Krasta City by ARROW Architects

With a changing world, we believe we needed to create a strong idea that would enable Krasta City to become a real destination for the city and the residents of Riga. That’s why we have created a relaxing and recreational natural environment at eye level that takes full advantage of the sites location and potential. A place where you want to go and stay even if you do not work here. Along the water edge a new boardwalk is shaped to emphasize together with the landscaping and the pavilions, a relaxing and unique urban environment.

Identity
Our eyelevel approach to urban planning is to create an urban experience at a human scale that will create a natural environment. It is at this scale truly original. This organic approach together with the landscape and our choice of urban ma¬terials, will create a relaxing, almost holiday feel, to Krasta City. This will together with the boardwalk and the commercial offers become a destination of choice. At the heart of our urban approach is to create the sense of space and to concen¬trate the activities around two main urban spaces. The first space is towards the water front.

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The second space is between stage 1a, 1b and 1c. These two urban spaces are surrounded by 4 sides of activity, creating the basis for a vibrant environment. Clear sightlines are opening up the arrival views to the water, and the arrange¬ment of the volumes is creating depth and openings to draw you inside and to discover the project. Our natural approach at ground is repeated at the penthouse levels of the project to create a green and biodiverse environment with a great signal value seen from afar. The trend of having significant planting on roof is now a proven technology and accelerating in developments all over Europe.

The Design
Our organic, open and light pavilions are fully flexible and designed to create sheltered space with a transparent glazing and light thin white roofs. They offer flexible space for any function, both support for the office space above or retail spaces. With generous terraces and green areas they create a healing environment that supplements the atmosphere of the work spaces in the volumes above. The elegant and timeless offices above has an efficient floor plate, and designed to bring loads of natural daylight into the building. The last penthouse floors offer special meeting facilities and breakout spaces in a biophillic environment overlooking Riga.

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The Future of Offices
With our biophillic design for Krasta City, we have designed a natural environment that merges the best of what mother nature brings to us with a Scandinavian-inspired timeless design. We believe the success of future office spaces are strongly related to its connection with its surroundings in order to create an animated urban life. We believe, that urban life is the key to success.

That’s why we deliberately have placed almost all amenities and public functions at ground floor to blur the line between in and out. With an animated ground floor experience located in purely natural settings that expresses recreation and calmness we are sure that Krasta City will attract not only workers but also the residents of Riga to enjoy the area and bring life and animation to Krasta City. Source by ARROW Architects.

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