Janis KRASTINS

Professor Janis KRASTINS Faculty of Architecture Riga Technical University Azenes iela 16 Riga, LV 1048 Latvia Phone: +371 708 9212 Fax:     +371 708 9212 E-mail: krastins@bf.rtu.lv

Interests:

• History of Architecture
• Art Nouveau-Europe
• Architecture, Modern-19th century
• Architecture, Modern-20th century
• Architectural restoration and preservation of Monuments

 

Languages: Latvian, English, German, Russian

Education

• Riga Technical University (Faculty of Architecture), 1967
• Post-graduate, Department of Architecture, Riga Technical University, 1969-1972
• Dr.arch. (Candidate of Science in former USSR, Ph.D. in Western countries), Riga Technical University, 1973
• Dr.habil.arch. (Doctor of Science in former USSR), I.Repin Institute of Art, Sculpture and Architecture, St.Petersburg, Russia, 1991

 

Experience

• Senior Architect - designer, project institute "Komunalprojekts", 1967 - 1969
• Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, Department of Architecture, Riga Technical University, 1972-1991
• Professor, Head of the Department of History and Theory of Architectural Design, Riga Technical University, 1991-
• Visiting Researcher, Vienna Technical University, Austria, 1987
• Visiting Scholar, Columbia University, New York, USA, 1994
• Visiting Professor, Yuan Ze University, Chong-Li, Taiwan, 2000

 

Honours and Awards

• The Second Award for the Best Scientific Book in Latvia, 1980
• Award of Camillo Sitte Fund, Austria, 1985
• The First Award for the Best Scientific Book in Latvia, 1988
• Janis Baumanis Award in Architecture, Latvia, 1989
• Fulbright Award, USA, 1994
• Corresponding Member, Latvian Academy of Sciences, 1992
• Fellow, Latvian Academy of Regional Architecture, 1993
• Full Member, Latvian Academy of Sciences, 1994
• Grand Medal of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, 1998
• Baltic Assembly Award, 1998
• The Riga Prize (for significant researches and contribution to identification, summing up, and promotion of the Riga architectural heritage and Art Nouveau in Riga), 2002
• Order “Al Merito della Republica Italiana”, 2004
• Annual Cultural Heritage Award of Latvia, 2004

 

Professional Activities and Memberships

• Member, The Latvian Association of Architects, 1970; Member of Board, 1989
• Member, The Austrian Association of Planners, 1987
• Member, The Latvian Union of Scientists, 1990
• Member, Editorial Advisory Board, The Latvian Nature and Monument Protection Society, 1991
• Member, The Board of Experts for Preservation of Cultural Monuments, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, 1991
• National Coordinator, International Working party for Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighbourhoods of the Modern Movement, 1992
• Member, International Council of Monuments and Sites, 1995
• Member, Monuments' Board of Riga City Council, 1996
• Chairman, Scientific Council for Habilitation (Architecture), Riga Technical University, 1994
• Member, Council of Preservation and Development of Historical Centre of Riga, 2003 -

Creative work

• A number of interior designs, projects of reconstruction and one-family apartment houses (1967 - 1999)
• Awards in project competitions for one family houses (1968), terrace houses (1969), rural club building (1969), experimental housing in Riga, Krasta district (1976), hotel in town Saldus (1978), office building in Riga (1979), Pioneer's Palace in Riga (1980; highest award), Majori railway station (1981).
• Architectural exhibitions prepared and coordinated: Architect Osvalds Tilmanis (1980), Architect Janis Baumanis (1984), Reinhold Schmaeling - Riga City Architect 1879 - 1915 (1991), Art Nouveau Architecture in Riga (1989; exhibited also in Karlsruhe, Darmstadt, Bremen 1992; Copenhagen, 1993; Graz, 1994; Paris, 1995; Helsinki, 1997; Leipzig, 1997; London, Bristol, Edinburgh, 1998; Brussels, 1998; Ålesund, 1999; Riga, 1999; Stockholm, 2000; Tallinnn, 2001; Lisbon,2001; Porto, 2002; Brussels, 2003; Stettin, 2004; Kaunas, 2005), Riga Architecture. XX century (2001), The Art Nouveau Route in Europe (2001), Views. The Arcitecture of Late 20th Century Architecture (Riga, 2003, 2004), Art Nouveau from Europe to Istanbul (Istanbul, 2005)

 

Guest lectures

• Vienna Technical University and Vienna School of Applied Arts (Austria), 1987
• Karlsruhe University; - Darmstadt Technical University; City Library of Darmstadt; Architect's House in Bremen (Germany); University of Lund (Sweden), 1992
• Danish Centre of Architecture, Copenhagen; Technical High School of Lubeck (Germany), 1993
• Columbia University, New York; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (USA); Landeszeughaus Graz, Vienna Technical University (Austria), 1994
• The University of Toronto (Canada); Helsinki University of Technology (Finland); Latvian Academy of Arts, 1995
• Helsinki University of Technology (Finland), 1997
• Royal institute of Brittish Architects, The Architecture Centre Bristol (Great Britain); Institut Superiur d'Arcitecture - La Cambre, Brussels (Belgium), 1998
• Latvian communities in Chicago, IL ; Grand Rapids, MI; Milwaukee, WI; and Boston, MA. (USA), 1999.
• The Royal Academy of Arts, Stockholm; Yuan-Ze University and Chung-Yuan Christian University, Chong-li, Taoyan (Taiwan), 2000
• Städtische Städelschule, Frankfurt am Main (Germany); Ordem  dos Arquitectos, Regional Sul, Lisbon (Portugal); The City Planning Board, Frankfurt am Main;   Deutschbaltisches Landsmannschaft, Darmstadt (Germany), 2001
• The Faculty of Architecture, University of Porto (Portugal), 2002
• National Museum, Stettin (Poland), 2004

 

Lectures at international conferences and seminars

• Concepts of Eclecticism and Art Nouveau. - International seminar "Late 19th and early 20th century architectural heritage", Tallinn (Estonia), May 1983
• Post - Modern Architecture. - Scientific seminar of architects - skiers, Frunze (Khirghistan), Feb. 1983
• Regional identity of Latvian architecture. - Scientific seminar of architects - skiers, Borovets (Bulgaria), Feb. 1984
• Contemporary architectural design in historical context. - Scientific seminar of architects - skiers, Bakuriani (Georgia), Feb. 1985
• Art Nouveau in Riga. - Seminar on preservation of Historical Urban Areas, Graz (Austria), May 1987
• Stylistic problems in contemporary Latvian architecture. - Scientific seminar of architects - skiers, Alma-Ata (Khazakhstan), Feb. 1988
• Art Nouveau in Riga. - Seminar on History of Architecture and Preservation , Wismar (Germany), July 1988
• Architecture in Riga around 1900: Eclectism and Art Nouveau. - Homburger Gespräche, Bad - Homburg (Germany), Sept. 1989
• Latvian Art Nouveau in European and regional context. - Seminar on the 19th century art, Czernejewo (Poland), Oct. 1989
• Cultural ecology in contemporary building construction. - International Forum "Architects, Builders and the Environment", Gudauri (Georgia), Jan. 1990
• National identity of Latvian architecture. - Baltic - Nordic building research seminar, Riga, Oct. 1991
• Art Nouveau in Riga in context of European architecture. - Symposium of Van de Velde Gesellschaft, Hagen (Germany), Oct. 1992
• Theatre as the reflection of the 19th century urban culture. - International conference "Theatre architecture of late 19th century", Krakow (Poland), Oct. 1993
• Art Nouveau heritage in Riga. - International UNESCO conference "Centre of Riga - an urban monument", Riga, Nov. 1993
• Local identity of modern architecture in Latvia. - International Style Architecture conference, Tel Aviv (Israel), May 1994
• Stylistic dimensions of Riga Art Nouveau architecture. - "Ostsee - Akademie" conference "Protection of monuments and human environment", Riga, July 1994
• Latvian heritage of architecture. - International students workshop SESAM, Cesis (Latvia), August 1994
• Chronological and Stylistic Criteria for MoMo Register. - The 3rd International DoCoMoMo conference, Barcelona (Spain), Sept. 1994
• Art Nouveau Metropolis Riga in the international context. - International conference "Art around 1900 in Central Europe", Krakow (Poland), Oct. 1994
• Architectural restoration in Latvia: historical experience and contemporary needs. - ICOMOS Training Committee meeting, Helsinki (Finland), June 1995
• National and European traits in Latvian Art Nouveau.-   "Ostsee - Akademie" conference "National Identity of Art in Baltic States", Travemunde (Germany), Aug. 1995
• Change of the stylistic systems around 1900. - Hamburger Gespräche, Bad - Homburg (Germany), Sept. 1995
• Riga Art Nouveau heritage city. - XIX Congress of International Union of Architects, Barcelona (Spain), July 1996
• Latvian Modern Movement in European context. - European heritage days, Sigulda (Latvia), Sept. 1996
• Riga - Art Nouveau Metropolis. - International festival of architecture and design "Manifesto", Edinburgh (Scottland), Oct. 1996
• Art Nouveau in Latvia in the European context. - International conference "Art Nouveau in the Baltic area: time and space", Riga (Latvia), Nov. 1996
• National identity of modern architecture. - International conference "Architecture 1900", York (England), May 1997
• Art Nouveau buildings in Riga: a challenge for the future. - International conference "Baltic Cities", Stockholm (Sweden), May 1997
• Vernacular roots of modernism in 20th century architecture. - International conference "Vernacular Art in Central Europe", Krakow (Poland), Oct. 1997
• Miss Riga and the symphony in stone. - International conference "Architectural Decoration 1900", York (England), May 1998
• Riga in Latvia - Jugendstil of outstanding international standards. - Seminar on Art Nouveau Architecture, Alesund (Norway), November 1998
• Riga in Latvia : Art Nouveau of outstanding international interest. -  International conference " Sustainable Tourism development in the Baltic Sea Region", Riga, June 1999
• Art Nouveau in Riga. - International seminar "L'Ecole de Nancy and the Decorative arts in Europe", Nancy (France), October 1999
• Jugendstilarchitektur in Riga.  Urban Studies in Baltics, Conference of Institut für Städtebau Berlin, Riga, May 2000
• Methodological strategy of conservation. - Regional UNESCO seminar "Authenticity and Historical Reconstruction in Relationship with Cultural Heritage", Riga, October 2000
• Regional features of Riga Art Nouveau architecture. - Int. Conf. on Baltic Region Identity " Common Ground in a Sea of Diversity", Riga, April 2001
• Art Nouveau architecture in Riga and its European context. - Int. Conf. " Art Nouveau Architecture: Contacts around Baltic Sea" , Tallinn (Estonia), May 2001
• State of the Art in Latvia. - Int. Workshop " Historic Structures", Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague (Czech Republic), May 2002.
• Riga’s 700^th Anniversary Exhibition of 1901. - Int. Colloquium “Art Nouveau in Progress”, Réseau Art Nouveau Network, Vienna (Austria), November 2002.
• Henry van de Velde and the Art Nouveau Architecture in Riga. - Int. Colloquium “Henry van de Velde – Architekt und Gestalter”, Deutsche Nationalkomitee ICOMOS und Thüringische Landesamt für Denkmalpflege, Weimar (Germany), December 2002. 
• Riga: Architecture and Urban Development of Art Nouveau Metropolis Riga. Int. Seminar „Eastern European Capitals in the Twentieth Century”, Helsinki (Finland), June 2004.
• Weltkulturerbestadt Riga im Wandel der Zeiten (World Heritage City Riga in Changes of Time). Int. Symposium „Stadtbildveränderungen und Baukultur”, Vienna (Austria), October, 2004
• Architecture of the 20^th Century: Riga in Scaffoldings. Int. Conference “Information, Revolution, Reaction: 1905–2005”, Riga (Latvia), November, 2005

   

Courses

Riga Technical University:

• Architectural design
• History of Architecture
• Contemporary Architecture
• Architecture of Latvia
• Restoration of cultural monuments

 

Publications

   More than 560, among them books:

• Krastins J. Jugendstils Rigas arhitektura (Art Nouveau in Architecture of Riga). - 1980, Riga: Zinatne, 224 pp. ( In Latvian).
• Krastins J., Strautmanis I., Buka O., Asaris G. Architecture of Soviet Latvia. - 1987, Moscow: Strojizdat,  230 pp. (In Russian).
• Krastins J. Stilj modern v arhitekture Rigi. (Art Nouveau in Architecture of Riga). - 1988, Moscow,  273 pp. ( In Russian).
• Krastins J. Eklektisms Rigas arhitektura (Eclecticism in Architecture of Riga). - 1988, Riga: Zinatne,  280 pp. (In Latvian).
• Krastins J. Jugendstil in der Rigaer Baukunst.(Art Nouveau in Architecture of Riga). - 1992, Michelstadt: Neuthorverlag, 330 pp. (In German).
• Krastins J. Latvijas Republikas buvmaksla. (Architecture of Latvian Republic). - 1992, Riga: Zinatne,  256 pp. (In Latvian).
• Sitte C. Khudozestvennije osnovi gradostroitelstva (City Planning According to Artistic Principles). - 1993, Moscow: Strojizdat,   254 pp. (J.Krastins' translation from German into Russian).
• Krastins J. Riga Jugendstilmetropole/ Riga Art Nouveau Metropolis/ Riga jugendstila metropole. - 1996, Riga: Baltika,  352 pp. (In German, English and Latvian).
• Krastins J. Mezaparks (Garden city "Mezaparks"). - 1997, Riga: Zinatne, 231 pp. (In Latvian).
• Krastins J. The Art Noveau Architecture of Riga. - 1998, Riga: Jumava,  64 pp.
• Krastins J., Strautmanis I., Dripe J. Latvijas arhitektura no senatnes lidz musdienam (Architecture of Latvia from Ancient Times till up-to-date). - 1998, Riga: Baltika, 312 pp. (In Latvian).
• Krastins J. Rigas Ratslaukums. Pagatne. Tagadne. Nakotne/ The Town Hall Square in Riga. Past. Present. Future.- 2000, Riga: Madris, 48 pp. (In Latvian and English).
• Krastins J., Mucenieks E. Rigas Latviesu biedriba/ The Riga Latvian Society. - 2002, Riga: Madris, 48 pp. (In Latvian and English).
• Krastins J. Rigas arhitekturas meistari/ The Masters of Architecture of Riga. - 2002, Riga: Jumava, 360 pp. (In Latvian and English).
• Krastins J., Strautmanis I. Lielais Rigas arhitekturas celvedis (The complete guide to architecture in Riga). - 2002, Riga: Puse, 376 pp. (In Latvian).
• Krastins J. Pa Rigas jugendstila pedam / Sur les traces de l’art nouveau a Riga. Guide. Following the Traces of the Art Nouveau in Riga/. - 2003, Bruxelles: CIVA, 176 pp. (In Latvian and French).
• Krastins J., Strautmanis I.  Riga. The Complete Guide to Architecture. - 2004, Riga: ADD Projects, 376 S.  (In German)
• Krastins J., Strautmanis I. Riga. Der große Architekturführer  - 2004, Riga: ADD Projects, 376 S.  (In German).
• Krastinš J., Sparitis O. Architecture of Riga. Eight Hundred Years Mirroring European Culture. – 2005, Riga: Nacionalais apgads, 179 pp.
• Krastinš J. Rigas arhitekturas stili / Architectural Styles in Riga / Arhitekturnije stili Rigi/. – 2005, Riga: Jumava, 240 pp. (In Latvian with complete summaries in English and Russian).

 

Research Projects

• The Art Nouveau Route. The Council of Europe Cultural Routes. Feasibility study, 1995
• Research and Evaluation of Historical Development in Riga. Latvian Council of Science, 1994-1999, 2000 -2004
• Research and Evaluation of the Historical Built-Up Environment. Latvian Council of Science, 2005 -

 
Photo from  the collection of Janis Krastins

Last update: 30-10-2007 12:45:41