From the Church to the Museum
On eight-hundred-year-old foundations stands the building of the former St. George's Church, which is the home of the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design.
History
It is the oldest surviving stone building in Riga. Built as a chapel for the castle of the Order of the Brothers of the Sword, it was constructed from Daugava dolomite, whose light colour led to it sometimes being referred to as the 'White Stone Castle'.
Historical map of building of the Museum of Decorative Arts and DesignMuseum of Decorative Arts and Design
The first written records
The first mention of the Order's castle chapel in written records occurs in the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia in 1209.
Sketch of The great hall of the Museum of Decorative Arts and DesignMuseum of Decorative Arts and Design
The historical aura
Now there was the smell of wood, while ritual chants and the sounds of the bells were replaced by the calls of the workers. Hemp, flax, mast pines – those were the goods that filled the premises of the former house of God in the middle of the 17th century.
Building of Museum of Decorative Arts and DesignMuseum of Decorative Arts and Design
The style of architecture
The architecture of the church is characterised by laconic Romanesque style – thick walls, high, narrow, arched window openings, clear forms.
The Early Modern Period and Mast Pines
In 1554, the bell of the St. George's Church was removed and the city council rented the former prayer hall out for warehouses.
Reconstruction in 17th century
After reconstruction it was adapted to its new function of storing goods and earned the name “the dove warehouses”, because the facade of each warehouse had a wreath carved in stone, with a dove – the symbol of the Holy Spirit – painted on a copper plate in the middle.
Museum of Decorative Arts and Design Great hall (2023-06-20)Museum of Decorative Arts and Design
The Great hall
The congregation room was transformed by dividing it into several parts with walls and installing intermediate floors. It was the beginning of a new stage in the building's history.
Museum of Decorative Arts and Design The Great Hall, Altar (2014-02-14)Museum of Decorative Arts and Design
Witnesses of Design History
Today the building is an architectural monument of national importance and its thick stone walls preserve the city's more than 800-year-long history, which presents itself to the museum's visitors.
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