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And it was Imants Resnis who first came forward with the grand idea to build a world-class acoustic concert hall in Liepāja that would become the home base for Liepāja Symphony Orchestra and the hotspot for major musical events. The design competition took place in 2003, and the international jury voted for the project Urban Loop, designed by Volker Giencke from Giencke & Company. The celebrated Austrian architect then collaborated with Latvian colleagues from “Arhitekta J. Pogas birojs”, architects Juris Poga and Astra Poga, to revise and tweak the project until it acquired its current form, multi-functional character and name - Great Amber.
With state and municipal financing, grants from European funds and support of musicians and intellectual elite, the vision of maestro Resnis was passed on to the next generation of orchestra management - conductor Atvars Lakstīgala, LSO director Uldis Lipskis and concert hall project manager Ints Dālderis. The technical project was confirmed in January 2012, and the construction work for Liepāja multi-functional culture center Great Amber began in the mid-2013 at the intersection of Jūras and Radio iela.
The grand and magnificent building was inaugurated on 6 November 2015 with a concert featuring music of local composer Agris Englemanis and Ēriks Ešenvalds, the internationally most often performed young Latvian composer. The pinnacle of the opening concert was the immortal masterpiece of Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 9, performed by the State Academic Choir Latvija. With the first notes, reverberating in its walls, Great Amber tied together Liepāja, Latvia and the world; the past, the present and the future.
The grand and magnificent building was inaugurated on 6 November 2015 with a concert featuring music of local composer Agris Englemanis and Ēriks Ešenvalds, the internationally most often performed young Latvian composer. The pinnacle of the opening concert was the immortal masterpiece of Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 9, performed by the State Academic Choir Latvija. With the first notes, reverberating in its walls, Great Amber tied together Liepāja, Latvia and the world; the past, the present and the future.
The design of the Concert Hall was created by an international team involving Austrian, German and Latvian experts, representatives of 24 companies under the leadership of Giencke & Company. The building was constructed by Latvian SIA “Merks”.
Project stages
2003 – design contest
2004 – adaptation project
2006 – sketch design
2008–2011 – technical design
August 1, 2013 – construction and supervision agreement signed
October 4, 2013 – breaking ground
August 30, 2014 – topping out ceremony, the Great Amber has reached the highest roof level of 30 meters
August 12, 2015 – delivery of construction
November 6, 2015 – opening celebration of the Concert Hall
2004 – adaptation project
2006 – sketch design
2008–2011 – technical design
August 1, 2013 – construction and supervision agreement signed
October 4, 2013 – breaking ground
August 30, 2014 – topping out ceremony, the Great Amber has reached the highest roof level of 30 meters
August 12, 2015 – delivery of construction
November 6, 2015 – opening celebration of the Concert Hall
Design team
Building structure – Johann Birner (Zivilingenieur für Bauwesen, Austria)
Stage technology – Buhnenplannung Walter Kottke Ingenieure GmbH (Germany)
Lights technology – Bartenbach Lichtlabor GmbH (Austria)
Acoustics – Prof. Karlheinz Müller, Müller BBM (Germany)
Stage technology – Buhnenplannung Walter Kottke Ingenieure GmbH (Germany)
Lights technology – Bartenbach Lichtlabor GmbH (Austria)
Acoustics – Prof. Karlheinz Müller, Müller BBM (Germany)
