Zunda Park

Zunda Park is situated in an interesting place in terms of surrounding urban fabric and building typologies. Next to the large scale infrastructure of Vanšu bridge, and towers of various periods (Press building, Hansa bank, Z Towers and Philosophers’ residences); next to the small scale wooden buildings of Pārdaugava, hidden under the old linden trees; and next to the industrial territories with their typical architecture and urban scale that remains unaltered regardless of the changing function of use (such as the adjacent H2O6 complex).

Buildings

Project proposes to merge these diverse building typologies in one urban composition, while allowing them to take a new form of expression.

Industrial building scale is reflected in the first floors of the edifices on the Northern end of the territory where the commercial spaces and offices are situated. These buildings have more solid plinths of 2 to 3 storeys with brick cladding that resonates with the H2O6 Media centre building on the other side of Durbes street and the 19th century industrial architecture in general. Over these massive bases raises a more fragile architecture of residential towers with façades of wooden lamellas and panels interchanged with vast glazings.

There are higher and lower residential buildings from the middle part down to the South of Zunda Park. All have visually light façades, nice views out of the windows and lots of natural light inside.

Abundance of greenery that is so typical to Pārdaugava is also included in this proposal as one of the main qualities. The whole territory is conceived as a park where pedestrian paths pass through the lawns and along the waters, and where buildings rise high above the tree canopies. The courtyards of the residential are made free of cars thanks to the underground parkings, and people can enjoy a more private and secluded green open space.

Buildings are conceived to be engaging when viewed and experienced in various scales and from different distances, and feature diverse materials that reflect also their function. Residential buildings and building parts are designed with façades in wooden lamellas and panels – as a reference to the wooden architecture of Pārdaugava. Large glazings and irregular partition allows for more flexibility in interior planning, and freedom in choosing between open and closed partitions.

Buildings in the Northern part of the site have mixed function – first floors contain public functions (offices and commercial spaces), while top stories in the towers are filled with apartments. For the sake of visual clarity the public part is made architecturally more solid and grandiose. It relates to the industrial building typology present on the other side of Durbes street and elswhere in the neighbourhood. Façades are clad in bricks, with concrete slabs and yellowish brass plates – all materials with an industrial allure, and at the same time also exquisite visual and tactile characteristics.

Waterfront

Zunda channel and its waterfront is one the most important qualities of this site, hence the development of the waterfront and rendering it accessible to everyone is a priority of this project. In order to accomplish this, part of the Nameja krastmala is partially car free, and the main square of the site opens up towards the waterfront. The square is surrounded by public facilities, such as shops and cafés. The waterfront design consists of large steps that gradually go down towards water and finally form a pier for boats and other water transport that, in the future, could connect the site with the centre of the city and other places. Plan sketches also the potential location of the pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the Zunda channel.

Landscape design and public space

Zunda Park features a landscape that really evokes the feeling of being in a park with squares, waters, large trees and lots of greenery.

In the Northern part of the site various ponds are integrated in the landscape. This design would allow also the office employees and visitors to feel themselves like in a park, rather than in a busy city centre. On the roofs of the office buildings there are glasshouses in various spots, that can serve as winter gardens for restaurants and cafés, but also as places for growing fresh produce – a feature that is becoming increasingly popular among the top chefs.

In the part of the park of this business district, adjacent to Raņķa dambis, retaining wall of the street is turned into a climbing wall. There are also urban gardens and other features that would make this park more vivid and attract various types of users that would occupy it in all hours of the day.

Also the terraced promenade that brings pedestrians over the roofs of the shopping centre straight to the central square can be considered part of the landscape. People can access commercial spaces on various levels of the building from there, while the plants are grown in large pots. The landscape of the central square has a more urban character, unlike the other parks of the site. The trees are planted in a regular grid and the floor is covered in large concrete tiles. This square culminates at the Zunda channel with an accessible waterfront.