Looking at the Riga town Hall, the feeling that she always stood on this site, but it's not. The first building of the town Hall occupied the place where now rise laboratory building your MOUTH. They were built in 60-ies of the 20 century. When in the 1990-ies talk about restoring the town Hall, we had to build on a new and not at its historic location.

According to historical Chronicles, the first town Hall building located at the intersection of two Central streets of old Riga Tirgonu (Trading) and Skyny (Barn). The townspeople were able force to win the right to have the authority of municipal government after 1225. In those years, rebelled, those who were dissatisfied with the regime of Bishop albert von Buxhoevden. A year later, in 1226 Riga managed to defend the rights of the city and the opportunity to pursue an independent policy. This circumstance has led to the creation of the city Council (rata), as well as construction for buildings. Built residence Hall was located in the so-called big gate, which was the main entrance to Riga.

Assume that the first town Hall was destroyed in the battle waged with the Order, when the order's troops missed Riga as a result of the popular uprising in 1297. Although in 1330 the Order managed to retake Riga. The new building, mentioned in written sources in 1334, and was built to replace the old Riga on the market square.

It is assumed that the second town Hall was built in the Gothic style, the roof was high pitched. A total of 6 spaces. Rooms on the first floor were leased retail space. Every year, on the eve of the national holiday – day of St. Michael, when were mass folk festivals, a spokesman from the city Hall balcony was reading the new decrees and regulations, including changes in the field of tax collection and monopolies on the production of any product (e.g., beer). The performances of the heralds were later called the burgher speeches. After 175 years on the balcony of the town Hall has invited the musician to the onset of each new hour sounded the melody.

The second Hall was heavily damaged during the siege of the city by the troops of Peter I in 1709-1710. The decision to demolish the building was made only in the mid-18th century. At the same time began the design and construction of the new building, already the third under the account, its construction lasted 15 years due to the fact that the government has allocated funds for the construction of the new city Hall periodically.

The third town Hall was built in the early classical style, the tower had a Baroque form, the building itself was framed by a columned portico of the Tuscan order. In 1791, was built attic part.

Reconstruction of the building began in 1848, the work was supervised by a young architect J. D. Felsko. On the improvement of the existing building Felsko worked for 2 years, was built on the third floor.

In 1877, following the reforms of the municipal government of the town Council was abolished. In the town Hall located main city library of Riga. Besides her, it housed the Bank and city orphan's court. It was not until the Second World war. In the summer of 1941, the former city Council came under a devastating fire, was a large fire, in which many buildings, including the town Hall burned down.

The ruins have not been touched in several years. Only after 1954, according to the decision of the Riga city Council, they were dismantled. And in place of the town Hall in the middle 50 years of the 20th century began to build new buildings of the Riga University. Some fragments of the town Hall were miraculously preserved till our days: sculptural fragments of the pediment sculpture of Themis.

To design the new town Hall began in the late 1990-ies. To implement the project managed until 2000. New town hall building was opened in November 2003. The new building is a replica of a historic building, which, however, differently estimated by architects and designers. Today this building is the Riga city Council.