The future mission of the Contemporary Art Museum is to create an opportunity to evaluate the diversity of contemporary art, its dialectics, creating an institution of contemporary art of international significance, the collection of which would be comprised of high quality artwork, which would be preserved, exhibited and interpreted according to the highest criteria with the highest accessibility and in a mutually interested dialogue with different groups of society (life-long education, programs of specialized schools and general education establishments, integration projects for minorities, etc.).
In October 2004 an international seminar of architects organized by the Ministry of Culture and Riga City Council took place in Riga on the sites of a contemporary acoustic concert hall and contemporary art museum in the city of Riga. Based on the results of the seminar, the Consultative Council of the Ministry of Culture and Riga City Council determined a power-plant building and territory in Andrejsala as the construction site for the future Contemporary Art Museum.
Based on the construction and infrastructure requirements, developed by the State Agency “The New Three Brothers”, the territory developer New Riga Development Company ordered a design for the museum from the office OMA (the Netherlands) of the world - famous architect Rem Koolhaas, who has internationally recognized experience in museum design. On September 3, 2000 the presentation of the project design took place at the Ministry of Culture.
Rem Koolhaas proposed to create a contemporary multifunctional building according to the design order of an international expert commission. Parallel to the exhibitions of art objects it has been envisaged to assign significant space to accommodation of stores, restaurants and conference halls. The project envisages that it will be possible to organize movie shows, theatre shows, concerts and other performances in the museum building. In other words the former CHP will acquire a new life – it will be transformed into a centre of culture and education.
The occupying of the new building is taken care of by the holding expert commission. Latvia is represented in it by Helēna Demakova, Astrīda Rogule, representative of the new media center RIXC Raitis Šmits, Board Chairman of Aizkraukles Banka Ernests Bernis et al. Foreign specialists - Dr. Raminta Jurenaite (Lithuania), Sirje Helme (Estonia, Director of KUMU museum), professor Mareta Jaukuri (Finland) and Norbert Veber (Germany, owner of NEMO gallery) - are engaged in the Commission as well.
