Villa Milia

Logical Conclusion

Picture yourself in a perfect place in which the infinities of time and space converge, creating a perfect world, in which you momentarily plunge into the state of “here and now” – that is exactly how you feel at the hall of Villa Milia. Movement of energy captured in perfect lines and forms, combination of colours and shades, a play of light and shadows transferred into aromas and sounds, all of that creates an absolute harmony, inspiring, calming, understandable without words, graspable with all five senses.

Inspiration
in Everything

Inspired by the iconic age of Latvia and the harmony of nature, architect Zane Tetere is designing the interior of Villa Milia from natural materials that have been characteristic to Jurmala at all times and does it in a way characteristic only to Jurmala – with a subtle sense of style, a unique take on space and selected materials of the highest quality. With the delicacy so characteristic to Latvians, the main hall area of Villa Milia is divided into four sectors, each providing privacy and inviting to comfortably and slowly enjoy a cup of good coffee and immerse yourself in conversations with guests.

Perfection
in Details

We strongly believe that perfection can only be achieved by adopting a complex approach that does not accept compromises.

Reception desk is made of man-made stone with wooden fragments. Silver travertine complimented with glass is on the floor and walls, effectively bringing out the wooden panels and doorframes to elevator and apartments made from the rare paldao wood with distinguished texture.

This wood was chosen for its wonderful texture, crafted by the nature itself and encompassing a combination of colours ranging from warm pink and light brown to greenish grey with grey and dark brown stripes. The very same material is used by Bentley designers for custom made car interiors.

The furniture items have a pleasant texture. A cosy atmosphere is created by countless light sources, starting from the spectacular chandelier above the reception table to the warm ambient lights fitted in walls and apartments. The elevator doors are made from matte brass and the elevator car, custom made for this project, will accompany you to the selected level. A designer handle made of brass will open the three meter high double-leaf door to your apartment.

All Villa Milia interior paints one single picture in which each element is an object of flawless design in its own right, with its character, history and purpose, but all together they are the perfect companions on a journey of self-discovery.

Expanding Horizons

As a bona fide art form, architecture is a reflection of its time, it has the ability to preserve and carry forward in time the understanding of life of entire generations. The exquisite, meditative architecture of Villa Milia has been made not to limit the space, but to extend it, thus creating a new world for inspiration, creativity and conversations. Here our eternal companions, the natural materials wood, stone and glass, are in their innate state, thereby prompting a dialogue with the visitor, each telling their own story, all together forming symphonies, giving them shape and a special meaning.

Immersed in a game of thousand reflections, the façade tiles tell us that about ambiguity and uncertainty of everything in this world. The polished edges of glass panels of balcony railings reflect the sunrays, causing us to recall vivid and unforgettable experiences that have changed us forever. Silver travertine, this textured and vivid stone, symbolises stability and well-being. The wood channels strength and gives confidence that everything is possible. Just as a mighty pine grows up from a tiny seed, a wish planted in the consciousness gives the strength to fulfil it.

Latvian architect Zane Tetere has a distinctive style. Whilst keeping the unimposing carcass of the building characteristic to Jurmala, she focused on form and attention to detail when creating Villa Milia. Villa Milia is a refined, intellectual project that epitomises minimalism in all its forms (expressive visual appearance, semiotic meaning for solutions). The architectural concept is an elegant and artful fusion of the last great style, the exquisite Art Deco, and the laconic functionalism, popular in Jurmala in the 1930`s.

Contemplating Eternity

Villa Milia philosophy of life “here and now” is interlinked with history, with the people who created it. We (the authors of this project) attempted to establish and reveal this bond by incorporating all these basic concepts – eternity, time, the value of life of each human being, and precisely these concepts form the backbone of Villa Milia.

Our objective is to make Villa Milia a place, a personal space where you can be truly happy, unaffected by the flow of time, where you can contemplate the circle of life as well as recharge your batteries of vitality and become one with eternity, even if just for a short while.

Embodiment of Perfection

20th century was a period of advancement and economic growth, a great time for Latvia. It has given us charismatic personalities, famous heroes for whom the words “I`m doing this for my country” were more than just words. The idea of conserving the memories and values of people from that time and passing it on to the next generations makes up the fabric of the Villa Milia concept.

The new interpretation of Villa Benjamina is a tribute to its former owner, the so called Queen of Press in the 30s and 40s – Emilia Benjamina. Blessed with remarkable taste, Emilia Benjamina always chose the best of what talented people had created. No compromises, no choosing between design and quality, infrastructure or privacy, modern technologies or cosiness. The creators of Villa Milia made a bold decision – this will be the perfect project.

Signs

Just after this idea was conceived, it mystically started to attract people whose ancestors were in some way or another connected to Emilia or taken part in creation of Villa Benjamina. Turned out that the grandmother of the very talented architect Zane Tetere was from the Benjamin family. The guru of style – Bruno Birmanis joined this project because his grandfather had taken part in designing Villa Benjamina. So the subject of Villa Milia started to become very special, which the creators of this project took as a sign. As Paulo Coelho wrote in his novel The Alchemist: “The universe is always giving you signs, you just have to know how to read them.”

Generational Link

“My father used to drive me in a car just like that.” “Grandfather thought me how to tell what time it is on this watch.” “Our whole family spent a summer here, those were the happiest days of my childhood.” To some things we assign a special value and there is a good reason why some places are called places of power. From a handful of cogwheels, a watch turns into a medium carrying the memories, experiences, ideas and world view of past generations. Ancestral home encompasses the concepts of comfort, stability, happiness and calm, it offers support and is a source of vitality. We have no doubt that Villa Milia will become a sanctuary for you, in which you will feel a spiritual bond with the past, whilst truly appreciating the real story taking place right here, right now.

Start of the Road

Those who enter Villa Milia are greeted by the first gate, which represent the boundaries of the house that is not only a home, but also a seat of the soul. A house, just as the primordial sound of the universe and manifestation of divinity Om (Aum), is a state of happiness, a feeling of inner security, openness and freedom. Entering through the first gate has a symbolic meaning of cleansing, freeing you from all that is unnecessary, unimportant or outdated in order to find room for the new and truly important. The second gate brings true happiness, wealth as well as fulfils the innermost wishes of a free, strong-willed and smart person.

The Gate

The word “gate” is inseparable form a “road” as the gate is either the start or the end of a road. The gate is a milestone, a checkpoint that helps us to stop and contemplate, to evaluate, to check whether we are going in the right direction, it gives us a chance to re-define our goals and see the road clearer.

The ancient Romans and Greeks used to build triumphal arches to honour the victorious generals and grand occasions. Ever since the times of Kievan Rus’ a city gate have been more than just for fortification purposes, they also defined the border between the city “space” and the “chaos” of surrounding area. In Japan, the ritual Torii gates symbolize passage to another world where all visitors can communicate with divine forces and plead for protection.

A Legend: The Chinese have a legend about a carp, who wanted to become a dragon. In order to fulfil this dream, the carp had to swim upstream and cross a threshold called “The Dragon Gate”. The carp swam towards its dream, its perseverance and dedication helped the carp to overcome all hardships. The fish jumped over the threshold, turned into a mighty dragon and flew to the sky. The carp jumping though the Dragon Gate has a symbolic meaning of overcoming obstacles in order to raise to the next level.

A special state

Just as in Villa Benjamina, also in Villa Milia the main entrance hall of the building has enjoyed special attention. The territory of this development has been landscaped in line with Japanese landscaping guidelines. Here, all is well thought out, all objects of the landscape fit perfectly in their places, all is in balance, thus creating a harmonious environment, allowing one who enters to immerse into deep thoughts on eternity. The symbolism of such gardens extends the boundaries of their territory to the size of the world.

The flowing water next to the entrance of the building feels like a world ocean, the feminine genesis of all wonders, its sound calms the mind, its melodies rouse a philosophical state of mind and according to teachings of Feng Shui – bring wealth and prosperity to a house. The house made of stone (new marble) epitomises the beauty, strength and stability of mountain ranges – the masculine genesis. Fire – the divine genesis, energy, ambition, success. The flowering plants embody vitality, beauty and happiness, the lawn symbolizes reliability, protection and security.

ENDLESS
FEELING
OF HAPPINESS

Next to the building entrance is a special object, a sculpture crafted by the nature itself in tandem with human – a bonsai tree, a pine that symbolizes longevity and strength. Located at the very centre of the project and on an elevation, it seems like the heart of the building, merging the inner and outer spaces.

Water, fire, stone, wood and the fresh sea air of Jurmala, these are the same five elements which have been in Jurmala since the 30`s, the same ones that will last forever and fill the heart with happiness of simple existence.

Unification Ceremony

When coming to the door you will instantly get the feeling that this is not just a door to a hose, this is a doorway behind which the most intimate, the most important is hidden. Each time you arrive home or invite like-minded people, you touch the door handle and open the door to your ideal world. It is a continuation of the road of self-discovery, kind of a ceremony that unifies with the sacred space of the building.