As a resident in a nearby smaller town who goes to Kuldīga almost every day, I am really happy that its finally getting recognition in the RUclips space! Thank you for the great video!
These folk had the misfortune of seeing Khrushchyovka erected all over their country, and to prevent the soul-rot, forbid its construction. Sadly not around the outskirts.
if your not latvian i bet 7:14 that guy at the kvass station is gone name every ice cream flavor latvian to any forigner XD saw that happen a week or 2 ago to someone
As someone in the architectural industry, that would never be the case. Buildings are owned by clients, therefore it is entirely up to those who own it decide how their building should look like, not "the people".
@Redzwan That is the problem. Buildings make up public space, and the personal choice of the owner (building design) is going to affect thousands of people every day who walk past that building. Strict building regulations like those in Bath, UK, are another great example of prioritizing the whole city's aesthetic look.
@@streetscaping Buildings are in public spaces, but the building themselves aren't. They are still owned by clients are not to be subjugated to people that "walk past that building" and will be as such forever. And Bath is a Unesco Heritage Site which has legal protection, which most cities aren't.
@@Redzwan Fortunately, just as there are laws ensuring private property, there are also laws preventing ""the client"" from building anyting they want. We just have to make the latter more strict, for everyone's benefit. I say this as someone who also worked in architectual industry.
@@kacperwoch4368 Of course there are building codes and bylaws that prevent clients from building anything they want, but those codes are usually pertaining to proper structural integrity (structures like column placement, slab design, roofing, etc..) and usability (component dimensions such as floor to ceiling heights, stairs numbers and dimensions, door heights, fencing visibility). Not aesthetic control, clients should not be subgagated to such, unless it is located in locations of legal protection.
What a pretty town! Never heard of it before but I'll definitely add it to my list now. I hope they continue this path and more cities and villages follow.
Kuldiga is still a bit of a hidden hidden gem. When I visit I notice that most tourists are native or from the Baltics likely due to having their own transport; Riga to Kuldiga is 2 hours by car and upto 4 hours by bus or train. I assume that the vast majority of foreign tourists who come to Latvia fly or sail here via Rig, so likely don't have their own transport or the time to visit some of the amazing towns which are further away from Riga such as Kuldiga. It's a pity as it and other such towns deserve more tourism. However, it's a blessing as it's not so busy that it loses it's charm.
And here I was thinking that nobody enforces to build beautifully in Latvia! Glad to be wrong! If you happen to have a chance to visit Kuldīga on a pleasant sunny day - do so, it's beautiful and you can spend hours walking around and enjoying the views and atmosphere! One great example from abroad that comes to mind with building modern buildings that blend in with the old ones is Gdansk, really impressive!
Fantastic idea to show how beautiful Kuldiga is in contrast to modernists buildings in Oslo. I live in Oslo and administrate some of the Architectural Uprising in norway. This video made my day.
I visited it 9 years ago, but back then I didn't fully appreciate it or realize it's value. But now I really understand the worth of it and why it's worth restoring, especially when so many other towns in Latvia have been ruined by the wars. I think it would be a good idea to revisit Kuldiga later this year
Modernist architects are essential egomaniacs with no care for community. Fortunately, the latest monstrosity from an modernist artist can be housed away in a museum frequented by pseudo-intellectuals who think they are superior to everyday people. Meanwhile, every day we suffer the blandness of these architects' lack of imagination in our cities. Their mediocrity is imposed upon us and I pray a tidal wave of change will occur. I didn't know about Kuldiga and this video was excellent. Many thanks.
Here in the United States, we have many places that have embraced traditional architectural design principles, which are very popular to live in and visit, such as Astoria, Petaluma, Napa, San Francisco, Pacific Grove, Carmel, San Luis Obispo, Solvang, Santa Barbara, Avalon, Santa Fe, New Orleans, Naples, Coral Gables, Miami Beach, St. Augustine, Savannah, Charleston, Williamsburg, Charlottesville, Alexandria, Washington DC, Annapolis, Baltimore, Philadelphia, NYC, Saratoga Springs, Newport, Boston, Salem, Burlington, Portland of Maine, and many others as well. However, they are vastly outnumbered by places with very little to no traditional architectural design principles, as well as lackluster car-centric urbanism (looking at you, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Louisville, Arlington, El Paso, Bakersfield, Tucson, Phoenix, Fresno, Omaha, Des Moines, Detroit, Norfolk, Charlotte, Columbia, Atlanta, Jacksonville, and Orlando), and it seems like a whole lot of people don’t care about much about things like good architecture and urbanism, especially in most of the places with little to no traditional architectural design principles and lackluster car-centric urbanism. I bet a lot of these people living there haven’t traveled enough or discovered channels like yours, and I would like to see a resurgence of traditional design, urbanism, and public transit in the United States, because both American and non-American travel influencers seem to love dissing on the United States for its car-centric suburbia, “lack of culture” (they really mean the toxic mix of car-centric suburban design, lack of traditional design, and rampant consumerism that exists in most parts of the U.S.), and the other generic things people love to diss America for (like healthcare for example), and I feel like as a very influential but also misunderstood country, these can be the first steps to helping improve and raise America’s image on the world stage as a unique, prosperous, and talented country with rich and diverse cultures and traditions. After all, although our country is culturally rich with its many different regional cultures, I hardly see these cultures being expressed through the architecture of these regions, as well as being in the general image and perception of the United States in the minds of those abroad.
America has beautiful new traditional designs indeed. I was surprised to find out that there are plenty of traditional design offices making beautiful projects that don't get any attention.
You are forgetting Richmond, VA , worth the trip ( see Jamaican enclave with those gingerbread rowhouses ). And Providence, RI, Hartford, CT ( yes there are modern buildings there , yet plenty preserved structures ) , Norwich ,CT ( the Rose of New England flanked by the Thames River), New London, CT , Montreal, QUE, Oimfret, CT , Plymouth, MA , Rockport, MA, Marblehead, MA, Swampscott, MA, Chicago, IL.. Give a break on Detroit. There is plenty being rebuilt. The city took a severe hit in 2013.
a lot of the city of Bradford in England is built in victorian styles from gritstone and sandstone, but over time parts of the city were demolished and big roads were built through the centre. Little Germany is probably one of the best looking parts of the city one of the great squares, a large part of the North Station, and lots of old streets were demolished. The buildings have good character but its a dead centre commercially as there isn't enough people for not enough shops which means it's more scary to walk through. I'd love if more buildings were built in the gritstone.
Excellent and informative video. I visited Kuldinga last spring but was unaware of this policy and the new traditional buildings. Well, Jelgava would certainly benefit from a similar policy!
Europe's widest waterfall indeed sounds a lot more impressive than it looks. I was there as a child and I remember feeling scammed because there is no way that thing counts as an actual waterfall
Around the world we destroyed traditions and now that they are gone, alot want it to return. For alot of places its too late sadly. But for others, bringing back important elements of the past within a modern context is required if it wants a future at all.
Great video. I can not remember where but I've heard that some cities allow some "bonus air rights" to build if the buildings are renewed with updated energetic standards and this "bonus air rights" can be moved to a different area within the city if the developers want so. I think it can be an incentive that it might be used to preserve city architectural identity. I think it's also a good idea to allow developers to densify development area close to transits nodes, you pick an area close to transit, you get some air rights, you add up some that you have already matured and maybe you can partner with another developer to use also his air rights.
Svaiga kustene. Kuldīga viennozīmīgi ir diezgan stilīga, bet em.. man šķiet, ka Centrālais stāvlaukums, kā arī tas, ka gandrīz visā vecpilsētā brauc spēkrati, pat ļoti bieži, būtu vērts pieminēt, no ielu viedokļa ir diezgan vārgi, vietām uzkrītoši.
@@streetscaping Jū. Ar Centrālo stāvlaukumu arī kaut ko vajadzētu darīt :D, citādi kā stāvlaukums ap Brīvības pieminekli.Paldies, ka taisi par Latviju, Čiepstinātāja(Iksa) ieraksti arī svaigi , bet varētu noderēt arī latviski izlaist, lai varētu izglītot sabiedrību, angliski rādīt izglītības iestādēs nesanāktu pierunāt(tas tā).
Interesting, preservation of a historical town already under USSR rule, who often bulldozed everything and built their concrete slab boxes. Beauty also preserved through materials like bricks and irregular plaster, often only one level under the roof.
great video! i recently found out about the weimar republic of Germany. and how it created most of our worlds modern problems.. including bauhaus and "modernist" architecture. it's very upsetting.. i love that this town shows that it's still possible to build buildings that residents actually love.
Latvia mentioned 🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻🎉🎉🎉😂 But yeah. Kuldiga is such an incredible place! Been there once, and it's a shame. Going to visit it again this spring!!!
I like intermediate architecture, something made of brick and stone but not very ornamental, if there is a lot of excess sculpture it looks ugly too, I like something cleaner visually but not on a modern level
hello from ventspils (a town near kuldīga) but ye kuldīga is a good place to drive to for a walk but i wouldt say 6:21 grāmatnīca be too out of place as on the other side of the road there is rimi maxims (coorporet stores)
While I do see the beauty in some of those old buildings, and understand the importance of preserving historical areas; I disagree about modern architecture being universally boring. Some of the examples you showed actually looked really awesome to me, and I'm sure I would prefer to live somewhere with a modern theme - as long as it's walkable, of course. Thanks all the same for a great video.
I find some modern buildings cool as well, but we shouldn't be building them within historic urban fabrics as this ruins the character of the neighbourhood
Private property is not the same as personal property, but you made it sound that way. So just a clarification, in the Soviet Union owning your own house was not a problem.
True that, however, the cobblestone they put in is pretty smooth and it shouldn't be too uncomfortable to ride on. Cities like Stockholm go a step further and put concrete slabs on the roadway that bikes can ride on. However, concrete slabs were also installed in Kuldīga but only on pavements to make getting around in a wheelchair easier.
As cyclist I have been there many times (to "leisure" cycling event they have once a year - lovely gathering of lot of people that just loooves cycling and enjoy surrounding area through gravel roads) and while some parts can be a bit rough, overall it gives proper vibe and there are options to get around quicker if neccessary.
we just got a new building partially finished in Riga's centre .... it looks so out of place :c man, I really wish my country would just keep the tradition and have some sort of traditional looks to the buildings front at least, since they are all being built facing the streets in the back, sure, have your wall of glass to see through and let the sunlight in, but I just like the look of traditional buildings more
But there is one *MAJOR* concern of mine: all that ornamentation could end up being expensive to maintain in terms of regular cleaning and (if needed) replacement of external ornamental details from years of weather effects. That's why in many cities that have gone back to the "traditiional" architecture, they're still a lot simpler in design than what was built before World War II. This is why I want to see a revival of the Art Deco architectural style. It's still very stylish, but external building maintenance costs will likely be a bit lower.
False. Modernist architecture is actually the most expensive in the long run, because it's not made to last, uses cheap materials and gets old much faster. A facade accounts to less than 10% of house costs so building a nice looking facade in new traditional style instead of a flat cube is NOT gonna be more expensive.
What makes this so "beautiful" is the fact that not many places are building architecture as such. If you said that a decent chunk of these buildings were beautiful to someone from the time they'd just respond that "it's a normal building", much in the same way we treat buildings built with brutalism/functionalism/international styles in mind (modernist architecture only refers to the materials used not styles). It's very much our own subjective aesthetics that dictate what we find beautiful there is no objective beautiful. I myself find both old/traditional architecture and modern architecture beautiful. No idea why you had to include the stuff at the end about modern architects "criticizing" traditional architecture would like to see a source for that one and calling modern architecture an ideology is just well ridiculous
It seems you don't have an understanding of the way modern architects are taught and what their opinions are on new traditional architecture. A notable example is Poundburry in the UK. You will find endless criticism just like with any other new trad development/buulding. And it absolutely is an ideology because we can and are building traditional architecture. It is a choice.
@@streetscaping lol what is actually your source not just saying "you don't know". And I can tell you the way they do it in Latvia. The first thing you have to do when studying architecture is to measure/draw the buildings at the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia.
Es esmu no tiem cilvēkiem kas neteiksim, ka skeptiski skatās tikai uz vēsturisko arhitektūras stilu atdarināšanu, bet domāju ka vieta ir visam. Arī Rīgā manuprāt, atšķirībā no Baltijas kaimiņiem kur gan arī daudz vairāk modernā ir sabūvēts, tās modernās būves kas ir, viņu nav tik daudz vēl un man šķiet, ka šobrīd tiešām gan naudaa ir vairāk, gan izpratne it cita un vismaz vēsturiskajā centrā mēs neveiksmīgus modernus piemērus redzēsim mazāk. Es gan domāju, ka visam jābūt līdzsvarā, nevar tikai dzīvot ar skatu uz pagātni, jaunas idejas un formas arī vajag
Mūsdienās, diemžēl, nav tas līdzsvars. Arhitektiem izmazgā smadzenes universitātē un stāsta, ka atdarināt tradicionālus principus ir nepareizi. Taču ironija ir tāda, ka modernie arhitekti katru dienu atdarina modernisma principus, tāpāt kā tradicionāli arhitekti atdarina tradicionālus principus. Vienīgā atšķirība, ka vieni atdarina to, kas sabiedrībai patīk.
Not sure you know what modernism means. It has a specific meaning that does not apply to many of the negative examples you mentioned. Also, many of these buildings are almost free from ornamentation. Vernacular and local architecture is often beautiful. Please use terms correctly.
@@streetscaping Incorrect - Modernism is about things being made modern without reference to the past for arbitrary reasons, e.g. Millennia old Greek column motifs on a Victorian bank in Yorkshire, i.e, things made 'modern', or 'of their time'. That's not to say that those types of ornamentation cannot be adopted under Modernism, it is a more complicated discussion than many realise, and I can elaborate further if you wish. It also doesn't necessarily exclude vernacular architecture as promoted in this video - most truly vernacular architecture can be described by my above definition. Any given point used to define Modernism beyond what I have said can be chalked up to idiosyncrasies - e.g. Le Corbusier thought buildings should be raised on pillars and have open floor plans, Loos though buildings should be free of ornamentation, however, Sullivan believed in adorning skyscrapers with beautiful ornamentation- While these beliefs have shaped the Modernist tradition, the specifics are not always essential to understanding the general concept.
Beautiful city. Though I see where it comes from this trend of "traditionalism", it gets bit spooky just like modernist were doing. I see more and more how in different you tube channels athis idea is being spread like a dogma. Additionally I am seeing a similar pattern of same mistakes - word 'modernist" is being thrown everywhere, the adjectives "boring and ugly" are subjectively used and justified and the building style we had in the past is offered as the solution. Which honestly is not. I can tell you like this. For me, monolithic classical cities frozen in time are just nothing special. I am not saying don't appreciate them but they are boring to me. Vibrancy, flexibility, and social resilience is missing. At the same time I will strongly agree that profit driven urbanization, led by sustainability and efficiently produces processed environment and lack of belonging. You see one should not cancel each other. However, we should focus more on inclusive cities and participative design in which all the social layers will be satisfied and the city will present a dynamic process that reflects the daily reality. Style is important, but it is a make up after all. Cheers and you make good videos, keep it up.
I do believe that centuries of architectural knowledge are the solution. Who are we to break that chain and assume that we have nothing to learn from the past? One of the worlds leading traditional architects, Allan Greenberg, has said that the classic language of architecture is always modern because it is rooted in physiology and psychology of the individual human being. Classical architecture is the most comprehensive architectural language that humans have yet developed. Three millennia of Western architecture - which is largely a history of classic architecture - demonstrate how successfully this classical language has responded to building needs in diverse political realms, cultures, climates, and geographies.
I don't understand how you show 1800s, early 1900s already global architecture styles that are similar everywhere and tell that it has local distinct character style.
You know the ones around the the blackhead building. Quite terrible. They restored the blackhead building itself and some buildings to the right from it and the town hall but in between made some glass buildings clearly out of place.what was the reason for not restoring those if they could the others? Also they didnt restore the buldings that stood where the occupation museum is now. At least the early soviet built university building looks okay there because early soviets adhered to the classic principles@@ikilius
1. Architecture should reflect it’s time. 2. This does not mean that it has to be a Modernist derivative in 2024. 3. Architecture does not exist in a vacuum, socio-economic pressures shape it. 4. Some small towns mainly in Europe do not represent realistic context for the rest of the world that has to deal with higher density, convenience, marketability, a lack of craftsmen and a host of inconvenient realities. 5. While Modernist architecture certainly has its vices, turning our backs on it and pretending that there have been no positive contributions is delusional. Architecture is incredibly complex, while this is a nice manifesto (manifestos are usually published by people who are going to enact them ie you need to put your money where your mouth is if it’s so easy 😄) it should not be mistaken for a rigorous investigation into how to improve architecture 😄
Good for some, not so much for others. And no, it can get more expensive with all the red tape, i.e. changing windows becomes a process of contacting municipality or their delegates that inspect and describe what is allowed/what is not, how the final result will be compared to expectation, etc. Almost sounds like the socialist dogma of "only state can own and decide regarding matters of property" is still alive and well, disguised under conservation efforts. But I digress, personally I'd not want to live in such a house after living in apartments that are full of sunshine. Though I would like to see what a combination of old and new can be.
Riga is an infinitely more architecturally interesting place than Kuldiga. Modern buildings do not ruin the aesthetic of a city, what does that is having every single house and building look like it comes from the same century. What gives a city character and beauty is a diverse aray of styles and ideologies, represented throughout. Modernism is a part of history, whether you like it or not, and Brutalist builds like the Riga World Trade Centre have ten times as much "character" and intrigue than any of the houses you've shown in this video.
Riga is probably more architerally interesting as it is often recognized for having Europe’s finest collection of Art Nouveau that people from all around the world come to enioy.
6:55 "boring buildings" are only boring because they are everywhere. The same grievances expressed in this video existed one hundred years ago. When art styles advance in hundreds of years these practical modern buildings may seem to be a novelty in a more artistic world.
@@streetscaping And yet many would say churches are beautiful, yet they exist in forms almost entirely detached from their local vernacular styles. Churches and cathedrals, however, are examples of architecture following function, from the layout of the nave and transept, to the structural shapes of the walls - almost everything is functional for structure or liturgy. The church in my parish looks a lot like churches in parishes all across the country. Cottages, barns, granaries, old workshops, and windmills, however, all look distinct county to county. Both, however, are appreciated and respected - Streetscaping is right to say that it is not simply that buildings are seen everywhere, but that they do not fulfil other criteria. Likewise, Georgian/ Neoclassical architecture shares identical motifs throughout the UK, all across Europe, and beyond. Some of history's best buildings follow function much more closely than we expect of some our most disliked 20th and 21st century buildings and some of our most beloved buildings do not keep with local styles whatsoever. The problem is that buildings do not embody life more fully nor do they satisfy full proprioceptive desires - this is what the Modernists wanted, contrary to the impression given by this video.
Thanks for sharing this town with us but the commentary for the video is simplistic, generic and rather childish. I'd rather listen to architects and urbanists discussing various aspects and challenges of preserving old districts and introducing historism into modern architecture.
Modern architecture is an infected wound on our rotten society reflecting the time we live in. As people have no real values and our life is an uncertain chaos, so is our architecture. A modern fasad is mostly, but not always an anxiety inducing chaos without any meaning. The 70's soviet blocks aren't beautiful, but atleast you can look at them and understand why they are built like that. They have a meaning, they have an understadable form. Modern architecture in its brain rot can't achieve even that basic decensy.
Please point out where are "beautiful modernist architecture" examples. So far, I've never seen any in my life in all the countries I've visited but maybe they are hidden somewhere. Let us know.
Lmfaoo why was my house singled out as not being done perfectly 😂😢
As a resident in a nearby smaller town who goes to Kuldīga almost every day, I am really happy that its finally getting recognition in the RUclips space!
Thank you for the great video!
This town looks like from paintings. Truly beautiful.
It's a small town which main economy driver is tourism. It would be stupid if they built new housing out of style.
As an immigrant to Latvia I am so grateful to see English language videos giving further context to this amazing country. Subscribed!
Finnish expat in Latvija here 🤘
Welcome folks, hope you enjoy it here.
I am impressed with how well you pronounce the city names! This video is amazing!
Uzaugu Rīgā, paldies
@@streetscapingBiju ļoti pārsteigts, pirms to zināju.
@@streetscaping Es gribēju gluži otrādi paslavēt, par angļu izrunu ar tik knapu latviešu akcentu :D
These folk had the misfortune of seeing Khrushchyovka erected all over their country, and to prevent the soul-rot, forbid its construction. Sadly not around the outskirts.
as a latvian, im happy you pronounced Jelgava correctly ,so many get the "j" wrong
Džurmala!
I love how tight knit the architecture reform youtube community is; with channels directing fans to other channels for learning about a specific topic
6:21 "for instance some houses arent that good looking"
zvaigznes gramatu nams: 😔
I’m visiting Kuldīga right now, beautful place and a lot warmer than I expected.
if your not latvian i bet 7:14 that guy at the kvass station is gone name every ice cream flavor latvian to any forigner XD saw that happen a week or 2 ago to someone
@@Outlessyttaken I was cursed with not being able to speak Latvian because my parents moved to England so that’s exactly what would happen lol
Me: Hm, the location and street names are pronounced suspiciously well
Me: ah yes, a Latvian
Wow, I am just in Kuldīga and decided to check youtube for the first time on my trip and got this video recommended!
Architecture should be a democratic process so that the style of the day truly reflects what people today want, not what the architects of today want.
As someone in the architectural industry, that would never be the case. Buildings are owned by clients, therefore it is entirely up to those who own it decide how their building should look like, not "the people".
@Redzwan That is the problem. Buildings make up public space, and the personal choice of the owner (building design) is going to affect thousands of people every day who walk past that building. Strict building regulations like those in Bath, UK, are another great example of prioritizing the whole city's aesthetic look.
@@streetscaping Buildings are in public spaces, but the building themselves aren't. They are still owned by clients are not to be subjugated to people that "walk past that building" and will be as such forever. And Bath is a Unesco Heritage Site which has legal protection, which most cities aren't.
@@Redzwan Fortunately, just as there are laws ensuring private property, there are also laws preventing ""the client"" from building anyting they want. We just have to make the latter more strict, for everyone's benefit. I say this as someone who also worked in architectual industry.
@@kacperwoch4368 Of course there are building codes and bylaws that prevent clients from building anything they want, but those codes are usually pertaining to proper structural integrity (structures like column placement, slab design, roofing, etc..) and usability (component dimensions such as floor to ceiling heights, stairs numbers and dimensions, door heights, fencing visibility). Not aesthetic control, clients should not be subgagated to such, unless it is located in locations of legal protection.
What a pretty town! Never heard of it before but I'll definitely add it to my list now. I hope they continue this path and more cities and villages follow.
Are you from Latvia? If you are im so glad that this movement is spreading to the baltics! Much love from Lithuania🇱🇹❤🇱🇻
Yes
Kuldiga is still a bit of a hidden hidden gem. When I visit I notice that most tourists are native or from the Baltics likely due to having their own transport; Riga to Kuldiga is 2 hours by car and upto 4 hours by bus or train. I assume that the vast majority of foreign tourists who come to Latvia fly or sail here via Rig, so likely don't have their own transport or the time to visit some of the amazing towns which are further away from Riga such as Kuldiga. It's a pity as it and other such towns deserve more tourism. However, it's a blessing as it's not so busy that it loses it's charm.
And here I was thinking that nobody enforces to build beautifully in Latvia! Glad to be wrong! If you happen to have a chance to visit Kuldīga on a pleasant sunny day - do so, it's beautiful and you can spend hours walking around and enjoying the views and atmosphere!
One great example from abroad that comes to mind with building modern buildings that blend in with the old ones is Gdansk, really impressive!
Had the chance to visit Riga 3 years ago, will for sure visit this place next time!9
Why is there a random naked man on top of the building at 1:09???
Great video, thank you for shining light on another great city with beautiful architecture!
Fantastic idea to show how beautiful Kuldiga is in contrast to modernists buildings in Oslo. I live in Oslo and administrate some of the Architectural Uprising in norway. This video made my day.
Hello from Latvia!
I visited it 9 years ago, but back then I didn't fully appreciate it or realize it's value. But now I really understand the worth of it and why it's worth restoring, especially when so many other towns in Latvia have been ruined by the wars. I think it would be a good idea to revisit Kuldiga later this year
grew up in this city, love it.
Many of my relatives live in kuldīga and the city is just historical and awesome
Modernist architects are essential egomaniacs with no care for community. Fortunately, the latest monstrosity from an modernist artist can be housed away in a museum frequented by pseudo-intellectuals who think they are superior to everyday people. Meanwhile, every day we suffer the blandness of these architects' lack of imagination in our cities. Their mediocrity is imposed upon us and I pray a tidal wave of change will occur. I didn't know about Kuldiga and this video was excellent. Many thanks.
Great video man, thanks for making content that highlights how important human scale archtiecture is for the wellbeing of residents
Here in the United States, we have many places that have embraced traditional architectural design principles, which are very popular to live in and visit, such as Astoria, Petaluma, Napa, San Francisco, Pacific Grove, Carmel, San Luis Obispo, Solvang, Santa Barbara, Avalon, Santa Fe, New Orleans, Naples, Coral Gables, Miami Beach, St. Augustine, Savannah, Charleston, Williamsburg, Charlottesville, Alexandria, Washington DC, Annapolis, Baltimore, Philadelphia, NYC, Saratoga Springs, Newport, Boston, Salem, Burlington, Portland of Maine, and many others as well.
However, they are vastly outnumbered by places with very little to no traditional architectural design principles, as well as lackluster car-centric urbanism (looking at you, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Louisville, Arlington, El Paso, Bakersfield, Tucson, Phoenix, Fresno, Omaha, Des Moines, Detroit, Norfolk, Charlotte, Columbia, Atlanta, Jacksonville, and Orlando), and it seems like a whole lot of people don’t care about much about things like good architecture and urbanism, especially in most of the places with little to no traditional architectural design principles and lackluster car-centric urbanism.
I bet a lot of these people living there haven’t traveled enough or discovered channels like yours, and I would like to see a resurgence of traditional design, urbanism, and public transit in the United States, because both American and non-American travel influencers seem to love dissing on the United States for its car-centric suburbia, “lack of culture” (they really mean the toxic mix of car-centric suburban design, lack of traditional design, and rampant consumerism that exists in most parts of the U.S.), and the other generic things people love to diss America for (like healthcare for example), and I feel like as a very influential but also misunderstood country, these can be the first steps to helping improve and raise America’s image on the world stage as a unique, prosperous, and talented country with rich and diverse cultures and traditions. After all, although our country is culturally rich with its many different regional cultures, I hardly see these cultures being expressed through the architecture of these regions, as well as being in the general image and perception of the United States in the minds of those abroad.
America has beautiful new traditional designs indeed. I was surprised to find out that there are plenty of traditional design offices making beautiful projects that don't get any attention.
You are forgetting Richmond, VA , worth the trip ( see Jamaican enclave with those gingerbread rowhouses ). And Providence, RI, Hartford, CT ( yes there are modern buildings there , yet plenty preserved structures ) , Norwich ,CT ( the Rose of New England flanked by the Thames River), New London, CT , Montreal, QUE, Oimfret, CT , Plymouth, MA , Rockport, MA, Marblehead, MA, Swampscott, MA, Chicago, IL..
Give a break on Detroit. There is plenty being rebuilt. The city took a severe hit in 2013.
This was... an exceptional act of restraint and conformity to local traditions on the part of the Soviets. Frankly didn't know they had it in them
a lot of the city of Bradford in England is built in victorian styles from gritstone and sandstone, but over time parts of the city were demolished and big roads were built through the centre. Little Germany is probably one of the best looking parts of the city one of the great squares, a large part of the North Station, and lots of old streets were demolished. The buildings have good character but its a dead centre commercially as there isn't enough people for not enough shops which means it's more scary to walk through. I'd love if more buildings were built in the gritstone.
Excellent and informative video. I visited Kuldinga last spring but was unaware of this policy and the new traditional buildings. Well, Jelgava would certainly benefit from a similar policy!
as someone that lives in Latvia, i'm so happy we have something like this
Manuprāt, Kuldīga ir viennozīmīgi Latvijas labākais piemērs kvalitatīvas pilsētvides attīstībā
Good pronounciations, instant 10/10 video
This is a really nice video about this topic! I would like to visit this city in the near future.
Another excellent, common sense video from you. Thank you
a small island of hope in a sea of despair:)
Thank you for talking about our small lovely country :D
Europe's widest waterfall indeed sounds a lot more impressive than it looks. I was there as a child and I remember feeling scammed because there is no way that thing counts as an actual waterfall
Around the world we destroyed traditions and now that they are gone, alot want it to return. For alot of places its too late sadly. But for others, bringing back important elements of the past within a modern context is required if it wants a future at all.
yooooooooo another new urbanist youtube channel with fantastic editing and interesting concepts? the NU community is being fed well
Looks nice. Great video.
You are either Latvian or really good at pronouncing the town names. You absolutely nailed it.
Wait, I just read you are Latvian? It kinda makes perfect sense now 😂
Great video.
I can not remember where but I've heard that some cities allow some "bonus air rights" to build if the buildings are renewed with updated energetic standards and this "bonus air rights" can be moved to a different area within the city if the developers want so.
I think it can be an incentive that it might be used to preserve city architectural identity.
I think it's also a good idea to allow developers to densify development area close to transits nodes, you pick an area close to transit, you get some air rights, you add up some that you have already matured and maybe you can partner with another developer to use also his air rights.
Labs video, prieks ka stāsti par Kuldīga angļu valodā, lai cilvēki atklātu un saprastu!
Svaiga kustene. Kuldīga viennozīmīgi ir diezgan stilīga, bet em.. man šķiet, ka Centrālais stāvlaukums, kā arī tas, ka gandrīz visā vecpilsētā brauc spēkrati, pat ļoti bieži, būtu vērts pieminēt, no ielu viedokļa ir diezgan vārgi, vietām uzkrītoši.
Kuldīgai vajadzētu ierobežot auto caurbraukšanas iespējas vairākās vietās, daudzi cilvēki (tūristi) riņķo pa vecpilsētu meklējot stāvvietu
@@streetscaping Jū. Ar Centrālo stāvlaukumu arī kaut ko vajadzētu darīt :D, citādi kā stāvlaukums ap Brīvības pieminekli.Paldies, ka taisi par Latviju, Čiepstinātāja(Iksa) ieraksti arī svaigi , bet varētu noderēt arī latviski izlaist, lai varētu izglītot sabiedrību, angliski rādīt izglītības iestādēs nesanāktu pierunāt(tas tā).
Vajag iebraukšanas taksi tāpat kā Jūrmalai! Ar ko tad Jūrmala tik īpaša no citiem?@@streetscaping
awesome video. Thank you!!
Damn ur pronunciation of the city is perfect, sounds like a regular latvian.
Very cool 👍
Beatiful town
As a Latvian, I'm pleasently surprised by how great your pronounciation is
Esmu latvietis
@@streetscaping man jau radās tādas aizdomas, redzot pārējos video tavā kanālā hehe
Interesting, preservation of a historical town already under USSR rule, who often bulldozed everything and built their concrete slab boxes. Beauty also preserved through materials like bricks and irregular plaster, often only one level under the roof.
LV ❤
Very nice video, thank you.
great video! i recently found out about the weimar republic of Germany. and how it created most of our worlds modern problems.. including bauhaus and "modernist" architecture. it's very upsetting..
i love that this town shows that it's still possible to build buildings that residents actually love.
Latvia mentioned 🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻🎉🎉🎉😂
But yeah. Kuldiga is such an incredible place! Been there once, and it's a shame. Going to visit it again this spring!!!
I like intermediate architecture, something made of brick and stone but not very ornamental, if there is a lot of excess sculpture it looks ugly too, I like something cleaner visually but not on a modern level
Seems like a beautiful place. To bad i cant visit because i have russian citizenship...
Your pronunciation of latvian city names is excelent.
Esmu no Rīgas :D
@@streetscaping njā tas izskaidro haha
Don't fuck with that waterfall mate. Swimming in it is awesome af
Great video, I totally agree!
Rare Latvian W.
hello from ventspils (a town near kuldīga) but ye kuldīga is a good place to drive to for a walk but i wouldt say 6:21 grāmatnīca be too out of place as on the other side of the road there is rimi maxims (coorporet stores)
Iekļāvu šo kā piemēru, jo it kā ir saglabāta tradicionālā ēkas forma, bet tad to izjauc ar stikla kasti pa virsu.
While I do see the beauty in some of those old buildings, and understand the importance of preserving historical areas; I disagree about modern architecture being universally boring.
Some of the examples you showed actually looked really awesome to me, and I'm sure I would prefer to live somewhere with a modern theme - as long as it's walkable, of course.
Thanks all the same for a great video.
I find some modern buildings cool as well, but we shouldn't be building them within historic urban fabrics as this ruins the character of the neighbourhood
LATVIJA MENTIONED 🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪
Cool
LATVIA MENTIONED RAHHHHH 🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔
Goldingen will stay golden forever.
beidzot kāds uztaisa video par šo :)
❤❤❤❤
Private property is not the same as personal property, but you made it sound that way.
So just a clarification, in the Soviet Union owning your own house was not a problem.
As a pedestrian, cobblestone looks nice, but as a cyclist it is not ideal
True that, however, the cobblestone they put in is pretty smooth and it shouldn't be too uncomfortable to ride on. Cities like Stockholm go a step further and put concrete slabs on the roadway that bikes can ride on. However, concrete slabs were also installed in Kuldīga but only on pavements to make getting around in a wheelchair easier.
@@streetscapingthey do the same in Kuldiga, maybe not on all but most
sidewalks arent really cobble tho from what ive noticed
As cyclist I have been there many times (to "leisure" cycling event they have once a year - lovely gathering of lot of people that just loooves cycling and enjoy surrounding area through gravel roads) and while some parts can be a bit rough, overall it gives proper vibe and there are options to get around quicker if neccessary.
SUPER MEHH
6:25 i think that house is like that on purpose
we just got a new building partially finished in Riga's centre .... it looks so out of place :c
man, I really wish my country would just keep the tradition and have some sort of traditional looks to the buildings front at least, since they are all being built facing the streets
in the back, sure, have your wall of glass to see through and let the sunlight in, but I just like the look of traditional buildings more
But there is one *MAJOR* concern of mine: all that ornamentation could end up being expensive to maintain in terms of regular cleaning and (if needed) replacement of external ornamental details from years of weather effects. That's why in many cities that have gone back to the "traditiional" architecture, they're still a lot simpler in design than what was built before World War II.
This is why I want to see a revival of the Art Deco architectural style. It's still very stylish, but external building maintenance costs will likely be a bit lower.
False.
Modernist architecture is actually the most expensive in the long run, because it's not made to last, uses cheap materials and gets old much faster.
A facade accounts to less than 10% of house costs so building a nice looking facade in new traditional style instead of a flat cube is NOT gonna be more expensive.
👍
What makes this so "beautiful" is the fact that not many places are building architecture as such. If you said that a decent chunk of these buildings were beautiful to someone from the time they'd just respond that "it's a normal building", much in the same way we treat buildings built with brutalism/functionalism/international styles in mind (modernist architecture only refers to the materials used not styles). It's very much our own subjective aesthetics that dictate what we find beautiful there is no objective beautiful. I myself find both old/traditional architecture and modern architecture beautiful.
No idea why you had to include the stuff at the end about modern architects "criticizing" traditional architecture would like to see a source for that one and calling modern architecture an ideology is just well ridiculous
It seems you don't have an understanding of the way modern architects are taught and what their opinions are on new traditional architecture. A notable example is Poundburry in the UK. You will find endless criticism just like with any other new trad development/buulding. And it absolutely is an ideology because we can and are building traditional architecture. It is a choice.
@@streetscaping lol what is actually your source not just saying "you don't know". And I can tell you the way they do it in Latvia. The first thing you have to do when studying architecture is to measure/draw the buildings at the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia.
Was that a naked man standing on the edge of the tower ? Mnt 1:10 ? 😂
That is some art installation I suppose haha
its apart of the art building its on but rn its not there... 0:19 tho the jesus is still there il say
Es esmu no tiem cilvēkiem kas neteiksim, ka skeptiski skatās tikai uz vēsturisko arhitektūras stilu atdarināšanu, bet domāju ka vieta ir visam. Arī Rīgā manuprāt, atšķirībā no Baltijas kaimiņiem kur gan arī daudz vairāk modernā ir sabūvēts, tās modernās būves kas ir, viņu nav tik daudz vēl un man šķiet, ka šobrīd tiešām gan naudaa ir vairāk, gan izpratne it cita un vismaz vēsturiskajā centrā mēs neveiksmīgus modernus piemērus redzēsim mazāk. Es gan domāju, ka visam jābūt līdzsvarā, nevar tikai dzīvot ar skatu uz pagātni, jaunas idejas un formas arī vajag
Mūsdienās, diemžēl, nav tas līdzsvars. Arhitektiem izmazgā smadzenes universitātē un stāsta, ka atdarināt tradicionālus principus ir nepareizi. Taču ironija ir tāda, ka modernie arhitekti katru dienu atdarina modernisma principus, tāpāt kā tradicionāli arhitekti atdarina tradicionālus principus. Vienīgā atšķirība, ka vieni atdarina to, kas sabiedrībai patīk.
What if we call it neo traditionalist, since it isn’t a specific style, but rather something unique to wherever it’s being built?
First also this seems like another w vid
2 minutes ago is insane
What is the 3rd word said in the video?
I tried to listen 10 times and I can't understand.
Sounds like: "the small _amian_ town" - wtf is amian?
Latvian :)
Not sure you know what modernism means. It has a specific meaning that does not apply to many of the negative examples you mentioned. Also, many of these buildings are almost free from ornamentation.
Vernacular and local architecture is often beautiful. Please use terms correctly.
Modernism, by definition, is a rejection of tradition. Each one of those 5 'negative' examples is an example of modernism.
@@streetscaping Incorrect - Modernism is about things being made modern without reference to the past for arbitrary reasons, e.g. Millennia old Greek column motifs on a Victorian bank in Yorkshire, i.e, things made 'modern', or 'of their time'.
That's not to say that those types of ornamentation cannot be adopted under Modernism, it is a more complicated discussion than many realise, and I can elaborate further if you wish. It also doesn't necessarily exclude vernacular architecture as promoted in this video - most truly vernacular architecture can be described by my above definition.
Any given point used to define Modernism beyond what I have said can be chalked up to idiosyncrasies - e.g. Le Corbusier thought buildings should be raised on pillars and have open floor plans, Loos though buildings should be free of ornamentation, however, Sullivan believed in adorning skyscrapers with beautiful ornamentation- While these beliefs have shaped the Modernist tradition, the specifics are not always essential to understanding the general concept.
Beautiful city. Though I see where it comes from this trend of "traditionalism", it gets bit spooky just like modernist were doing. I see more and more how in different you tube channels athis idea is being spread like a dogma. Additionally I am seeing a similar pattern of same mistakes - word 'modernist" is being thrown everywhere, the adjectives "boring and ugly" are subjectively used and justified and the building style we had in the past is offered as the solution. Which honestly is not. I can tell you like this. For me, monolithic classical cities frozen in time are just nothing special. I am not saying don't appreciate them but they are boring to me. Vibrancy, flexibility, and social resilience is missing. At the same time I will strongly agree that profit driven urbanization, led by sustainability and efficiently produces processed environment and lack of belonging. You see one should not cancel each other. However, we should focus more on inclusive cities and participative design in which all the social layers will be satisfied and the city will present a dynamic process that reflects the daily reality. Style is important, but it is a make up after all. Cheers and you make good videos, keep it up.
I do believe that centuries of architectural knowledge are the solution. Who are we to break that chain and assume that we have nothing to learn from the past? One of the worlds leading traditional architects, Allan Greenberg, has said that the classic language of architecture is always modern because it is rooted in physiology and psychology of the individual human being. Classical architecture is the most comprehensive architectural language that humans have yet developed. Three millennia of Western architecture - which is largely a history of classic architecture - demonstrate how successfully this classical language has responded to building needs in diverse political realms, cultures, climates, and geographies.
I don't understand how you show 1800s, early 1900s already global architecture styles that are similar everywhere and tell that it has local distinct character style.
Cool
Tho as a latvian I am not a big fan of that type of architecture nor cobblestone roads 😅
Kura mazpilsēta ir skaistāka par Kuldīgu?
2:25 in Riga old town there were allowed to be built modernist buildings and it looks horrible
They're built in a similar style to the old town buildings, I don't see the problem.
@@ikilius not all of them some are even in the brutalist style
@@vredacted3125 oh, those..... yeah
I meant the buildings that they build nowadays.
You know the ones around the the blackhead building. Quite terrible. They restored the blackhead building itself and some buildings to the right from it and the town hall but in between made some glass buildings clearly out of place.what was the reason for not restoring those if they could the others? Also they didnt restore the buldings that stood where the occupation museum is now. At least the early soviet built university building looks okay there because early soviets adhered to the classic principles@@ikilius
1. Architecture should reflect it’s time.
2. This does not mean that it has to be a Modernist derivative in 2024.
3. Architecture does not exist in a vacuum, socio-economic pressures shape it.
4. Some small towns mainly in Europe do not represent realistic context for the rest of the world that has to deal with higher density, convenience, marketability, a lack of craftsmen and a host of inconvenient realities.
5. While Modernist architecture certainly has its vices, turning our backs on it and pretending that there have been no positive contributions is delusional.
Architecture is incredibly complex, while this is a nice manifesto (manifestos are usually published by people who are going to enact them ie you need to put your money where your mouth is if it’s so easy 😄) it should not be mistaken for a rigorous investigation into how to improve architecture 😄
Good for some, not so much for others. And no, it can get more expensive with all the red tape, i.e. changing windows becomes a process of contacting municipality or their delegates that inspect and describe what is allowed/what is not, how the final result will be compared to expectation, etc. Almost sounds like the socialist dogma of "only state can own and decide regarding matters of property" is still alive and well, disguised under conservation efforts.
But I digress, personally I'd not want to live in such a house after living in apartments that are full of sunshine. Though I would like to see what a combination of old and new can be.
RUclips algorithm moment
Riga is an infinitely more architecturally interesting place than Kuldiga. Modern buildings do not ruin the aesthetic of a city, what does that is having every single house and building look like it comes from the same century. What gives a city character and beauty is a diverse aray of styles and ideologies, represented throughout. Modernism is a part of history, whether you like it or not, and Brutalist builds like the Riga World Trade Centre have ten times as much "character" and intrigue than any of the houses you've shown in this video.
Riga is probably more architerally interesting as it is often recognized for having Europe’s finest collection of Art Nouveau that people from all around the world come to enioy.
6:55 "boring buildings" are only boring because they are everywhere. The same grievances expressed in this video existed one hundred years ago. When art styles advance in hundreds of years these practical modern buildings may seem to be a novelty in a more artistic world.
They are boring because they are based on the ideology of form follows function.
Strange. I never heard anyone visiting Paris, Rome or Venice complaining they look "boring"...
@@streetscaping And yet many would say churches are beautiful, yet they exist in forms almost entirely detached from their local vernacular styles. Churches and cathedrals, however, are examples of architecture following function, from the layout of the nave and transept, to the structural shapes of the walls - almost everything is functional for structure or liturgy.
The church in my parish looks a lot like churches in parishes all across the country. Cottages, barns, granaries, old workshops, and windmills, however, all look distinct county to county. Both, however, are appreciated and respected - Streetscaping is right to say that it is not simply that buildings are seen everywhere, but that they do not fulfil other criteria.
Likewise, Georgian/ Neoclassical architecture shares identical motifs throughout the UK, all across Europe, and beyond.
Some of history's best buildings follow function much more closely than we expect of some our most disliked 20th and 21st century buildings and some of our most beloved buildings do not keep with local styles whatsoever.
The problem is that buildings do not embody life more fully nor do they satisfy full proprioceptive desires - this is what the Modernists wanted, contrary to the impression given by this video.
Thanks for sharing this town with us but the commentary for the video is simplistic, generic and rather childish. I'd rather listen to architects and urbanists discussing various aspects and challenges of preserving old districts and introducing historism into modern architecture.
I am an urbanist and I think I very clearly explained how to preserve old districts. If you have any questions let me know😉
Beautiful but I don’t like red buildings. :)
These small towns are nice to visit but incredibly boring to live in if you are not a grandma.
That is true, nothing is really going on there. But it definitely has the potential to become a vibrant town!
Blame greed and not the modernism!
Kuldīga is a City! Not town.
Modern architecture is an infected wound on our rotten society reflecting the time we live in. As people have no real values and our life is an uncertain chaos, so is our architecture. A modern fasad is mostly, but not always an anxiety inducing chaos without any meaning. The 70's soviet blocks aren't beautiful, but atleast you can look at them and understand why they are built like that. They have a meaning, they have an understadable form. Modern architecture in its brain rot can't achieve even that basic decensy.
Mehh
There’s tonnes of beautiful modern architecture, there’s tonnes of ugly historical architecture and vice versa.
Where can we find 'ugly historic architecture'?
Please point out where are "beautiful modernist architecture" examples. So far, I've never seen any in my life in all the countries I've visited but maybe they are hidden somewhere. Let us know.
@@Pedro_99 Karl-Marx-Hof in Vienna
@@briang5713 That's from 20's. It's not modernist architecture.
@Pedro_99 What is your definition of modernist?