Cat House, Art Nouveau residential building in Old Town, Riga, Latvia.
The Cat House is an Art Nouveau residential building in Old Town Riga with two cat sculptures featuring arched backs perched on its roof towers. The facade blends medieval and modern design elements, and it contains apartments as well as a restaurant at street level.
The building was constructed in 1909 by architect Friedrich Scheffel during a period of architectural growth in Riga. The cat sculptures were placed as part of a dispute between the owner and the Great Guild.
The building shows through its details how merchants and guild members lived and interacted in Old Town Riga. The crafted ornaments and decorative elements on the facade tell the story of these social connections.
The building sits on Meistaru Street in central Old Riga and is easy to reach on foot. Visitors can admire the facade from outside and visit the restaurant, while the residential units remain private.
The cat sculptures were originally positioned with raised tails facing the Great Guild as a sign of the owner's protest. After a court dispute, they had to be turned around, making their story visible to visitors even today.
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