lease of an office building in the center of Rīga, Ernesta Birznieka-Upīša street 2.
The Satekles business center will be located in the vicinity of the Riga Central Railway Passenger Station and the Origo One business center between Elizabetes, Ernesta Birznieka-Upīša, Dzirnavu and Satekles streets.
The design competition
The submitted design ideas were evaluated by a group of 10 urban planning experts, architects and real estate specialists led by architect Dr.arch. Jānis Dripe:
- Head of the Architecture and Art Department of the National Culture and Heritage Board, architect Anna Ancāne;
- Riga City Architect, Gvido Princis;
- RD Head of the Cultural Heritage Protection Division of the Architecture and Urban Design Department of the Riga City Development Department, architect Viesturs Brūzis;
- Expert of Riga City Development Department Urban Development Board in charge of issues of Riga Historical Center UNESCO World Heritage Management Planning, architect Aigars Kušķis;
- certified architect and urban planner Edgars Bērziņš;
- certified architect Ventis Didrihsons;
- certified architect Vilnis Šlars;
- real estate market expert Ēriks Bergmans;
- city planner, project director of Linstow Baltic Andis Kublačovs.
The design competition took place from 20 July till 16 November when the winner was announced. SIA MARK ARHITEKTI won the 2nd place and SIA ARPLAN - the 3rd place in the competition.
Visualisations of the project by L.SN:
