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106-476: The project for the Karkovius House on what was originally Totlbena (now Kalpaka) boulevard 4 dates back to 1874, but the construction was completed only in 1878. J. F. Baumanis, one of Riga's more prominent nineteenth-century architects, designed it as a mansion for Ludwig Wilhelm Kerkovius (1831–1904), a successful lumber merchant and Mayor of Riga, and his family of nine children. The three-story building

212-647: A pejorative description. Giorgio Vasari used the term "barbarous German style" in his Lives of the Artists to describe what is now considered the Gothic style, and in the introduction to the Lives he attributes various architectural features to the Goths , whom he held responsible for destroying the ancient buildings after they conquered Rome, and erecting new ones in this style. When Vasari wrote, Italy had experienced

318-401: A pejorative description. Giorgio Vasari used the term "barbarous German style" in his 1550 Lives of the Artists to describe what is now considered the Gothic style. In the introduction to the Lives he attributed various architectural features to the Goths whom he held responsible for destroying the ancient buildings after they conquered Rome , and erecting new ones in this style. In

424-422: A Gothic choir, and six-part rib vaults over the nave and collateral aisles, alternating pillars and doubled columns to support the vaults, and buttresses to offset the outward thrust from the vaults. One of the builders who is believed to have worked on Sens Cathedral, William of Sens , later travelled to England and became the architect who, between 1175 and 1180, reconstructed the choir of Canterbury Cathedral in

530-559: A carriage. On the second floor of the extension there were two living quarters for servants and a storage warehouse. The oak spiral staircase is made of turned balusters and use wall-mounted brackets and metal steps. The interior includes luxurious, historic doors with baroque iron ornaments and expressive wood carvings. The main staircase and lobby feature rich dark red wall paintings and multi-colored ceiling paintings. Oak parquet has been preserved in several rooms, which reveals various and different pattern compositions in each room: in

636-547: A century of building in the Vitruvian architectural vocabulary of classical orders revived in the Renaissance and seen as evidence of a new Golden Age of learning and refinement. Thus the Gothic style, being in opposition to classical architecture, from that point of view was associated with the destruction of advancement and sophistication. The assumption that classical architecture was better than Gothic architecture

742-447: A full range of services required for academic work. Reference materials, encyclopedias, dictionaries, free basic library services and paid services are available in the service area on the second floor. The new building has an open access reading room, which houses the most popular publications in the humanities and social sciences in the last 10 years. For the convenience of researchers, six individual carrels have been set up, with views of

848-510: A lantern tower, deeply moulded decoration, and high pointed arcades. Coutances Cathedral was remade into Gothic beginning about 1220. Its most distinctive feature is the octagonal lantern on the crossing of the transept, decorated with ornamental ribs, and surrounded by sixteen bays and sixteen lancet windows. Saint-Denis was the work of the Abbot Suger , a close adviser of Kings Louis VI and Louis VII . Suger reconstructed portions of

954-498: A new period of Gothic Revival . Gothic architecture survived the early modern period and flourished again in a revival from the late 18th century and throughout the 19th. Perpendicular was the first Gothic style revived in the 18th century. In England, partly in response to a philosophy propounded by the Oxford Movement and others associated with the emerging revival of 'high church' or Anglo-Catholic ideas during

1060-575: A precision of 0.1 arc second which is very promising for the improvement of the quality of the National model of Latvia gravity field modelling. The recent version of the National gravity field developed at the Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics has achieved a precision of about 2 cm which is much higher than the previous model (7–8 cm) used in Latvia. The high precision gravity field model

1166-449: A series of tracery patterns for windows – from the basic geometrical to the reticulated and the curvilinear – which had superseded the lancet window. Bar-tracery of the curvilinear, flowing , and reticulated types distinguish Second Pointed style. Decorated Gothic similarly sought to emphasize the windows, but excelled in the ornamentation of their tracery. Churches with features of this style include Westminster Abbey (1245–),

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1272-462: A triforium, Early English churches usually retained a gallery. High Gothic ( c.  1194 –1250) was a brief but very productive period, which produced some of the great landmarks of Gothic art. The first building in the High Gothic (French: Classique ) was Chartres Cathedral , an important pilgrimage church south of Paris. The Romanesque cathedral was destroyed by fire in 1194, but

1378-475: A vaulted cellar, and the layout of each of the floors was identical with ten rooms each. The facades of the building (both towards Kalpaka Boulevard and both side facades) are articulated elaborately in plaster in the English Gothic tradition. Despite the height of the second floor created by the tall lancet windows, the facade of the building is nonetheless topped by a wide attic. The initial painting of

1484-482: A violent and bothersome mistake, as suggested by Vasari. Rather, he saw that the Gothic style had developed over time along the lines of a changing society, and that it was thus a legitimate architectural style of its own. It was no secret that Wren strongly disliked the building practices of the Gothic style. When he was appointed Surveyor of the Fabric at Westminster Abbey in the year 1698, he expressed his distaste for

1590-446: A wicker motif, and the ceiling is painted in an intricate design containing an eight-pointed star in the center. The polychrome paint uses brown, blue and pink tones. The original fireplace itself, however, has not survived. The library's recreation room, located in place of the former main kitchen, is a favorite place for visitors, with its white furniture interior accented by blue floral ornament. The black-and-white photographs disclose

1696-540: Is also the architecture of many castles , palaces , town halls , guildhalls , universities and, less prominently today, private dwellings. Many of the finest examples of medieval Gothic architecture are listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites . With the development of Renaissance architecture in Italy during the mid-15th century, the Gothic style was supplanted by the new style, but in some regions, notably England and Belgium, Gothic continued to flourish and develop into

1802-412: Is designed in an expressive Gothic-revival style, following the asymmetrical structure of Gothic castles. The building is designed as a typical mansion of its time with two entrances and two courtyards. The first is a small closed garden with an entrance only from the owner's apartment, while the second consists of a yard that originally served the stables and the carriage servants. The structures rests on

1908-581: Is known in Britain as High Victorian Gothic . The Palace of Westminster in London by Sir Charles Barry with interiors by a major exponent of the early Gothic Revival, Augustus Welby Pugin , is an example of the Gothic revival style from its earlier period in the second quarter of the 19th century. Examples from the High Victorian Gothic period include George Gilbert Scott 's design for

2014-602: Is one of the reasons why Wren's theory is rejected by many. The earliest examples of the pointed arch in Europe date from before the Holy War in the year 1095; this is widely regarded as proof that the Gothic style could not have possibly been derived from Saracen architecture. Several authors have taken a stance against this allegation, claiming that the Gothic style had most likely filtered into Europe in other ways, for example through Spain or Sicily. The Spanish architecture from

2120-456: Is very important for practice. It gives the possibility to achieve correspondingly high precision of normal height determination using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) in geodetic measurements. There has been achieved at the Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics the high precision results in studies of vertical and horizontal motion of the Earth in Latvia by carrying out the analysis of

2226-519: Is why he constantly praised the classic architecture of 'the Ancients' in his writings. Even though he openly expressed his distaste for the Gothic style, Wren did not blame the Saracens for the apparent lack of ingenuity. Quite the opposite: he praised the Saracens for their 'superior' vaulting techniques and their widespread use of the pointed arch. Wren claimed the inventors of the Gothic had seen

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2332-748: The Pēteris Stučka Latvian State University ( Latvian : Pētera Stučkas Latvijas Valsts Universitāte ), which was its official name until 1990. With Latvia regaining independence, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia reconfirmed the Constitution of the University of Latvia on September 18, 1991. It stated that the institution is "a state establishment of academic education, science and culture which serves

2438-489: The Albert Memorial in London, and William Butterfield 's chapel at Keble College, Oxford . From the second half of the 19th century onwards, it became more common in Britain for neo-Gothic to be used in the design of non-ecclesiastical and non-governmental buildings types. Gothic details even began to appear in working-class housing schemes subsidised by philanthropy, though given the expense, less frequently than in

2544-651: The Byzantine , of course belong more to the Gothic period than the light and elegant structures of the pointed order which succeeded them. The Gothic style of architecture was strongly influenced by the Romanesque architecture which preceded it; by the growing population and wealth of European cities, and by the desire to express local grandeur. It was influenced by theological doctrines which called for more light and by technical improvements in vaults and buttresses that allowed much greater height and larger windows. It

2650-592: The Chateau of Gaillon near Rouen (1502–1510) with the assistance of Italian craftsmen. The Château de Blois (1515–1524) introduced the Renaissance loggia and open stairway. King Francois I installed Leonardo da Vinci at his Chateau of Chambord in 1516, and introduced a Renaissance long gallery at the Palace of Fontainebleau in 1528–1540. In 1546 Francois I began building the first example of French classicism,

2756-582: The Nazi occupation , from 1942 to 1944/1945 its name was the University of Riga ( Latvian : Rīgas Universitāte ). After World War II, over time the Latvian University of Agriculture , Riga Stradiņš University , and Riga Technical University separated from the University of Latvia and became well-known centres of education and research in their own right. In 1958, the university was renamed as

2862-575: The Pantheon, Rome , was one of the first Renaissance landmarks, but it also employed Gothic technology; the outer skin of the dome was supported by a framework of twenty-four ribs. In the 16th century, as Renaissance architecture from Italy began to appear in France and other countries in Europe. The Gothic style began to be described as outdated, ugly and even barbaric. The term "Gothic" was first used as

2968-693: The rib vault , had appeared in England, Sicily and Normandy in the 11th century. Rib-vaults were employed in some parts of the cathedral at Durham (1093–) and in Lessay Abbey in Normandy (1098). However, the first buildings to be considered fully Gothic are the royal funerary abbey of the French kings, the Abbey of Saint-Denis (1135–1144), and the archiepiscopal cathedral at Sens (1135–1164). They were

3074-424: The 1250s, Louis IX commissioned the rebuilt transepts and enormous rose windows of Notre-Dame de Paris (1250s for the north transept, 1258 for the beginning of south transept). This first 'international style' was also used in the clerestory of Metz Cathedral ( c . 1245–), then in the choir of Cologne 's cathedral ( c . 1250–), and again in the nave of the cathedral at Strasbourg ( c . 1250–). Masons elaborated

3180-539: The 13th century; by 1300, a first "international style" of Gothic had developed, with common design features and formal language. A second "international style" emerged by 1400, alongside innovations in England and central Europe that produced both the perpendicular and flamboyant varieties. Typically, these typologies are identified as: Norman architecture on either side of the English Channel developed in parallel towards Early Gothic . Gothic features, such as

3286-557: The 16th century. A series of Gothic revivals began in mid-18th century England , spread through 19th-century Europe and continued, largely for churches and university buildings, into the 20th century. Medieval contemporaries described the style as Latin : opus Francigenum , lit.   'French work' or ' Frankish work', as opus modernum , 'modern work', novum opus , 'new work', or as Italian : maniera tedesca , lit.   'German style'. The term "Gothic architecture" originated as

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3392-480: The 17th and 18th centuries, especially in provincial and ecclesiastical contexts, notably at Oxford . Beginning in the mid-15th century, the Gothic style gradually lost its dominance in Europe. It had never been popular in Italy, and in the mid-15th century the Italians, drawing upon ancient Roman ruins, returned to classical models. The dome of Florence Cathedral (1420–1436) by Filippo Brunelleschi , inspired by

3498-509: The 17th and 18th century several important Gothic buildings were constructed at Oxford University and Cambridge University , including Tom Tower (1681–82) at Christ Church, Oxford , by Christopher Wren . It also appeared, in a whimsical fashion, in Horace Walpole 's Twickenham villa , Strawberry Hill (1749–1776). The two western towers of Westminster Abbey were constructed between 1722 and 1745 by Nicholas Hawksmoor , opening

3604-431: The 17th century, Molière also mocked the Gothic style in the 1669 poem La Gloire : "...the insipid taste of Gothic ornamentation, these odious monstrosities of an ignorant age, produced by the torrents of barbarism..." The dominant styles in Europe became in turn Italian Renaissance architecture , Baroque architecture , and the grand classicism of the style Louis XIV . The Kings of France had first-hand knowledge of

3710-410: The 1930s, with floors covered with parquet in a herringbone pattern. While the house was still used as a residence, before the 1940s, there was a large, well-equipped ten-room apartment on each of the three floors with a separate "black" or backyard staircase and a maid's room by the kitchen. The owners lived on the first floor and rented out the apartments on the second and third levels. The design of

3816-600: The Abbey of Saint-Denis , near Paris, the choir was reconstructed between 1140 and 1144, drawing together for the first time the developing Gothic architectural features. In doing so, a new architectural style emerged that emphasized verticality and the effect created by the transmission of light through stained glass windows. Common examples are found in Christian ecclesiastical architecture , and Gothic cathedrals and churches , as well as abbeys , and parish churches . It

3922-640: The Air and Weather; the Coping, which cannot defend them, first failing, and if they give Way, the Vault must spread. Pinnacles are no Use, and as little Ornament. The chaos of the Gothic left much to be desired in Wren's eyes. His aversion of the style was so strong that he refused to put a Gothic roof on the new St. Paul's, despite being pressured to do so. Wren much preferred symmetry and straight lines in architecture, which

4028-569: The Esplanade, the site of Kerkovius's former rose garden, and the linden trees. Conference rooms for 30 or 70 people are also available. For the first time since the initial renovation of the building in 1940, the LU Library has an exhibition space with a permanent display; it features parchments, engravings, and rare items from special collections, such as picture editions, maps, manuscripts and other unique period objects. An important place in

4134-644: The Gothic style in a letter to the bishop of Rochester: Nothing was thought magnificent that was not high beyond Measure, with the Flutter of Arch-buttresses, so we call the sloping Arches that poise the higher Vaultings of the Nave. The Romans always concealed their Butments, whereas the Normans thought them ornamental. These I have observed are the first Things that occasion the Ruin of Cathedrals, being so much exposed to

4240-642: The Greeks. Wren was the first to popularize the belief that it was not the Europeans, but the Saracens that had created the Gothic style. The term 'Saracen' was still in use in the 18th century and it typically referred to all Muslims, including the Arabs and Berbers. Wren mentions Europe's architectural debt to the Saracens no fewer than twelve times in his writings. He also decidedly broke with tradition in his assumption that Gothic architecture did not merely represent

4346-455: The Institute of Geodesy (1924-1944) worked successfully on the research and education in many advanced topics of that time – development and adjustment of National geodetic networks, photogrammetry, studies of vertical Earth movement and research in gravimetric and magnetic measurements. Currently, the research areas are developed in satellite geodesy and geoinformatics. The main topic is the development of satellite laser ranging systems (SLR), both

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4452-601: The Kalpaka Boulevard Library. Gothic architecture Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages , surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture . It originated in the Île-de-France and Picardy regions of northern France . The style at

4558-548: The Moors could have favoured the emergence of the Gothic style long before the Crusades took place. This could have happened gradually through merchants, travelers and pilgrims. According to a 19th-century correspondent in the London journal Notes and Queries , Gothic was a derisive misnomer; the pointed arcs and architecture of the later Middle Ages was quite different from the rounded arches prevalent in late antiquity and

4664-748: The Riga Polytechnic on Raiņa bulvāris 19 serves as the university's main building. In the pre-WWII years, it was possible to gain higher academic education not only at the University of Latvia but also at the Latvian State Conservatory and Academy of Arts . With the beginning of the Soviet occupation , the university was renamed as the Latvian State University (LVU, Latvian : Latvijas Valsts Universitāte ) from 1940 to 1941 and from 1944/1945 to 1958. Under

4770-831: The Saracen architecture during the Crusades , also called the Religious war or Holy War, organised by the Kingdom of France in the year 1095: The Holy War gave the Christians, who had been there, an Idea of the Saracen Works, which were afterwards by them imitated in the West; and they refined upon it every day, as they proceeded in building Churches. There are several chronological issues that arise with this statement, which

4876-444: The University of Latvia ( Latvian : Matemātikas un informātikas institūts , IMCS) was founded in 1959 as a computer research centre, now consisting of about 200 researchers, assistants, engineers, and software developers. The Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics (GGI) of the University of Latvia ( Latvian : Ģeodēzijas un ģeoinformātikas institūts ) is the reestablishment of the Institute of Geodesy since 1994. The researchers of

4982-429: The University of Latvia from 1993 to 2005. The Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy was merged into the university in 2017. In recent years, the university has often faced serious reputational problems. Several professors have been caught plagiarizing. The current rector and his former deputy have been charged with serious crimes. A criminal investigation into the embezzlement of European funds in

5088-450: The ambulatory and side-chapels around the choir at Saint-Denis, and by the paired towers and triple doors on the western façade. Sens was quickly followed by Senlis Cathedral (begun 1160), and Notre-Dame de Paris (begun 1160). Their builders abandoned the traditional plans and introduced the new Gothic elements from Saint-Denis. The builders of Notre-Dame went further by introducing the flying buttress, heavy columns of support outside

5194-433: The basis of the former Riga Polytechnic (founded in 1862). The first rector of the university was chemist Paul Walden . In 1923, the school received its current name with the approval of its constitution, the University of Latvia (Universitas Latviensis). In the period between 1919 and 1940, the University of Latvia was the main centre of higher education, science and culture in the Republic of Latvia. The former building of

5300-523: The brothers William and Robert Vertue 's Henry VII Chapel ( c.  1503 –1512) at Westminster Abbey . Perpendicular is sometimes called Third Pointed and was employed over three centuries; the fan-vaulted staircase at Christ Church, Oxford built around 1640. Lacey patterns of tracery continued to characterize continental Gothic building, with very elaborate and articulated vaulting, as at Saint Barbara's, Kutná Hora (1512). In certain areas, Gothic architecture continued to be employed until

5406-407: The building also discloses the functions of the ground floor rooms – anteroom, office, waiting room, hall, fireplace room, winter garden, central dining room, four bedrooms, a kitchen, maid's room, bathroom and two toilets. The building was originally heated by an oven, but only one round white-tiled stove has survived, which is currently located in the main staircase. In 1908, the building was added to

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5512-468: The building, three of which were one-room apartments without a kitchen, in the basement; one one-room apartment with a kitchen was located above the garage and there was one two-room apartment in the attic. In 1940, the University of Latvia became interested in the property, and on July 15, the university asked the Minister of Education to allocate new premises for the needs of its Central Library, since

5618-699: The capital of the medieval kingdom of Armenia concluded to have discovered the oldest Gothic arch. According to these historians, the architecture of the Saint Hripsime Church near the Armenian religious seat Etchmiadzin was built in the fourth century A.D. and was repaired in 618. The cathedral of Ani was built in 980–1012 A.D. However many of the elements of Islamic and Armenian architecture that have been cited as influences on Gothic architecture also appeared in Late Roman and Byzantine architecture,

5724-428: The cathedral at Metz ( c .1235–). In High Gothic, the whole surface of the clerestory was given over to windows. At Chartres Cathedral, plate tracery was used for the rose window, but at Reims the bar-tracery was free-standing. Lancet windows were supplanted by multiple lights separated by geometrical bar-tracery. Tracery of this kind distinguishes Middle Pointed style from the simpler First Pointed . Inside,

5830-507: The cathedrals at Lichfield (after 1257–) and Exeter (1275–), Bath Abbey (1298–), and the retro choir at Wells Cathedral ( c .1320–). The Rayonnant developed its second 'international style' with increasingly autonomous and sharp-edged tracery mouldings apparent in the cathedral at Clermont-Ferrand (1248–), the papal collegiate church at Troyes , Saint-Urbain (1262–), and the west façade of Strasbourg Cathedral (1276–1439)). By 1300, there were examples influenced by Strasbourg in

5936-517: The cathedrals of Limoges (1273–), Regensburg ( c . 1275–), and in the cathedral nave at York (1292–). Central Europe began to lead the emergence of a new, international flamboyant style with the construction of a new cathedral at Prague (1344–) under the direction of Peter Parler . This model of rich and variegated tracery and intricate reticulated rib-vaulting was definitive in the Late Gothic of continental Europe, emulated not only by

6042-563: The city's sewer system. The history of the Riga Art Promotion Society ("Rigasche Kunstverein") and the Riga City Painting Gallery is connected with the house on Kalpaka Boulevard. Until 1878, the collections of these two organizations were housed in unsuitable conditions in the hall of the Riga Polytechnic (now in the main building of the University of Latvia at Raina Boulevard 19). From 1879, it

6148-546: The classical columns he had seen in Rome. In addition, he installed a circular rose window over the portal on the façade. These also became a common feature of Gothic cathedrals. Some elements of Gothic style appeared very early in England. Durham Cathedral was the first cathedral to employ a rib vault, built between 1093 and 1104. The first cathedral built entirely in the new style was Sens Cathedral , begun between 1135 and 1140 and consecrated in 1160. Sens Cathedral features

6254-552: The cloisters and chapter-house ( c.  1332 ) of Old St Paul's Cathedral in London by William de Ramsey . The chancel of Gloucester Cathedral ( c.  1337 –1357) and its latter 14th century cloisters are early examples. Four-centred arches were often used, and lierne vaults seen in early buildings were developed into fan vaults, first at the latter 14th century chapter-house of Hereford Cathedral (demolished 1769) and cloisters at Gloucester, and then at Reginald Ely 's King's College Chapel, Cambridge (1446–1461) and

6360-580: The collection contains 926 books – editions from 1856 to 1997, mainly from the twentieth century. Some of the books are in German, published in the 1960s and 1970s. After visiting the Kalpaka Boulevard Library in 2014, Joyce Kerkovius Heggli, the granddaughter of L.W. Kerkovius, presented the University of Latvia with a portrait of her ancestor, the original owner, painted in Riga in 1903 by the German portraitist Theodor Kraus. The Kalpaka Boulevard Library provides

6466-637: The collegiate churches and cathedrals, but by urban parish churches which rivalled them in size and magnificence. The minster at Ulm and other parish churches like the Heilig-Kreuz-Münster at Schwäbisch Gmünd ( c .1320–), St Barbara's Church at Kutná Hora (1389–), and the Heilig-Geist-Kirche (1407–) and St Martin's Church ( c .1385–) in Landshut are typical. Use of ogees was especially common. The flamboyant style

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6572-719: The competition. Work began that same year, but in 1178 William was badly injured by falling from the scaffolding, and returned to France, where he died. His work was continued by William the Englishman who replaced his French namesake in 1178. The resulting structure of the choir of Canterbury Cathedral is considered the first work of Early English Gothic . The cathedral churches of Worcester (1175–), Wells ( c .1180–), Lincoln (1192–), and Salisbury (1220–) are all, with Canterbury, major examples. Tiercerons – decorative vaulting ribs – seem first to have been used in vaulting at Lincoln Cathedral, installed c .1200. Instead of

6678-446: The courtyard facade. Stylistically analogous profiling has been created for the replaced sashes and frames. Most of the original doors in the building have been preserved with neo-Gothic decor. The entrance to the subsidiary building is next to the large (second) courtyard gate, but the main entrance and the "black" (servant's) staircase are from the courtyard. In this courtyard there used to be an attached horse stable for four horses and

6784-591: The coverage of stained glass windows such that the walls are effectively entirely glazed; examples are the nave of Saint-Denis (1231–) and the royal chapel of Louis IX of France on the Île de la Cité in the Seine – the Sainte-Chapelle ( c .1241–1248). The high and thin walls of French Rayonnant Gothic allowed by the flying buttresses enabled increasingly ambitious expanses of glass and decorated tracery, reinforced with ironwork. Shortly after Saint-Denis, in

6890-528: The design of upper and middle-class housing. University of Latvia University of Latvia ( Latvian : Latvijas Universitāte , shortened LU ) is a public research university located in Riga , Latvia . The university was established in 1919. The University of Latvia, initially named as the Higher School of Latvia ( Latvian : Latvijas Augstskola ) was founded on September 28, 1919, on

6996-549: The east end of the church, which typically had a half-dome. The lantern tower was another common feature in Norman Gothic. One example of early Norman Gothic is Bayeux Cathedral (1060–1070) where the Romanesque cathedral nave and choir were rebuilt into the Gothic style. Lisieux Cathedral was begun in 1170. Rouen Cathedral (begun 1185) was rebuilt from Romanesque to Gothic with distinct Norman features, including

7102-503: The exhibition is the collection of the first rector of the University of Latvia, Professor Ernest Felsberg (1866–1928), as well as the treasures of the famous Sinologist Professor Peter Schmidt (1869–1938), which include Chinese and Manchurian books and manuscripts, especially xylographs . The exhibition hall is open to the public free of charge during the Library's opening hours. The University of Latvia additionally offers public tours of

7208-428: The façade, found at the level of the first floor, was yellow, while the plinth of the building was painted brown. The building has ten different types of windows and nine types of doors. All the original windows with the first equipment have been preserved in the façade facing Kalpaka Boulevard, as well as all the original internal shutters on the first floor. The original external sash of the windows have been preserved in

7314-478: The façades of Sainte-Chapelle de Vincennes (1370s) and choir Mont-Saint-Michel 's abbey church (1448). In England, ornamental rib-vaulting and tracery of Decorated Gothic co-existed with, and then gave way to, the perpendicular style from the 1320s, with straightened, orthogonal tracery topped with fan-vaulting . Perpendicular Gothic was unknown in continental Europe and unlike earlier styles had no equivalent in Scotland or Ireland. It first appeared in

7420-410: The first buildings to systematically combine rib vaulting, buttresses, and pointed arches. Most of the characteristics of later Early English were already present in the lower chevet of Saint-Denis. The Duchy of Normandy , part of the Angevin Empire until the 13th century, developed its own version of Gothic. One of these was the Norman chevet , a small apse or chapel attached to the choir at

7526-503: The front and back side of the façade. The new High Gothic churches competed to be the tallest, with increasingly ambitious structures lifting the vault yet higher. Chartres Cathedral's height of 38 m (125 ft) was exceeded by Beauvais Cathedral's 48 m (157 ft), but on account of the latter's collapse in 1248, no further attempt was made to build higher. Attention turned from achieving greater height to creating more awe-inspiring decoration. Rayonnant Gothic maximized

7632-427: The hardware and control software. Two SLR prototypes were developed until 2010 by spending low expenditures. The third most improved model is under development now. All the knowledge and experience of the staff gained since 1975 is applied. Younger colleagues are involved in the development process. The prototype digital zenith camera for studies of vertical deflection has been developed recently. The test results reach

7738-493: The history of the building can be seen in the samples of the parquet floor remaining. As Kerkovius was himself a great admirer and supporter of art, the structure has historically served at least partially as gallery space. Continuing in this tradition, the Library of the University of Latvia also exhibits artworks there. Currently, visitors can admire paintings of Velga Zvirgzdiņa; watercolors of Monika Oce; paintings of Roberts Muža, and drawings by Olafs Muižnieks. The decoration of

7844-408: The house continues to honor the legacy of its original inhabitants in that it continues in service to the city. The building was again renovated in 2012–13. These renovations replaced the rear buildings with a modern structure. In the luxurious anteroom of the first floor of the historic building, there are fragments of the original ceiling that have been preserved, which gives the opportunity to see

7950-538: The lot of the Karkovius house at Raina Boulevard 9 already abutted the premises of the main university library. This might have been complicated since by that time, in the middle of the Second World War , the property no longer belonged entirely to Karkovius' heirs, who were themselves German citizens; one part was owned by Latvijas Kredītbanka. Additionally, the portion of the property along Raina Boulevard 9

8056-544: The most noticeable example being the pointed arch and flying buttress. The most notable example is the capitals, which are forerunners of the Gothic style and deviated from the Classical standards of ancient Greece and Rome with serpentine lines and naturalistic forms. Architecture "became a leading form of artistic expression during the late Middle Ages". Gothic architecture began in the earlier 12th century in northwest France and England and spread throughout Latin Europe in

8162-447: The nave was divided into by regular bays, each covered by a quadripartite rib vaults. Other characteristics of the High Gothic were the development of rose windows of greater size, using bar-tracery, higher and longer flying buttresses, which could reach up to the highest windows, and walls of sculpture illustrating biblical stories filling the façade and the fronts of the transept. Reims Cathedral had two thousand three hundred statues on

8268-640: The needs of Latvia and its people". Alongside the Constitution (the Satversme of the UoL), the flag, the anthem, the university's emblem, the rector's chain, and the official garments for the rector, vice-rector and deans were re-adopted as attributes of the University of Latvia. The EuroFaculty , created by the CBSS to support reforms at the universities in Tartu, Riga, and Vilnius, was organized with its headquarters at

8374-442: The new Gothic style. Sens Cathedral was influential in its strongly vertical appearance and in its three-part elevation, typical of subsequent Gothic buildings, with a clerestory at the top supported by a triforium , all carried on high arcades of pointed arches. In the following decades flying buttresses began to be used, allowing the construction of lighter, higher walls. French Gothic churches were heavily influenced both by

8480-412: The new Italian style, because of the military campaign of Charles VIII to Naples and Milan (1494), and especially the campaigns of Louis XII and Francis I (1500–1505) to restore French control over Milan and Genoa. They brought back Italian paintings, sculpture and building plans, and, more importantly, Italian craftsmen and artists. The Cardinal Georges d'Amboise , chief minister of Louis XII, built

8586-588: The new palace begun by Emperor Charles V in Granada, within the Alhambra (1485–1550), inspired by Bramante and Raphael, but it was never completed. The first major Renaissance work in Spain was El Escorial , the monastery-palace built by Philip II of Spain . Under Henry VIII and Elizabeth I , England was largely isolated from architectural developments on the continent. The first classical building in England

8692-490: The new style were Burghley House (1550s–1580s) and Longleat , built by associates of Somerset. With those buildings, a new age of architecture began in England. Gothic architecture, usually churches or university buildings, continued to be built. Ireland was an island of Gothic architecture in the 17th and 18th centuries, with the construction of Derry Cathedral (completed 1633), Sligo Cathedral ( c.  1730 ), and Down Cathedral (1790–1818) are other examples. In

8798-425: The old Romanesque church with the rib vault in order to remove walls and to make more space for windows. He described the new ambulatory as "a circular ring of chapels, by virtue of which the whole church would shine with the wonderful and uninterrupted light of most luminous windows, pervading the interior beauty." To support the vaults he also introduced columns with capitals of carved vegetal designs, modelled upon

8904-501: The old mediaeval style, which they termed Gothic, as synonymous with every thing that was barbarous and rude, it may be sufficient to refer to the celebrated Treatise of Sir Henry Wotton , entitled The Elements of Architecture , ... printed in London so early as 1624. ... But it was a strange misapplication of the term to use it for the pointed style, in contradistinction to the circular, formerly called Saxon, now Norman, Romanesque, &c. These latter styles, like Lombardic , Italian, and

9010-597: The others, continued to use six-part rib vaults); and Beauvais Cathedral (1225–). In central Europe, the High Gothic style appeared in the Holy Roman Empire , first at Toul (1220–), whose Romanesque cathedral was rebuilt in the style of Reims Cathedral; then Trier 's Liebfrauenkirche parish church (1228–), and then throughout the Reich , beginning with the Elisabethkirche at Marburg (1235–) and

9116-428: The painting, both as it was when the building was built and later, when renovated in the 1890s. Kerkovius' former office now contains a self-service coat-check for visitors. The modernized building contains a multifunctional reading room, which also hosts conferences, seminars, training sessions, presentations, book opening parties and other events. At one time, this room was a luxurious guest hall and waiting room, hence

9222-634: The period of the Ostrogothic Kingdom in Italy: There can be no doubt that the term 'Gothic' as applied to pointed styles of ecclesiastical architecture was used at first contemptuously, and in derision, by those who were ambitious to imitate and revive the Grecian orders of architecture, after the revival of classical literature. But, without citing many authorities, such as Christopher Wren , and others, who lent their aid in depreciating

9328-577: The project led by the former chairman of the Constituent Assembly of the University is underway. The University of Latvia offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels of study and in October 2014 more than 14,000 students, including Ph.D. and exchange students, had enrolled in various study programs. Almost one third of them studied in business and economics related programs. The university consists of 6 faculties: In addition to

9434-468: The reception room on the first floor, the parquet is in the pattern of a chessboard, while the parquet in the hall contains star-type marquetry. The traditional cellar was used for various economic purposes. In the twentieth century there were at one point 20–30 apartments in the basement. The renovation of 2012–13 renovated the basement, but preserved the original wooden wall panels. The upper floors are actually outfitted in an Art Deco style reminiscent of

9540-437: The second quarter of the 19th century, neo-Gothic began to become promoted by influential establishment figures as the preferred style for ecclesiastical, civic and institutional architecture. The appeal of this Gothic revival (which after 1837, in Britain, is sometimes termed Victorian Gothic ), gradually widened to encompass "low church" as well as "high church" clients. This period of more universal appeal, spanning 1855–1885,

9646-432: The small fireplace room is an excellent glimpse into a period domestic interior. The room features restored original Moorish -style murals with stencil techniques, which testify to the high level of craftsmanship involved in its creation. The decoration here is very luxurious, as the lower part of the wall is illusively painted with a plinth, while the upper part of the walls is decorated with an intricate carpet ornament with

9752-763: The square courtyard of the Louvre Palace designed by Pierre Lescot . Nonetheless, new Gothic buildings, particularly churches, continued to be built. New Gothic churches built in Paris in this period included Saint-Merri (1520–1552) and Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois . The first signs of classicism in Paris churches did not appear until 1540, at Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais . The largest new church, Saint-Eustache (1532–1560), rivalled Notre-Dame in size, 105 m (344 ft) long, 44 m (144 ft) wide, and 35 m (115 ft) high. As construction of this church continued, elements of Renaissance decoration, including

9858-477: The story of the Virgin Mary but also, in a small corner of each window, illustrating the crafts of the guilds who donated those windows. The model of Chartres was followed by a series of new cathedrals of unprecedented height and size. These were Reims Cathedral (begun 1211), where coronations of the kings of France took place; Amiens Cathedral (1220–1226); Bourges Cathedral (1195–1230) (which, unlike

9964-682: The system of classical orders of columns, were added to the design, making it a Gothic-Renaissance hybrid. In Germany, some Italian elements were introduced at the Fugger Chapel of St. Anne's Church, Augsburg , (1510–1512) combined with Gothic vaults; and others appeared in the Church of St. Michael in Munich, but in Germany Renaissance elements were used primarily for decoration. Some Renaissance elements also appeared in Spain, in

10070-502: The time was sometimes known as opus Francigenum ( lit.   ' French work ' ); the term Gothic was first applied contemptuously during the later Renaissance , by those ambitious to revive the architecture of classical antiquity . The defining design element of Gothic architecture is the pointed arch . The use of the pointed arch in turn led to the development of the pointed rib vault and flying buttresses , combined with elaborate tracery and stained glass windows. At

10176-641: The timeline of the Library's history. The Kerkovius family's dining area now houses the Library's service area. The renovated mahogany closet in the conservatory houses part of a collection of books donated by the Kerkovius family, who now live in many countries around the world on all continents. After a family reunion in Riga in 2001, the University of Latvia received from them a valuable donation of books, most of which consists of fiction, publications in literary studies and philosophy, along with works on sociology, anthropology, linguistics, art and history. In total,

10282-624: The university's various faculties, the Student Council and its medical wing, the Riga Medical College ( Rīgas Medicīnas koledža ), the University of Latvia offers most of the resources traditionally associated with accredited universities, including several libraries, research facilities, study centres, a language school, and a career centre. The faculties are currently undergoing restructuring and will be reduced in number. The Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science of

10388-441: The walls connected by arches to the upper walls. The buttresses counterbalanced the outward thrust from the rib vaults. This allowed the builders to construct higher, thinner walls and larger windows. Following the destruction by fire of the choir of Canterbury Cathedral in 1174, a group of master builders was invited to propose plans for the reconstruction. The master-builder William of Sens , who had worked on Sens Cathedral, won

10494-407: Was also influenced by the necessity of many churches, such as Chartres Cathedral and Canterbury Cathedral , to accommodate growing numbers of pilgrims. It adapted features from earlier styles. According to Charles Texier (French historian, architect, and archaeologist) and Josef Strzygowski (Polish-Austrian art historian), after lengthy research and study of cathedrals in the medieval city of Ani ,

10600-448: Was characterised by the multiplication of the ribs of the vaults, with new purely decorative ribs, called tiercons and liernes, and additional diagonal ribs. One common ornament of flamboyant in France is the arc-en-accolade , an arch over a window topped by a pinnacle, which was itself topped with fleuron , and flanked by other pinnacles. Examples of French flamboyant building include the west façade of Rouen Cathedral , and especially

10706-616: Was decided to rent the premises in the Kerkovius House, where they remained until 1905, when the city's Art Museum was completed. After the death of L.W. Kerkovius, the building was maintained by his heirs, but from 1920 to 1940 a portion of the house remained subdivided into apartments, with part of the space rented to the Health Care Museum, the joint-stock company Ķieģelis, the student corporation Imerija, and other organizations. There were five residential apartments in

10812-667: Was not owed to the Goths but to the Islamic Golden Age . He wrote: This we now call the Gothic manner of architecture (so the Italians called what was not after the Roman style) though the Goths were rather destroyers than builders; I think it should with more reason be called the Saracen style, for these people wanted neither arts nor learning: and after we in the west lost both, we borrowed again from them, out of their Arabic books, what they with great diligence had translated from

10918-476: Was owned by a certain N. Menzendorf, who was then living in Switzerland. However, any potential problems were avoided since all the owners agreed to sell their various stakes in the property. In the ensuing transformations under the auspices of the University of Latvia, the interiors were modified to accommodate bookstacks and reading rooms, a process which mostly involved removing the original partitions. Hence

11024-456: Was swiftly rebuilt in the new style, with contributions from King Philip II of France , Pope Celestine III , local gentry, merchants, craftsmen, and Richard the Lionheart , king of England. The builders simplified the elevation used at Notre Dame, eliminated the tribune galleries, and used flying buttresses to support the upper walls. The walls were filled with stained glass, mainly depicting

11130-578: Was the Old Somerset House in London (1547–1552) (since demolished), built by Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset , who was regent as Lord Protector for Edward VI until the young king came of age in 1547. Somerset's successor, John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland , sent the architectural scholar John Shute to Italy to study the style. Shute published the first book in English on classical architecture in 1570. The first English houses in

11236-412: Was widespread and proved difficult to defeat. Vasari was echoed in the 16th century by François Rabelais , who referred to Goths and Ostrogoths ( Gotz and Ostrogotz ). The polymath architect Christopher Wren disapproved of the name Gothic for pointed architecture. He compared it to Islamic architecture , which he called the ' Saracen style', pointing out that the pointed arch's sophistication

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