Interior design for @ccaf.cacao a functional drinks café in Riga.
Created within a tight budget and short timeframe, the interior combines custom elements, found objects, material off-cuts and off-the-shelf pieces.
Deploying a combination of raw materials and authentic detailing, the functional components of the interior are softened by elements that serve as gentle bodies. Together, they make space for a robust yet soothing ambience on one of the busiest streets in the city.
Team: Dagnija Smilga, Ömer Gürel, Zoe Oshwald, Stefan Gricenko
Production: Aleksandrs Breže, Black A Design
📸 @emilsozolins
Nominated for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award 2024. @eumiesawards
Social services centre PERLE. In an extremely tight budget the goal was to give the most vulnerable part of the society the best that we possibly can. The maximum use of daylight, natural materials and the constructive clarity where timber structure is space and space is structure make the compact 720 m2 building feel generous. Various spaces such as workshops, therapy procedures, sensory room and multifunctional hall are all organised on one level sheltered by a large triangular shaped roof.
Photos by Peteris Viksna @peterisviksna
enormously proud of @_eeter ’s deserved success as recipients of the 2022 @dezeenawards_ exhibition of the year! 🥹 award systems are strange things, but sometimes they make total sense — ĒTER really are a cut above and it’s a privilege to be alongside them on WEIRD SENSATION FEELS GOOD’s soft and whispered journey! 🤫 #asmr_irl
📷: @editphoto@nelta.fr@arkdesc@designmuseum
AB Dambis - kultūras ainavparks Rīgai (cultural landscape park for Riga)
Opposite Old Town Riga, a new destination is emerging - a cultural landscape park where the city’s identity, national values, and contemporary culture meet. Once an industrial structure, AB Dambis is becoming a vibrant public space within Riga’s green network. At its core is Jānis Čakste’s Path - a winding route connecting key points across the park. Key features include a cherry tree promenade, public waterfront access, event spaces, and panoramic viewpoints. AB Dambis becomes a platform for culture, community, and future thinking. A new sculpture park will introduce contemporary Latvian art, growing over time with new works. Alongside it, a public program invites reflection on the future: How can cities evolve and adapt? How do we build a nation that meets the demands of the future?
Competition 2nd Prize
TEAM
Architecture: ĒTER (Dagnija Smilga, Beatrise Šteina Zepa, Marvin van Koll, Annija Lausa, Ralfs Ašaks, Tils Zigmunds Ozoliņš)
Landscape: DRMA (Simon Enemaerke) @drma_cph
Hydrology: Royal Haskonings
VOLCANO at Studio Rex
Amos Rex Museum @amoskonst | Helsinki, Finland
ĒTER was invited to renew Studio Rex - art workshop space in Amos Rex - a major contemorary art museum in central Helsinki. It is a space for creativity, exchange and new insights in art.
At the heart of the Studio Rex stands a striking Volcano - a giant, soft sofa-sculpture. You are welcome to sit, lie down, or climb to the top and imagine diving through the hidden cavities inside. From within the Volcano, the space invites reflection on the world around us and on the thoughts, ideas and emotions quietly smouldering beneath our own surface.
Team: Dagnija Smilga, Kārlis Bērziņš, Ieva Beltjukova
Production: Black A Design (soft), Bushmando (structure)
VELDZE Creative Factory
Housing Project A
Matīsa Street 8 | Riga
We are excited to share that ĒTER has won a 4000 m² housing project in the Riga Historic Center.
Located in the heart of a post-industrial quarter, the project is rooted in community values and will offer around 50 spacious loft-like apartments for residents seeking a vibrant urban environment.
Materiality and spacious interiors reflect the industrial character of the area, while urban gardens, extensive balconies and a community terrace define a new direction in domestic living, where architecture shapes connection.
Team: Dagnija Smilga, Beatrise Steina, Ömer Gürel, Sandis Radziņš, Annija Lausa, Ralfs Ašaks
Special thanks to Juris Strangots & Reinis Saliņš
A very delicate approach to the electronic music event!
Proud to take part in such a great collaboration between architecture, scenography, lighting, overall context and like-minded people!
Great way to enter 2026! Let it beat!
@penthausco@_eeter@thoseguys.lighting@dont.panic.design.solutions
@_eeter is an architectural and design practice that explores the intersection of nature, technology, and contemporary culture. Founded by Kārlis Bērziņš, Dagnija Smilga, and Niklāvs Paegle, it operates between the Alps and the Baltics and creates immersive spaces—from tactile theatres to sensitive libraries—designed for shared experiences.
At the Tactile Baltics, ĒTER presents their ASMR-inspired design collection that translates ASMR’s sensory experiences and calming qualities into functional designs, drawing from biomorphic growth in nature and the body.
See Tactile Baltics from April 7 to 13 at @moscapartners Variations in Palazzo Litta, Corso Magenta 24, 20121 Milano
Opening hours: 10.00 - 20.00
Find out more on tactilebaltics.com
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#tactilebaltics
#moscapartners
#milanodesignweek
