Our September Business After Hours kindly hosted by our member Roche Latvija was indeed an exclusive opportunity to hear a truly amazing story of Roche historic home located at Miera 25. The building, where Roche Latvija is located, has just regained its second splendor.  Roche repurchased the two-story building from the state in 2016 that was built in 1932-1933 for the needs of Roche production plant and office. Now Roche Latvija team has returned to its historic home to continue helping patients in Latvia.

The program included a tour by Gatis Didrihsons, Lead Architect at Didrihsons Arhitekti and presentationd by Dr. Rauls Veliņš, Director of Roche Latvija and Prof. Juris Salaks, Director of RSU Institute of Medical History.

This was truly amazing story by Prof. Juris Salaks, Director of RSU Institute of Medical History who based his presentation on many historical finding found in the Latvian State Historical Archive and others archives. According to Prof. Salaks,Roche in Riga was able to work its way up from just a small office to a large laboratory and production site in only around ten years. The construction of the Roche building is a huge part of the success story. 

Gatis Didrihsons, Lead Architect at Didrihsons Arhitekti explained details of the renovation process of the Roche building. The renovation process was a big challenge for the whole team of architects and builders. One corner of the historic house was almost 60 centimeters lower than the other, and the building needed to be leveled. With the involvement of the Italian construction company Novatek, the building was leveled by 59 centimeters without cracks and losses.

We are grateful to Roche Latvija for hosting an amazing event with inspiring presentations and excellent food and wine. 

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