Specialists question Riga's exclusion from World Heritage List because of "Sun Stone"
Exclusion of Riga historic center from the UNESCO World Heritage List because of the construction of the office complex "Sun Stone" is a very unlikely event, believes ex-Culture Minister Ojars Sparitis.
Exclusion of Riga historic center from the UNESCO World Heritage List because of the construction of the office complex "Sun Stone" is a very unlikely event, believes ex-Culture Minister Ojars Sparitis.
According to the UNESCO regulations, the procedure of removing an entry from the World Heritage List is a very complicated process, Sparitis told LETA.
Riga was included on the World Heritage List primarily thanks to Riga's Art Noveau, and also the Old Town. Taking into account that the "Sun Stone" complex has no Art Noveau buildings in its vicinity, Sparitis believes it is very unlikely that Riga's historic center could be removed from the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Juris Dambis, head of the State Cultural Monuments Protection Inspection, also believes Riga's historic center could not be removed from the UNESCO list because of the "Sun Stone" alone.
"One high rise surely cannot damage a world heritage territory," Dambis told LETA.
Nevertheless, this warning is the most serious of all received so far - two verbal warnings were received earlier that Riga could be excluded from the list - if the Occupation Museum was torn down, and a parking lot was constructed in the Old Town.
It should not be expected, though, that UNESCO experts will forget about the "Sun Stone", Dambis said. UNESCO is concerned about high rises invading historic areas, he said. Dambis reminded that there was a similar situation in Vienna, where four skyscrapers were to be built in the city's historic center. However, after the World Heritage Committee's warning that Vienna could be removed from the World Heritage List if this happened, the project was halted.
If Riga is not removed from the World Heritage List because of the "Sun Stone", this will not mean that everything is fine, Dambis stressed. The current situation proves lack of harmony in the legislation, and as long as the situation is not solved there will be concerns that Riga might be excluded from the list.
As reported, there is a possibility that if the "Sun Stone" project is implemented and a 26-story building is raised in Kipsala, Riga could be excluded from the UNESCO World Heritage List, Mechtild Rossler, the chief of the UNESCO World Heritage Center in the European Region, said during a visit to Riga at the beginning of June.
So far, no site has been removed from the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Andrejs Meters LETA
Copyright © LETA
According to the UNESCO regulations, the procedure of removing an entry from the World Heritage List is a very complicated process, Sparitis told LETA.
Riga was included on the World Heritage List primarily thanks to Riga's Art Noveau, and also the Old Town. Taking into account that the "Sun Stone" complex has no Art Noveau buildings in its vicinity, Sparitis believes it is very unlikely that Riga's historic center could be removed from the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Juris Dambis, head of the State Cultural Monuments Protection Inspection, also believes Riga's historic center could not be removed from the UNESCO list because of the "Sun Stone" alone.
"One high rise surely cannot damage a world heritage territory," Dambis told LETA.
Nevertheless, this warning is the most serious of all received so far - two verbal warnings were received earlier that Riga could be excluded from the list - if the Occupation Museum was torn down, and a parking lot was constructed in the Old Town.
It should not be expected, though, that UNESCO experts will forget about the "Sun Stone", Dambis said. UNESCO is concerned about high rises invading historic areas, he said. Dambis reminded that there was a similar situation in Vienna, where four skyscrapers were to be built in the city's historic center. However, after the World Heritage Committee's warning that Vienna could be removed from the World Heritage List if this happened, the project was halted.
If Riga is not removed from the World Heritage List because of the "Sun Stone", this will not mean that everything is fine, Dambis stressed. The current situation proves lack of harmony in the legislation, and as long as the situation is not solved there will be concerns that Riga might be excluded from the list.
As reported, there is a possibility that if the "Sun Stone" project is implemented and a 26-story building is raised in Kipsala, Riga could be excluded from the UNESCO World Heritage List, Mechtild Rossler, the chief of the UNESCO World Heritage Center in the European Region, said during a visit to Riga at the beginning of June.
So far, no site has been removed from the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Andrejs Meters LETA
Copyright © LETA
