Description
Jānis Akuraters museum is designed by architect Verner Vitands and made specially for poet Jānis Akurater's family. The functionalist style wooden house was built in 1933 in Riga. The building is in poor technical condition and restoration will ensure museum availability to a broader audience.The direct target group of the project is the museum's visitors (local and foreigners).The aim of the project is to reconstruct the memorial house of the museum in order to accommodate it for performance of entrusted functions and make its cultural content compliant with the modern requirements.The following activities will be implemented within the framework of the Project: Project publicity, exchange of experience with Lillehammer Museum Association of the Kingdom of the Norway. The renewal of the building of the J.Akuraters memorial museum, upgrading the condition of the existing exposition by construction of an entrance unit in the semi-basement for museum visitors and new exposition spaces, improving the territory, reconstructing the building itself and training the employees of State Real Estate in execution of restoration work, and development of new cultural services creating new museum programmes.The Project Applicant is Memorial Museum Association who has involved a partner – the owner of the building – State Joint Stock Company „Valsts nekustamie īpašumi” (State Real Estate) for Project administration and management of building processes.To implement the activities in order to ensure development of new cultural projects, a partner from the Kingdom of the Norway–Lillehammer Museum Association has been involved.
Summary of project results
The Museum of Jānis Akuraters has been arranged in a house that was built especially for the family of Jānis Akuraters in the style of functionalism in 1933 as a wooden mansion in Riga according to a special project of architect Verners Vitands. The house combines functionalism interior design with Biedermeier style furniture, and original and replicas of accessories from 1920s and 1930s. The building is an exquisite and high-quality architectural standard of construction art’s functionalism with rational and modern architecture for 1930s in Latvia, and it is reflected both in the overall look of the building and the quality of every detail.Technical condition of the building of the Museum of Jānis Akuraters was dissatisfactory, and the premises were not fully utilised. The building and interior of the Museum of Jānis Akuraters was renovated in the project and since August 2017 is available to the public. The experience exchange with the Association of Museums of Lillehammer of the Kingdom of Norway and its Special museums: Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson’s Museum in Aulestad, Follebu, and Sigrid Undset’s Museum in Bjerkebæk, Lillehammer was organized and that helped to develop the museum's exhibitions and to create further cooperation. The seminar "Memorial Museum Restoration - Process and Problem Solving" was organized in project with participation of the experts of the restoration experts. The new culture-related services were created –new museum programmes for the guests were developed based on the new and improved exhibitions – “Ziemeļu dimensija” (Northern Dimension), “Skats uz Torņakalnu” (The View to Torņkalns), “Lietas” (Things), as well as a programme for the 140th anniversary of Jānis Akuraters in 2016 was elaborated, and a programme dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Latvia.The programme includes exhibitions about Jānis Akuraters and foundation of the Republic of Latvia as well as various events and a film making. Project helped to gain experience of the museum's specialists how to protect and keep the cultural heritage to the next generations.
Summary of bilateral results
Experience exchange with the Association of Museums of Lillehammer of the Kingdom of Norway and its Special museums: Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson’s Museum in Aulestad, Follebu, and Sigrid Undset’s Museum in Bjerkebæk, Lillehammer was great opportunity for the museum's experts to improve knowledge and get the best practices from the colleagues of the museums in Norway. Through the project the museum's specialists had opportunity to create new cooperation in the project which should continue after the project. Bilateral partnership helped to create the museum's expositions much more contemporary as it is possible in memorial museum.