Izstāde "Birkerts. Bibliotēkas. Gaisma."

The exhibition dedicated to the centenary of architect Gunārs Birkerts (1925–2017) allows visitors to get to know the life and creative work of the outstanding Latvian architect. Among the many public buildings designed by Gunārs Birkerts, libraries hold a special place – this exhibition is dedicated to them.

The exhibition includes 19 libraries designed by Gunārs Birkerts – the LNB building and 18 libraries in the USA. The best known of them are the University of Michigan Law Library, the Martin Luther King, Jr. City and University Library in San Jose, and the Duluth Public Library. The culmination of the architect's creative life was the construction of the National Library of Latvia.

The exhibition consists of photographs, sketches, and building models. It highlights the architect's special relationship with light. Gunārs Birkerts is often called the master of light architecture, and surprising light solutions are revealed in each of his buildings, especially in library projects. The exhibition was created in cooperation with the NNB Support Society and the U.S. Embassy in Latvia. Its authors are architects Jānis Dripe and Andris Kronbergs, and the graphic design was created by Tatjana Raičiņeca.

Gunārs Birkerts is a world-renowned Latvian architect who has designed nearly 300 buildings – museums, universities, churches, schools, libraries. Many of them can be considered iconic. Birkert's work is characterized by functionality combined with the use of symbols and metaphors.