Would you like to hear a story about a building in which a princess was born? The picturesque and legendary Jauniela in the Old Town of Riga conceals a host of legends. This street’s cinematic career is more widely known, since it has portrayed the features not only of Riga, but also that of Berlin in the film ‘’17 Spring Moments’’ and London’s 221B Baker Street in Soviet cinema’s adaptation of the story of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.
Much earlier, in the year 1800, a fine house on Jauniela was the residence of Prince Louis of Wurttemberg and his family. His sister was Tsarina Maria Fydorovna, who installed the prince in the headquarters of the Governor-General of Vidzeme. During their time living in their Jauniela residence, the family was blessed with the birth of a third daughter Paulina. It is possible that the princess recalled her childhood in the bright rooms of Riga, when in 1807 the family returned to its native land in the small country of Wurttemberg. Born in Riga in 1820, Paulina became Queen of Wurttemberg after her marriage of Wilhelm I of Wurttemberg. During the wedding ceremony, he ordered a diamond encrusted tiara for Paulina.
In order for the building to be restored to its former glory, the volume of the building was carefully re-planned and its functions were as fastidiously arranged as pearls in a box of jewels. It is no coincidence that the overall thematic concept for the project is dedicated to precious stones.
The total area of the building was increased to 1500m2, with varied functions ranging from public premises – the restaurant and gallery – to boutique apartments. At the centre of the building is a small courtyard, creating a cosy atmosphere on the 1st floor of the building and giving the apartment windows an additional infusion of sunlight. Luxury design apartments have been designed for the upper floors of the building. Each apartment has been allocated its own special section of the regal story - precious stone (sapphire, ruby, amethyst, emerald and diamond), as well as the country, which is linked to the biography of Princess Paulina. On the 5th and 6th floors, an apartment has been designed on two levels with a spacious terrace, which opens up onto the Riga’s roof gables and church steeples.
