The Spīķeri quarter was known as Lastadija – German for loading or unloading place. The Spikers have vaulted cellars and wooden mezzanine floors. The spires form a continuous building ensemble, albeit spatially incomplete. The first spire was built in 1864 and the newest in 1886, gradually replacing the earlier wooden warehouses or ambars which had been there since 1812. A total of 58 stone spires were built. Some of the district’s red spīķers were dismantled in 1924-1930 with the construction of the Riga Central Market, and a small number of spīķers were converted into residential buildings or demolished. The remaining spīķers were used as hay, oat, linseed and carpentry stores, strikers’ workshops, electric motor and agricultural machinery warehouses, grain warehouses, plywood warehouses, egg warehouses.

The Spīķeri ensemble consists of 12 buildings that have been renovated over time. Not all of them have been thought through, but some of them can be accessed without steps and thresholds. There are no pictograms or signs outside the buildings. The buildings are mostly occupied by offices and service providers. The Spīķeri Concert Hall is open to the public when events are taking place. The area is well landscaped and easy to use. A ramp through a tunnel leads to the riverside promenade along the Daugava.