J42

Office

Latvia

J42

Office

Latvia

Location: 

Riga, Latvia

Year and status:

2024

Team:

OAD

Developer:

3D:

Landscape:

Photo:

Alvis Rozenbergs

LAYOUT1

While most see the world in forms and functions, OAD (Open Architecture Design) has built an empire of pure, unfiltered feeling. Their new Riga headquarters isn’t just an office - it’s a cathedral of bold solutions, a lab of architectural rebellion, and a statement that design should be felt, not just seen. OAD has never done "traditional." They’ve floated on canals, occupied shopfronts, and towered over cityscapes. Now, they’ve crash-landed in a historic production site - a raw, industrial three-floor space that caters to their 30-strong team of architects in everything from deep focus to all-out creative mayhem. It’s unapologetic. It’s theatrical. And, naturally, it’s a little provocative.

LAYOUT2

LAYOUT3

The first floor sets the tone - silver curtains stretch four meters high, catching light like shifting gravity waves, creating an immersive, otherworldly glow. This futuristic backdrop contrasts beautifully with Andris Eglītis raw, textured paintings, which root the space in history, perfectly aligning with the exposed industrial walls. A massive opening between floors acts like a visual wormhole, drawing the eye upward, offering a glimpse of the layers of activity above. This is not just a workspace, it’s an evolving landscape, designed to be experienced in motion.

LAYOUT1

LAYOUT2

LAYOUT3

The second floor is an open-plan office where ideas take form. The meeting rooms? Encased in transparent cubicles, where clients and architects work without barriers. They are supported with  acoustic foam panels with spiky reliefs both functional and visually arresting. The kitchen is hidden behind glossy latex curtains that catch the afternoon sun like liquid metal, elevating the light play to an entirely new level. The same provocative material shields a raw, industrial sink zone, balancing utility with an unexpected, sensual edge. A custom-built material library staircase connects the second and third floors, doubling as a mood board in motion. Knowing that mood boards are a long lasting process for each project, there are few movable consoles with drawers for each ongoing project.

LAYOUT3

LAYOUT3

The third floor takes a different approach. Here, the focus shifts from intensity to retreat, offering a space to reset, reflect, and reconnect. The raw insulation layer remains exposed, its silver tones lending a quiet, industrial elegance. A lounge space welcomes afternoon breaks, evening brainstorms, and impromptu yoga sessions - a necessary counterbalance to the fast-paced energy below. As the studio expands, this floor may evolve into the executive hub, but for now, it remains a creative sanctuary.

LAYOUT1

With Riga’s first Michelin-starred restaurant as a neighbor, OAD is doing more than designing an office - they’re redefining a district. This is a hub for experimentation, a space where ideas take form, and a statement that great design should be fearless.