Meinhard von Gerkan
receives top award of the Republic of Latvia
During a ceremony in Hamburg on November 9, 2021, Meinhard von Gerkan was appointed Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Latvia. The Latvian Ambassador, I.E. Inga Skujiņa, presented him with the medal in the presence of his family, colleagues and friends. Traditionally, the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Latvia is presented at the President’s Palace in Riga. Owing to the current travel restrictions, the official award ceremony took place in Hamburg.
Meinhard von Gerkan has been appointed Grand Officer of the Cross of the Order of Merit "for outstanding service to the common good in the State of Latvia" - thus receiving the Republic of Latvia's highest honor. The medal was awarded in honor of his “[...] lifelong contribution to the development of architecture in Latvia and [...] to enhancing Latvia's reputation throughout the world - as the first modernist architect of worldwide renown whose projects were carried out in Latvia after the Restoration of Latvian Independence. For realizing important cultural and architectural projects; for his inestimable contribution to the preservation and sustainable development of Riga’s historic city center”. (Quoted from the explanatory statement.)
Meinhard von Gerkan was born in Riga in 1935 to Baltic German parents; he has always maintained contact with his home country and, from the 1990s onwards, has actively contributed to its architecture. Even though he left Latvia at a young age with his parents in 1939, the experience of his early years has had an impact on his architectural output throughout his life. These emotional ties to the country of his birth are evident in the selection of materials and colors, and in the way his projects in Latvia relate to the surrounding landscape - timber is the preferred material, and warm autumn colors dominate in his buildings.
Latvia restored its national independence in 1991, and in 1998 von Gerkan's first project, the Jurmala Residence, was completed for Vincents, the Latvian project development company. In subsequent years, he designed numerous residential buildings and villas for Vincents. 2008 saw the completion of Citadeles Moduli, an office building in Riga located on the banks of the River Dvina north of the city center. In this project, von Gerkan used the historic core of the building to create a modern place of work. Other important projects include the Jurmala apartment building (2001), Villa Aleksandra (2003) and Villa Guna (2006), the latter being one of von Gerkan’s favorite projects to this day – a house with a bespoke design for his long-term project partners at Vincents.
“In his projects, the Baltic German architect Professor Meinhard von Gerkan has always aimed for more light, ample space, and freedom - something that also reflects Latvia’s development as a Nation. Professor von Gerkan was the first great international architect whose projects were carried out in Latvia after the Restoration of Latvian Independence. We see this - alongside his efforts to preserve and sustainably develop Riga's historic city center - as an important contribution to our return to the European architectural stage”, said Ambassador I.E. Mrs. Inga Skujiņa.
Citadeles Moduli © Heiner Leiska
In his acceptance speech, von Gerkan expressed his deep satisfaction at the fact that, through this award, the interpersonal relationships established through his architectural work in Latvia had been honored. He added that this strengthened the bond between the two countries engendered by the shared building projects.
