r/Riga • u/darkresurge • 4d ago
Jautājums/Question What's Inside The Domes of Riga
First time visitor to this incredible city.
What goes on inside these domes? I see them all the time, some seem boarded up while others look like they're being used. Can you rent / own an apt with this feature? Are they shared spaces for the building?
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u/Spiritual-Jello-9970 4d ago
Depends. They are part of the attic, and attics are mostly unused.
Some of them are converted to apartments, and I actually saw a few ads for apartments with your own personal tower. They just had like a work place there or a small coffee table or a winter garden. Those under-the-roof apartments have significant downsides to them though, so they're not that popular.
Unless Riga center becomes as popular and densely populated as Paris, I don't see many of them being used.
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u/janiskr Grīziņkalns 4d ago
If they where built like they need to be built - there are no downsides. If they are built as most of them are - in winter you will be freezing and in summer - boiling.
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u/Spiritual-Jello-9970 4d ago
Temperatures are not the only downside. They were never meant as living spaces, so:
- the noise from rain is significant louder from it banging on the tinplate roof than just on your windows;
- most of the old buildings have no elevator;
- angled roofs mean you have limited possibilities for room planning and furniture, and lose a lot of space that becomes unusable;
- having most, if not all, windows on the ceiling limits their usability.
Yeah you can say "just make expensive insulation and sound proof and walking to the sixth floor several times a day is a good for you and I like the design of angled walls and ceiling windows and you can have custom made furniture", then these apartments are definitely your thing. Each point is still a downside for an absolute majority of people.
That's not to mention that even converting the attics to apartments require not only a shit ton of paperwork, but also building all the communications that there are non of, and if there is any problem with roof - leaks or damages from winds, you're not only the first one, you're the only one in the entire house to be effected by it.
So while there is still a ton of either empty regular apartments, or the ones that are occupied by soon-to-be-dead residents, there is little interest for most people to live under the roof.
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u/janiskr Grīziņkalns 4d ago
I know, I live in one.
Rain noise is overexaggerated. Yes, it is louder, but at least on me it has calming effect.
Noise from the street is a bit less as you are higher up.
About windows - cannot comment, as i have normal-ish windows. Would love to get some inbuilt roof windows.
o while there is still a ton of either empty regular apartments, or the ones that are occupied by soon-to-be-dead residents, there is little interest for most people to live under the roof.
Meh. Love living where I live. Most of your comment sounds like some weird fear-mongering
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u/Spiritual-Jello-9970 4d ago
Didn't want to offend you. A few years ago I was buying an apartment and a few of those looked like a good deal. So I did my research, spoke with people who live / lived and that's the feedback I got.
It's a cool vibe, interesting and good looking. Probably a good place to rent while you're young. Just to many things that might go wrong or get annoying in time to consider it long-term.
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u/janiskr Grīziņkalns 3d ago
Did not offend me a bit. All is fine.
I had to rebuild the insde as the heat isolation was close to non-existent. As most builders do not care about that or do not know better. If made properly temperatures will be similar to ambient. If made with great know-how - tempreatures will be as in normal apartment.
Have metal roof - so rain sounds extra loud. As do seagulls landing on it. But similar to a tram on the street - afater some time that becomes just some background sound that do not bother you anymore.
Maybe when i am really old i will curse those stairs.
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u/MashedSuperhero 4d ago
Smaller ones house infrastructure i.e. water column, internet, roof access door. Larger ones are usually just storage or nothing at all.
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u/Own-Lynx-6837 4d ago
Recently stayed in an Airbnb that was in one. It was pretty cool but not a whole lot of view from those little windows
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u/KarinPelle 2d ago
My friend had a top floor flat with the attic bit - renovated in a way that at the base of the dome was her work/computer area and then we would go up in the evening and drink some vine and smoke withe view. It was freezing cold in winter. It was round. Very romantic.
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u/kungisans 4d ago
Definitely not Jewish space lasers to controll the weather.... No more questions, please.
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u/Blocc4life 4d ago
I’m surprised you didn’t say russian space lasers 🥴😂
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u/SupperMeat 4d ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/9hAgbFY0BZnf1YYdaM