Without provincial complexes. A school loved by generations with the inspiration of the tsar’s time – Liepāja State 1st Gymnasium / Article / LSM.lv

Building culture

From September 24 to 27 Latvia will host the European Cultural Heritage Days, the theme of which this year is building culture. The National Cultural Heritage Board has compiled more than 30 examples of good building culture, which are united by a special assessment of their creation, maintenance and full life. On the public media portal LSM.lv, we present the life stories of these objects – about responsible customers and owners, about creative and far-sighted architects, which are told by Latvian architectural and cultural heritage specialists.

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The magnificent building was built in two years – from 1910 to 1912. It started working as a Women’s Gymnasium, where studies took place only in the common language of the empire – Russian. The famous Latvian writer and philosopher Zenta Mauriņa also graduated from this school in 1915. In September 1919, a private Liepaja Real Gymnasium with classes in Latvian, German and Russian was opened in the building. Further, according to the political situation, the names of the school changed, but the function and prestige remained unchanged. Since 2009, the school has acquired the exclusive status of a “state gymnasium” and, together with the improvement of the curriculum, has made surprisingly high-quality improvements in the learning environment. The renovation of the school has organically and talentedly overlapped the building cultures of two centuries – the original Art Nouveau style of the early 20th century and the attractive minimalism of the early 21st century. The expert of the object, architect Pēteris Blūms, is also delighted with the final result.

Constant value

In 2017, after visiting the building of Liepāja State 1st Gymnasium and getting acquainted with the premises, environment, school principal Helvijs Valcis and architects Ilze Mekši, a text was made for the catalog of works nominated for the Latvian Architecture of the Year award of the same year. What he saw and felt in this place truly addressed and captivated. And these feelings are lasting – that’s why creating Building culture The list of nominations for the objects of the European Cultural Heritage Days dedicated to Liepāja State Gymnasium was included without questions. After reading several times what was written three years ago, I realized that everything the most important has already been said and corresponds to the vision of the Latvian Architecture of the Year Award 2017, as well as Building culture criteria.

Building culture as a code of morality, ethics and competence in architecture, environmental culture and architecture is nothing new. It is formulated by Vitruvius, a peer of Christ stability, the utility, attractiveness (durability, usefulness, beauty – in Latin) principle, and in Liepāja State 1st Gymnasium it has gained a real fulfillment.

A graduate’s dream

The renovated, preserved and more than a century-old Liepāja State 1st Gymnasium surprises. Not only because of the untimely solemnity of the Art Nouveau facade and the festive hall, but also because of the unusual feeling that suggests that something very important, unusual, has happened here.

This is not the case when a few old doors, some windows and fragments of decor are left in the far corner after following a formal duty and rules.

The whole building has an enduring, strong, aura of school that has been loved and cared for for many generations. Technically, this school has undergone a delicate renovation, preserving many surfaces and original details. Minor alterations have been made solely for safety and accessibility reasons, which do not affect the overall image of the building in any way.

Liepāja State 1st Gymnasium is a confirmation of the ability of an architect and a school principal to involve participants in a synergistic process in a wide range of understanding, including teachers and students. The restoration works have been carried out taking into account the nuanced research of the cultural and historical environment and details and balancing the possibilities of a school more than a century old to preserve proven values ​​in the modern functional, technological and material context.

The restored school is an excellent example of sustainable, sensitive and cordial thinking and the continuity of the value of the architectural heritage.

Probably also a source of new inspiration in the sense of values.

Simply put, learning at this school is an honor and a pleasure. The splendor and ambitions of the tsarist empire have been successfully balanced with the principles of modern democracy. The school is not just for the elect, but for those who are ready to do more, look further, think more. The status of a state gymnasium imposes an education bar, but the building itself provides far-reaching landmarks – with scale and awareness that Liepāja is not a suburb. Neither during the tsar’s time, nor now, when such a school would be a graduate’s dream anywhere in Europe.

Publications are created in cooperation with the National Heritage Board.