Original use
Culture/leisure/tourism/cafeteria/restaurant
Current use
unused
Architects
Linards Skuja
Engineers
Andris Bite, G.Grīnbergs and R. Ozoliņš
Concrete by reinforcement
Concrete is a relatively brittle material that is strong in compression but less so in tension.
To increase its overall strength, steel rods, wires, mesh or cables may be embedded in concrete before it sets. This reinforcement, often known as rebar, resists tensile forces. By forming a strong bond, the two materials are able to resist a variety of applied forces, effectively acting as a single structural element .
Construction method
In this case, the concrete can be made by mixing the components directly on site, or it may be transported from a production plant in concrete-mixer trucks.
This method has the disadvantage of leaving the concrete exposed to the elements while it is setting. Whereas, with other methods, the environmental conditions can be controlled during setting, providing greater control over the outcome, with cast-in-place concrete a series of tests and protocols are necessary to verify its final strength.
Architectural concrete
- textured walls
- wooden formwork finish
- stamped concrete
- exposed aggregate concrete, colored concrete, etc.
Structural types
Domes have a long architectural lineage that extends back into prehistory, and they have been built from mud, snow, stone, wood, brick, concrete, metal, glass and plastic over the centuries.
State of Conservation
Description
This small roadside restaurant, 40 km from Riga, is notable for its concrete shell with a double curvature, which serves as both structure and envelope for the space. The shell, triangular in plan, touches the ground only at its vertices. The rest of the envelope is formed by three curtain walls, one on each side of the triangle. In addition to this structure, which was the most recognizable element of the building and housed the main dining room, other concrete elements, including pergolas and a vertical landmark – for visibility from the road – rounded out a series of futuristic and sculptural forms, made largely from concrete.
Today the building – once much loved by Latvians – has been entirely abandoned, and moss has grown over the surfaces of the concrete structures. It was recently granted consideration as a monument, which prevents its demolition while awaiting a new use that might restore its former splendour.
Latvia
Krustiņi, Inčukalns Parish, LV-2141, Letonia
Inčukalns