Lāčplēša skvērs

Real esate project naming

Associates, Partners et Sons

Research
Naming concept & strategy
Presentation deck

Client Estmak Capital
Studio Associates, Partners et Sons
Year 2023

Anchored in the value of public space and placemaking, the name connects heritage with forward-looking ambition, underscoring a commitment to livability and clear market differentiation.

Together with the design studio Associates, Partners et Sons, we developed a recognisable and familiar identity for a site that had long remained outside public attention — a largely untouched six-hectare plot near Riga Old Town. A rare urban space capable of sustaining an ambitious vision.

LĀČPLĒŠA SKVĒRS takes its first element from the adjacent street, itself named after Lāčplēsis — the bear-slayer and central figure of Latvia’s national epic. Rooted in legend yet deeply embedded in cultural memory, the name conveys both recognition and aspiration, fitting for a project situated at the heart of the street.

The second element — “Square” — refers to the central public space intentionally preserved for social and cultural life: the future development’s beating heart.

LLC DUAL arhitekti

Context

A survey of available written sources, historical maps, and archival photographs revealed that the project site has predominantly been meadowland and gardens throughout most of its recorded history. Only in the 20th century was it partially occupied by industrial buildings and an apartment block.

The site is located in the Avoti neighbourhood, whose name derives from its freshwater springs — once among the finest sources of drinking water in the outskirts of Riga. These springs flowed in close proximity to the present-day development. Small garden plots were maintained here until at least the 18th century, reinforcing and complementing the project’s conceptual direction.

A map dating back to 1565 indicates that the fields on which the development will rise once contained field cellars — subterranean storage structures typically found within agricultural landscapes.