Āgenskalns Market () is the oldest marketplace on the left bank of

Daugava The Daugava ( ), also known as the Western Dvina or the Väina River, is a large river rising in the Valdai Hills of Russia that flows through Belarus and Latvia into the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea. The Daugava rises close to the source of ...

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

. Āgenskalns Market’s building is one of the examples of 20th-century rational

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

History

The market was opened in 1898. At that time it was very simple, there was no shelter for people or for the goods when the weather was bad or it was markets closing time. That’s why in 1914 the construction of the building started. The architect of the building is Reinhold Schmaeling. The construction started in 1911 but it was stopped when building was just half-completed in 1914 because of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. It was completely finished in 1923 when its front entrance was re-designed by Alfrēds Grīnbergs. The main building consists of 219 spaces for sellers on the outside and 2 pavilions: vegetable (116 spaces for sellers) and milk and meat (108 spaces for sellers). In 2015, Āgenskalns Market was leased to ''Rīgas Centrāltirgus'', however, due to its inability to fulfil the agreement and maintain the market, the agreement was terminated. At the beginning of 2018, the Āgenskalns Market was closed for renovation, which according to the estimates of

Riga City Council Riga City Council () is the government of the city of Riga, the capital of Latvia. Its meeting place is in the Riga Town Hall (''Rīgas rātsnams)'' at the Town Hall Square (''Rātslaukums'') in the very heart of Riga. The Riga City Council con ...

would cost around 10 million euros. In May 2018, Āgenskalns Market was leased for 30 years to the company ''Kalnciema iela''. Since 2018 August 3 the outside territory of marketplace is open for sale persons and customers. In 2022, the interior renovation was finished and the market was reopened on 7 May.

References

{{Authority control Retail markets in Riga Art Nouveau architecture in Riga