In the first of our festive series on buildings in Eastern Europe, a stealthy lakeside house outside Riga by Open Architecture Design conjures up fantasies within and without
Just 60km west of Riga and a short distance east of the medieval town of Tukums in Latvia’s Zemgale region, narrow Lake Valgumsis nonetheless has its depths. Albert of Livonia, Bishop of Riga, founded its cathedral in 1221, so helping to establish the town as the capital; but riding past the lake one day, legend has it he was set upon by bandits.
While he escaped with his life, his six white horses, startled by the attack, pulled themselves and his golden coach into the waters where, locals say, on a fine day, it can still be seen glinting despite the lakeside pines’ dark presence.
Perhaps that ancient murk inspired Zane Tetere-Sulce, of Latvian practice Open Architecture Design, in her reimagining of an unfinished and abandoned lakeside home for a private client.
Her choice of Japanese ‘yaki-sugi’ timber to clad the exterior gives the home a stealth-like presence itself, making it striking as well as durable. That quality is helped by the creation of a new lakeside terrace at living level, rebalancing the original proportions to downplay its large basement and give the sense of a two, rather than three-storey structure.
While the ‘awkward’ external eaves were removed, the original pitched roof and trusses were maintained internally, exposed and black-painted to unify the 250m2 living area, which in places reaches double height. Window openings at living level have been made full height to optimise gilt-carriage viewing opportunities, while the original garage has been transformed into a sizeable, double-height ensuite master bedroom and dressing room.
A journey through the home is like the bishop’s ill-fated ride through the dark woods alongside the lake, alleviated by stolen sunlight that strikes its monochrome grey-washed lime plaster walls, with occasional relief-filled flashes of earthy terracotta lime plaster on a wall or low ceiling. Control of light is critical – the home houses the client’s extensive art collection, allowing life-size figures to creep up on users out of the shadows like those bandits; a modern ambience that alludes to the site’s ancient myths.