Eižens Laube

Eižens Laube was a Latvian architect. He was responsible for some of the reconstruction work of Riga Castle in the 1930s and designed more than 200 houses in Riga.

Biography

Laube graduated from the Riga Polytechnic Institute's department of Architecture in 1907. In his early academic years, he began to work at the Konstantīns Pēkšēns architecture office.

From 1909 to 1914 he was the official adviser to the Commission for Artistic Issues in Architecture, in Riga. He was also chairman of the Latvian Architects Society (1924–6).

In 1944, during Nazi Occupation signed Memorandum of the Latvian Central Council demanding to restore independent Latvian state

In 1944 he emigrated to Germany where he worked as Professor of Architecture at the Baltic University, Pinneberg, near Hamburg.

From 1950 he lived in the USA.

Before World War I Laube was one of the pioneers of Riga Art Nouveau movement, notably the lavishly decorated apartment building at 23 Tallinas Street 1901 with Peksens. His best-known works are in the National Romantic version of the style. He mainly used natural materials, different-colored bricks, local varieties of stone, metal, wood. Laube building ornaments were typically flower and geometric motifs, and his buildings were usually directed upwards in a vertical shape. Later his works especially in the 1930s were influenced by more neo-classical influences.

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Notable works

In 1901

•  Kamincius House at Tallinas Street 23 (together with K. Pēkšēns; a house with decorative Art Nouveau features);

In 1903

• K. Pēkšēns House at Alberta Street 12 (together with K. Pēkšēns; a house with romanticized Art Nouveau forms);

In 1905

• Atis Ķēniņš Gymnasium at Tērbatas Street 15/17 (together with K. Pēkšēns),
• Ķļaviņš' “My House — My Castle” at A. Čaka Street 26 (together with K. Pēkšēns),
• Elsiņš House at A. Čaka Street 83/85;

In 1906

• Kronvalda Boulevard 10, Rīter’s apartment building at Tērbatas Street 33/35 (together with K. Pēkšēns);

In 1907

• Pēkšēns house at A. Kronvalda Boulevard 10 (together with K. Pēkšēns);

In 1908 

• Niedras house at Alberta Street 11,
• Krastkalns house at Brīvības Street 47 (the first house in the national romanticism style),
• Virsa (Virse) house at Brīvības Street 62,

houses at

E. Birznieka-Upīša Street 29,

• Liepājas Street 7,
• Ropažu Street 37,
• Brīvības Street 47,
• Brīvības Street 62;

In 1909

• Šteinbergs residential building on 32 Ģertrūdes Street,
• Miezis' House on 49/51 Tērbatas Street,

houses on

• 5a Enkuru Street,
• 70 Lāčplēša Street,
• Laube House on 70a Lāčplēša Street,
• 70b Lāčplēša Street,
• Ķempeļs House on 23/25 Ģertrūdes Street (a building with the silhouette of an ancient Latvian castle),
• Beržinskis House on 67 Kr. Valdemāra Street,
• Freija House on 37 Brīvības Street,
• Kūmiņš House on 51 Lāčplēša Street,
• 185 Brīvības Street,
• 68 Artilērijas Street,
• 20 Avotu Street,
• 22 Avotu Street;

In 1910 houses on

• 44 Artilērijas Street,
• 73 Avotu Street,
• 24 Apšu Street,
• Kuke House on 28 Bruņinieku Street,
• Danielsons House on 29 Blaumaņa Street;
• at Palasta Street 10, a tenement house with shops;

In 1911 

• Liepiņš House at A. Čaka Street 35,
• Avotu Street 7,
• Lapu Street 17,
• Cīrulis House at Kuģu Street 11/13 (together with A. Malves),
• Brīvības Street 91,
• Dāvja House at K. Barona Street 49;

In 1912

• Merchants and Industrialists Mutual Credit Union Bank building at Brīvības Street 33 (formerly 9),
• Niedres House at Brīvības Street 85,
• Niedres House at K. Valdemāra Street 37,
• Bruģa House at E. Birznieka Upīša Street 6,
• Liepiņa House at Katoļu Street 33,
• Laube House at Kr. Valdemāra Street 37,
• Akas Street 8;

1913

• Estonian Educational Society building on Nometņu Street 62 (1910 project);

1914

• Petkevičs House on K. Barona Street 28,
• Vira House on Brīvības Street 28,
• Brīvības Street 13,
• Brīvības Street 15,
• Brīvības Street 23,
• Brīvības Street 75,
• Romans' House on Lāčplēša Street 50,
• Purmalis' tenement house on Zvejnieku Street 5a;

1920

•  Reconstruction of the Vidzeme Knights' House into the Saeima Building on Jēkaba ​​Street 11;

1922

• Reconstruction of the Saeima Building after a fire;

1924

• Laube House on Baložu Street 20a,
• restoration work on Riga St. John's Church began (1924—1926, 1932);

1925

• Tilner's House on Blaumaņa Street 10;

1926

• reconstruction of the Latvian Merchants' Union House on Valdemāra Street 35;

1927

• renovation of Riga St. Martin's Church,
• buildings of the Latvian Sugar Factory near Jelgava;

1928

• reconstruction of the University of Latvia's Banquet Hall;

1931

• house of general, University of Latvia professor Dr. med. Pēteris Sniķeris on Brīvības Street 15 (today No. 39);

1930—1933

• reconstruction of the St. John's Church parsonage on Jāņa Street, reconstruction of the Roma Hotel;

1933—1935

•  design of the Ķemeri Hotel;

1935—1939.

• reconstruction and new construction of the Riga Latvian Society building at Merķeļa Street 13 (together with E. Poli);
• the new banquet hall, lobby and Three Star Tower of the Riga Castle.