As soon as Art Nouveau began to appear in the architectural décor of Riga at the turn of the 20th century, depictions of nature became increasingly popular, skilfully adding another layer to the richly ornamented facades. Animal forms are mainly used to decorate Eclectically Decorative Art Nouveau Buildings, with their rich facades supplemented with mascarons or figures of various creatures. Often the fauna is linked to mythological images, turning the facades into storybooks. In National Romantic buildings the fauna reflects the diversity of nature in Latvia as well as Latvian folklore.
This time for your attention – the building designed by the outstanding Latvian architect Konstantīns Pēkšēns in 1902 in the very centre of Riga, 2 Smilšu iela. The façade of this building is decoarated with a picturesque peacock on the central bay flanked by squirrel and owl. The capitals on Smilšu iela 2 is guarded by a snakes and rams’ heads.
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Text material using Dr. arch. Agrita Tipāne, Dr. arch. Jānis Krastiņš studies. Photo by Marika Vanaga, Margarita Fedina, Jānis Krastiņš
