After its renovation in 2017, the reopening of the VEF Culture Palace revitalised the surrounding neighbourhood, changing what was once an industrial zone into an area popular with open-air festivals and events, and new businesses.
VEF Culture Palace renovation turns Riga neighbourhoods into innovations hub
- 18 September 2019
A few years ago, no one would have guessed that the old and somewhat dull VEF Culture Palace could be chosen to host the most trendy start-up conference in the Baltics, with more than 2 000 attendees. The renovation has revealed the monumental beauty of the building.
A new local residential community has sprung up, attracted by housing projects that combine the restoration of old architecture with better infrastructure.
IT companies, start-ups, property developers and retailers have settled in the area, transforming the Teika and Čiekurkalns neighbourhoods.
The beginning of a new era
The VEF Culture Palace was built during a period of post-war scarcity, from 1951 to 1960, and served as a cultural centre for workers of the State Electrotechnical Factory. The factory’s name in Latvian, Valsts Elektrotehniskā Fabrika, is abbreviated to VEF, hence the name VEF Culture Palace.
Between the two world wars, the factory manufactured electrical and electronic products, including the Minox, the world's smallest camera. The factory became the leading communication technology producer in the Soviet Union. After the collapse of the USSR, the huge factory was unable to adapt to a new market economy and, in the 1990’s, most of its buildings were abandoned.
However, the VEF Culture Palace continued to host more than 40 folk and amateur art groups, including choirs, folk dance groups, and art studios. Due to a limited maintenance budget, the once-majestic building in the half-empty industrial neighbourhood fell into disrepair.
Concerts and festivals
Careful restoration of the 1950’s-era architecture returned the venue to its former glory, allowing dance companies and choirs to practice and perform on the three stages, to large audiences. The art studios and the recording studio are equipped to accommodate the flourishing arts scene. The permanent exhibition portraying the history of the former factory, the concerts and performances, attracted a total of 381 000 visitors in 2018.
The venue is now one of the most sought-after event halls in the city, hosting conferences and corporate seminars. While the centre’s historical and architectural values were preserved to allow it to retain its status as a protected cultural monument, it is very much a contemporary venue in a changing neighbourhood, involving local residents in its cultural agenda. With the construction of new apartments and offices, the project reached its goal of attracting private investment to this eastern flank of the city of Riga. The modernisation combines work with leisure for the residents of this revitalised industrial zone.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Reconstruction of the VEF Culture Palace” is EUR 5 258 534, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 3 825 841 through the “Environment and resource efficiency” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Jobs, growth and investment”.