The Castle of Light: Riga’s National Library
When looking across the Riga skyline, one building stands out among the rest. The large, silver, modern construction that is known as the ‘Castle of Light’. This impressive edifice is the National Library of Riga, and certainly counts as a ‘must-see’ attraction when visiting Riga. This year is the 500th anniversary of Latvian literature and I think it would be wrong not to write an article dedicated to this unique space!
Architecture
The building design was created by the Latvian-American architect Gunas Birkets. Birkets was born in Riga in 1925 and was raised there, until he fled the country as the Soviet army approached at the end of the Second World War. After this he lived in exile and went on to design 19 libraries across the world.
In 1989, Birkets was commissioned to design a building to house the Latvian National Library. He was inspired by the concept of the ‘Glass Mountain’, which was popular in Lativan folklore. The library uses glass and mirrors to give it a light and open feel, reflecting the key values of a library as a space for all. The building was constructed between 2008 and 2014.
Exhibitions
The library is free to visit. This means not only can you look at the many books they have displayed, but you can also enjoy the exhibitions there. There are two permanent exhibitions, one about the development of the book in Latvia and one about the design of the building. The library also has non-permanent exhibitions, so each time you visit Riga, there could be something new to see. This year, on the ground floor, you can visit the exhibition ‘Is a Library a Birthright?’. It discusses the role of libraries in democratic societies and in future societal developments. The fifth floor houses another temporary exhibition, which is about the form and materiality of books. The library website also has many online exhibitions which can be accessed from anywhere. These are a great way to spend time without spending a penny!
Cabinet of Folksongs
One of the key attractions of the library is called the Cabinet of Folksongs. In this cabinet is a compilation of documents which record the traditions and tales of tribes from pre-Christian Latvia. In the second half of the 19th century, the Latvian population orchestrated a huge collection of these documents. They did this in order to preserve their national identity. Krisjanis Barons drove the program and it is mainly thanks to him that these texts were collected, sorted, and published. It was no easy feat, as around 218,000 song texts were collated during this period. The texts are now stored in the National Library, and can be viewed on certain days of the week. The attraction is so significant that in 2001, the Cabinet of Folksongs was added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
Bird’s Eye View
Another amazing aspect of the National Library is the bird’s eye view that you can get from the top. The building is huge, reaching 68 meters in height. Visitors can get right to the top by taking an elevator up the 13 floors. The top two floors have large windows, from which you can view all of the city and its surroundings. This is also free to do, and so is a great activity to make the most of while you are in Riga. All that is needed to get upstairs from the ground floor is a visitors pass, which is easy to get from the reception desk. Climbing the floors, you will be able to see the large bookcase which dominated the majority of the space, and it a great photo opportunity.
So, celebrating 500 years of Latvian literary culture cannot get easier. All you need to do is cross the bridge over the Daugava River, head to the unmissable Castle of Light, and enjoy all that it has to offer!
