From June 6 till 8, the Andrejsala property development company SIA Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums (JAU) organised an architectural conference for discussing and modelling the possible future of one of the area's landmarks, the old grain elevator. Teams of experts worked on finding the optimum layout for the eventually transformable building so that, in line with its new functional concept, it would integrate ideally with both the existing and the future surroundings. Additionally the planning of the nearby segment of the Daugava embankment and promenade also required specialist consideration.

Six architectural firms had delegated their representatives to participate in the gathering: NRJA, Nams, Forma, Didrihsons arhitekti, Arhitektes Lienes Griezītes studija and Mark. The first day of the conference mainly introduced the organisers' view on the historic building's future role and significance within the broader context of Andrejsala's vast-scale future transformation. On the following day the participants split up into several teams and locations, with some going back to their own bureaus and the rest staying to work at the head office of JAU. On Saturday, the 7th of June, JAU's delegates paid visits to the architects' offices in order to continue providing additional information relevant to each of the differing proposals and to discuss the best ways of working toward the agreed objective. The third day of the gathering reunited the participants, who presented their blueprints and engaged in commenting and evaluating one another's visions.

"It's important to stimulate and not to limit the artist's or architect's thought, which we tried to accomplish by asking our contributors about their visions of the future of the building. And their approaches did demonstrate considerable variety: some of the architects focused on commercially viable, reality-grounded solutions, while others took wider conceptual strides. Every rough drawing that was made conveyed an individualised proposal regarding the building's and its surroundings' future integration," commented architects Madara Orupe and Aigars Kušķis representing JAU's planning division.

The spectrum of proposals presented during the 2nd conference day also made the organisers decide that due to the radically different conceptualisations it would be too early at this time to choose one single winner. Instead, the panel made observations during the attendees' work on their conceptual blueprints as well as during the presentations, by regarding the respective authors' overall approach, general idea of the proposed structure as well as developmental substantiation and economic sustainability. The final decision allowed categorising the projects into three main groups:

• Conceptual original architecture (creativity and innovative ideas), proposed by Nams and Lienes Griezītes studija;
• Arts and entertainment complex (a structure that follows its intended arts-related and public-venue functions), proposed by Mark and NRJA;
• Commercial structure (a transformed building accommodating a wide and integrated range of cost-effective functions), proposed by Didrihsons arhitekti and Forma.

"The rough drawings made during the conference are just the beginning. They're not finished concepts that we could choose from and start implementing the best one immediately," Madara Orupe explained. This was seconded also by Aigars Kušķis: "Considering the rather varied proposals, the continuation of this work might involve the creation and weighing up of several alternatives for developing and transforming the building. Thus we'd select the one that's best for the character and the potential of the building as well as for the developmental direction of the entire surroundings". In short, the architects' suggestions ranged from a complex of restaurants, a hotel and an office block to a residential structure, a multifunctional theatre and concert hall. As the organiser's representatives summed up: "The trying on for size, in terms of functions, has happened. We have collected a set of useful ideas and opinions that will be applied in our further activity."          

The conference concluded with a deciding of the most successful proposals in their respective categories: Nams (best original concept); Mark (best blueprint for an arts and entertainment venue); Didrihsons arhitekti (best commercial structure).