Eižens Laube
Encyclopedia
Eižens Laube was a Baltic German
Latvia
n architect
. He was responsible for some of the reconstruction work of Riga Castle
in the 1930s and designed more than 200 houses in Riga
.
architecture office.
From 1909 to 1914 he was the official adviser to the Commission for Artistic Issues in Architecture, in Riga. He was also chairman of the Latvian Architects Society (1924-6). In 1944 he emigrated to Germany
where he worked as Professor of Architecture at the Baltic University, Pinneberg
, near Hamburg
. From 1950 he lived in the USA.
Before World War I
Laube was one of the pioneers of Riga Art Nouveau
movement, notably the lavishly decorated apartment building at 23 Tallinas Street 1901 with Peksens. His best-known works are in the National Romantic version of the style. He mainly used natural materials, different-colored bricks, local varieties of stone, metal, wood. Laube building ornaments were typically flower and geometric motifs, and his buildings were usually directed upwards in a vertical shape. Later his works especially in the 1930s were influenced by more neo-classical influences.
Baltic German
The Baltic Germans were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today form the countries of Estonia and Latvia. The Baltic German population never made up more than 10% of the total. They formed the social, commercial, political and cultural élite in...
Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
. He was responsible for some of the reconstruction work of Riga Castle
Riga Castle
Riga Castle is a castle on the banks of River Daugava in Riga, the capital of Latvia. The castle was founded in 1330. This structure was thoroughly rebuilt between 1497 and 1515. Upon the castle's seizure by the Swedes, they constructed spacious annexes in 1641. The fortress was continually...
in the 1930s and designed more than 200 houses in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
.
Biography
Laube graduated from the Riga Polytechnic Institute's department of Architecture in 1907. In his early academic years, he began to work at the Konstantīns PēkšēnsKonstantīns Pēkšēns
Konstantīns Pēkšēns is one of the most prominent Latvian architects of all times. After Jānis Baumanis he is the epitome of the second generation of Latvian architects...
architecture office.
From 1909 to 1914 he was the official adviser to the Commission for Artistic Issues in Architecture, in Riga. He was also chairman of the Latvian Architects Society (1924-6). In 1944 he emigrated to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
where he worked as Professor of Architecture at the Baltic University, Pinneberg
Pinneberg
Pinneberg is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, capital of the district Pinneberg in Germany. The town has 42,301 inhabitants. Pinneberg is located 18 km northwest of Hamburg....
, near Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. From 1950 he lived in the USA.
Before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Laube was one of the pioneers of Riga Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
movement, notably the lavishly decorated apartment building at 23 Tallinas Street 1901 with Peksens. His best-known works are in the National Romantic version of the style. He mainly used natural materials, different-colored bricks, local varieties of stone, metal, wood. Laube building ornaments were typically flower and geometric motifs, and his buildings were usually directed upwards in a vertical shape. Later his works especially in the 1930s were influenced by more neo-classical influences.