Origo

Origo means a starting point in Latin, and although this place is not considered to be the city’s historic place of origin, it does meet all the country’s main roads and railways. The Riga Central Railway Station is right next door, while the main post office was once instead of the new building. 

The project, implemented in 2021, includes the reconstruction of the existing trade center building built in 2006 and the construction of a new 35 700 m2 building. The shopping and business center is connected to the central railway station, which is becoming a modern multimodal mobility center within the framework of the international project “Rail Baltica”. Read in two articles how it happens: “Bridge between the Baltics and Europe” and “Rail Baltica: Two Riga Hubs”.

Layouts and Amenities 

There are large parking lots on the underground floor of the building, the first three floors are occupied by a commercial function, but the upper two floors have Class A office space. 

To improve the natural lighting of the premises and the well-being of the employees, five green courtyards have been created on the office floors and are available to the tenants of the building.The roof garden, which is open to the public, is also set up in a plot of land bordering the railway platform. This is a great contribution to the improvement and humanization of the public space for the city.

“We have purposefully moved towards ensuring that the investment of Linstow Baltic in development of new and existing sites is simultaneously an investment in public well-being and compliance with principles of sustainable development.”

Andis Kublačovs, Linstow Baltic project director 

Office space is transformed to suit tenants’ needs, and company logos can appear on the facades.

Infrastructure

The business centre is located next to the railway station, which means that it is also conveniently located for those who come to Riga from other cities in Latvia or the Baltics.   

The construction of Origo One has also affected the city streets: the developer of the project, Linstow Baltic, has reconstructed the intersection of Satekles and Elizabetes Streets to make the street and road network around it really efficient.

The location of Origo and Origo One is in line with the sustainability goals in terms of accessibility: the buildings are located so that they are equally convenient to reach by car, public transport or bicycle. The centre’s creators encourage visitors to use bicycles, scooters and electric vehicles.

The underground car park provides ample bicycle parking, which can be safely accessed via a special bike lane, as well as space for minor bike repairs. There are several free charging stations for electric vehicles as well as dedicated spaces for carsharing. In total, the underground car park can accommodate 270 cars and 100 bicycles.

The environment is designed to be inclusive: it takes into account the needs of visitors with prams and people with reduced mobility.

Energy Efficiency

The Class A office centre was built with minimal environmental impact: for example, the developer sought to preserve the lime trees along Elizabetes iela and the green spaces along Satekles iela.

Sustainable construction materials were used in the construction of the new Origo building and special attention was paid to ensuring energy efficiency, responsible use of water resources and reduction of light pollution.

Already at the design stage, the building was awarded a BREEAM certificate with an excellent rating, which means that it is energy efficient, and its technology and construction methods comply with sustainability standards and have a minimal impact on the climate.  

Origo One has implemented rainwater harvesting solutions: green roofs and courtyard terraces act as rain gardens that will reduce run-off into the city’s storm sewer system.

Since the new buildings were commissioned, an international energy efficiency programme has been implemented in them: LED lighting and the BMS (Building Management System), which allows more precise regulation of the indoor climate and reduces energy consumption for heating and air conditioning.

By investing 75 million euros, we have created a model for building a sustainable, modern and high-quality object in the urban environment, both in terms of focusing on people’s well-being and on providing added value to this neighbourhood of Riga.

Evija Majevska, Commercial Director at Linstow Baltic and shopping centre Origo

Prices

Rent costs €18 per square metre + utilities. At the time of writing, only the office on the fifth floor with an area of 435 m² is available in the building.

Project Team

The developer of the project is Linstow Baltic SIA, part of the Linstow AS group. It is one of the leading property developers and managers in the Baltic States with 25 years of experience.

The design and realisation was carried out by the architectural company DEPO Projekts SIA, which has existed since 1999.

Awards

The expanded and reconstructed shopping center Origo and the business center Origo One was awarded the “Annual Award in Riga Architecture 2021”, organized by the Riga City Architect’s Office, and earned special recognition for the organic, harmonious, and multi-functional addition to the urban environment in the center of Riga, as well as for respecting the requirements of universal design and environmental accessibility.