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.
Location: Riga
Architects: Friedrich Scheffel
Architectural style: Art Nouveau architecture
Address: Meistaru iela
Website: https://liveriga.com/en/3177-cat-house
GPS coordinates: 56.95019,24.10843
Latest update: December 6, 2025 16:02
Between 1890 and 1910, Art Nouveau spread across Europe, producing buildings that combined craft traditions with industrial techniques through organic forms, natural motifs, and detailed ornamental work. Architects including Victor Horta in Brussels, Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona, and Otto Wagner in...
Latvia offers a diverse range of sites combining medieval history and Baltic nature. The country brings together different periods and landscapes: the Old Town of Riga with its Art Nouveau buildings, the castle of Cēsis, the beaches of Jūrmala and the extensive forests of Gauja National Park. ...
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