The Latvian National Opera and Ballet has completed a reconstruction that lasted over a year. The project, costing more than €12 million, was primarily aimed at improving the energy efficiency of the historic building, but changes also affected the areas that visitors use daily, reports [TV3 News](https://tv3.lv/zinas/latvija/pec-vairak-neka-gadu-ilgas-rekonstrukcijas-atjaunota-latvijas-nacionalas-operas-eka/). The opera house, built more than 160 years ago, requires a particularly careful approach to modernization. During the work, the heating, ventilation, and other engineering systems were updated. According to Sandris Voldiņš, the chairman of the board of the Latvian National Opera and Ballet, visitors will feel the changes immediately. > "The air quality has improved significantly. We really had a problem on the first and second balconies, where people, to be honest, even fainted," he noted. Another noticeable result of the reconstruction was the completion of the renovation of public interiors, which had actually been ongoing for several decades. > "After working on the walls, floors, and other elements, we have effectively completed the renovation of the public part of the building after 30 years," added Voldiņš. ## What Changed Inside Although most of the work remained unnoticed by the audience, updates also affected the internal spaces. The building has new wallpaper, carpeting, and lighting, and the vestibule floor was redone thanks to the support of donors. Architect Liesma Markova, who participated in the large-scale reconstruction of the opera in the 1990s, reassessed the condition of the interiors created back then after more than 30 years. She noted that many of the materials used back then have stood the test of time. > "These wallpapers lasted 30 years. If materials of the same high quality are used, they will last just as long," said the architect. According to her, the furniture in the cloakroom was also changed: instead of bulky chairs, soft benches were installed to avoid damaging the walls. ## Reconstruction Without Long Closure A feature of the project was that for most of the time, the theater continued to accept visitors. The building's operations were fully suspended for only about two months this spring. This is already the second major update of the building in recent decades. The previous large-scale reconstruction took place from 1990 to 1995, when special attention was paid to preserving the historical appearance and restoring original interior elements. ## What’s Next Despite the completion of the current phase, the modernization of the building will continue. The next major project will be the restoration of the historic facade of the Latvian National Opera, which will allow for the continued updating of one of the most famous architectural symbols of Riga. The total cost of the completed reconstruction exceeded €12 million, with the majority of funding provided by the European Union. After the update, visitors will be able to appreciate not only the historical interiors but also more comfortable conditions in one of Latvia's main cultural institutions.
