On 12 January 2024, the large-format travelling photo exhibition “Architecture. Engineering. The Power of Forms” was opened in front of Origo Shopping Centre. It is dedicated to examples of excellence in construction and architecture in Latvia and brings together projects that contribute to the well-being of society. The exhibition’s opening venue next to Origo Shopping Centre was not chosen by chance – it has been recognised as a model of sustainable modern construction, having received top awards in prestigious Latvian and Baltic construction competitions.

The large-format open-air exhibition space of 450 m² in the square in front of Origo Shopping Centre is a unique urban facility complementing the centre and can be visited and viewed by anyone. This gift from Linstow Baltic to the community promotes the accessibility of art in the public space and has been bringing art lovers together since 2014.

For the eighth year running, the travelling exhibitions on the most outstanding buildings are organised by the Building Design and Construction Council (BDCC) under the leadership of Gunita Jansone and Agrita Lūse (www.buvniekupadome.lv). The number of visitors is in the hundreds of thousands, as the exhibition is displayed in public gathering places in the urban environment – at traffic junctions, promenades, shopping centres and sports grounds. Taking into account different language priorities, the descriptions are in Latvian and English, while a QR code on each panel takes you to more information on the websites.

Gunita Jansone, Head of BDCC, reveals: “The exhibition is both informative, inviting you to plan your holiday itinerary to visit the sites, and inspirational in the creation of beautiful and useful sites, as some of the sites have deservedly won awards in the Latvian Annual Construction Award competition and the international competition “Sustainability in Architecture, Construction, Design”. Each site features a construction innovation of our age that will become commonplace over the years.”

Evija Majevska, Commercial Director of Linstow Baltic and Origo Multifunctional Centre, says: “Linstow Baltic’s business strategy is based on sustainability through the development of modern urban facilities. The Origo Multifunctional Centre has been designed using environmentally friendly and sustainable technical solutions and with accessibility and visitor well-being in mind. It has also been highly appreciated by experts, who have recognised Origo as the most sustainable building in Latvia and awarded the BREEAM certificate, the world’s leading building sustainability assessment method, with the highest recognition among all shopping centres in the Baltics. It is a great honour to open at Origo the large-format travelling exhibition dedicated to the excellence of Latvian construction and architecture. I am sure that it will be enjoyed by lovers of architectural art and culture, as well as by every visitor of Origo shopping centre and guests of the city.”

Organiser of the exhibition: Building Design and Construction Council, supporters: Linstow Baltic, Origo, Aimasa, MONUM, Rīgas tilti, SIA, VEGA 1 Serviss, Projekts 3, Selva Būve, AIDACO CONSTRUCTION. Photo from the exhibition exposition and opening event: Valters Poļakovs.