RIGA CAFE AND RESTAURANT INTERIORS IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY AND THE 1920S - 1930S (Rigas kafejnicu un restoranu interjeri 20. gs. sakuma un 20. - 30. gados)

• Authors: Banga Vita
• Languages of publication: LV

Abstracts

EN

Memory of the city is connected with legends, events and places that do not exist anymore but buildings and their interiors often leave behind 'impression of the age', living independently of us in old postcards and writers' stones. The subject of Riga cafe and restaurant interiors at the early 20th century and the 1920s - 1930s is examined for the first time in Latvian art history. Beginnings of entertainment places in medieval Riga are found in wine cellars; cellar taverns gradually became an integral part of the town, flourishing in the mid-19th century. Besides there were taverns almost at every cross-road in the countryside, but in Riga they were connected with small manors in outskirts of the town, for example, in Sampeteris and Pardaugava. Initially one could taste a cup of wine also in drugstores and small bars, but neither in taverns nor in bars there was some kind of interior designed for entertainment. Cellar taverns are more close to the subject; their walls were decorated with richly painted acanthus curls as well as mottoes and coats-of-arms. Most likely certain traditions were developed for cellar tavern paintings. Cafes in Riga grew out of confectioneries, later becoming separate leisure places with certain interior finish. Restaurants in their turn developed firstly at hotels but later also in Wohrmann's Garden where many people spent their free time. If the first restaurant in Paris opened in 1770 was intended as a place of exquisite dining, in Latvia dining places with strong drinks were initially called restaurants, sometimes also taverns. Since the late 19th century and early 20th century special, detached buildings for this purpose were constructed, for example, in Arkadija, Smerlis and Jurmala. A particular type of wooden pavilion with rich wood-carved decorations developed in Jurmala. Pavilions were intended for coffee drinking. The article examines the plastic decorative finish as well as variety of colours and materials used in entertainment places. It is important because Art Deco style, for example, featured bright colours and elegant finish materials.

Keywords

EN

ART DECO; ART NOUVEAU; INTERIORS; RIGA CAFES AND RESTAURANTS

Discipline

• ARTS_&_ARCHITECTURE: ARTS & ARCHITECTURE

• Publisher: Publishing House 'Neputns', Terbatas iela 49/51-8, Riga LV-1011, Latvia; www.neputns.lv
• Journal: Materiali Latvijas makslas vesturei
• Year: 2004
• Volume: 4
• Pages: 131-150
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Banga Vita

• Vita Banga, State Inspection for Heritage Protection, Maza Pils iela 19, Riga LV-1050, Latvia

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

11LVAAAA090125