First installed in the summer of 2024 and reassembled for a second season in 2025, Dome Next Door was a temporary, habitable urban installation in Dome Square, at the heart of Riga’s UNESCO-listed historic centre. Commissioned by Riga City Council following an open competition, the project transformed the Old Town’s largest square into a place to pause, meet and spend time.

Although Dome Square is surrounded by centuries of architectural history, much of its present openness is comparatively recent. Its current form emerged partly through extensive demolitions carried out in 1936, replacing sections of the former dense urban fabric with a large open square. Today, the space often functions primarily as a point of passage. Dome Next Door responded by temporarily introducing a more intimate spatial structure without obstructing the square or attempting to reconstruct what had been lost.

The installation took the form of a 10.7 × 10.7-metre modular grid constructed from locally sourced spruce glulam. Rising five metres above the square, the open framework referenced the proportions and recurring geometries of its surroundings: medieval vaults, the Riga Cathedral cloister, arched windows and the historic façades defining the square. A central courtyard recalled the spatial organisation of the cloister while maintaining openness, permeability and views towards the cathedral and surrounding city.

Four colourful steel modules were inserted into the timber framework, creating distinct ways of occupying the space. Hammocks offered places to rest, a picnic setting encouraged people to gather, a sheltered cabin module with two facing benches created an intimate setting for couples, families and groups of friends, while mirrors altered perceptions of the installation and its historic surroundings. Integrated custom lighting extended the use of the pavilion into the evening.

The load-bearing structure was composed of prefabricated glulam elements complemented by cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels. The system included 45 columns, 72 roof beams, 31 floor beams and 245 floor planks, all designed to be dismantled and reassembled. Its successful return in 2025 demonstrated the intended adaptability of the system and extended the project beyond a single temporary event.

The project was developed by an international team of architects from Latvia, Austria, Lithuania and Portugal, and manufactured and assembled in Riga with local timber, steel, engineering and lighting partners. Bringing international perspectives together with local production, Dome Next Door explored how small-scale architecture can activate a historically sensitive public space. The temporary framework became complete through occupation: people sitting, playing, meeting and moving through it.