[Photo from liveriga.com]

The Āgenskalns Market building is a splendid sample of early 20th century rational Art Nouveau; it was constructed in 1911 according to the design of Riga Chief Architect Reinhold Schmaeling. The pavilion features red brick walls with white decoration, vertical windows and an ornamented chimney; the interior still bears marks from the Soviet period.

The First World War made some corrections to the construction process of Āgenskalns Market building, which was restarted in 1923. The interior was finished in 1925.

Today the rational approach to the building has still been preserved not only in the exterior but also in the arrangement of market stalls on the ground floor. Here you will find big pieces of meat, tasty smoked sausages, Latvian milk in big cans, and various cheese. Remember to also taste local cottage cheese!

You will find stairs to the local cafe in the farthest end of the building. Here you'll see crumbling tile to remind you of the past, while some locals discuss daily issues at a table. In 1940 some room for shops were constructed on the first floor. Today you can purchase clothes or hats here, find master locksmiths for another copy of your key cut, repair your clock or buy a new one. You will also find various magnifying glasses to better see small items; and here it's full of them!