The building now occupied by the Saeima was constructed in 1863-1867 for the needs of the Vidzeme Knighthood according to the design made by Robert Pflug, a Baltic-German architect, and Jānis Baumanis, the first academically educated Latvian architect.

On the facade of the Vidzeme Knighthood building, in the beginning of the 1870s a statue of Walter von Plettenberg was erected; it was made by Danish sculptor David Jensen from the sketches of Johann Adolf Timm. The sculpture was located in the external niche until 1921, when it was destroyed by fire. During the reconstruction of the building in 1922, the figure of the Master of the Livonian Order was replaced by Roberts Maurs’ statue of Lāčplēsis (Bearslayer). In the beginning of the 1950s, it was barbarically destroyed. Since 2007, a statue of Lāčplēsis can again be seen on the facade of the Saeima building. The new statue was made by Edvīns Krūmiņš from the photograph taken of Rihards Maurs’ statue of Lāčplēsis.

Both the building and its interior have been designed in the style known as Eclecticism. Features of the Renaissance style may be seen in the outward shape of the building and the main Representation Hall where Vidzeme Landtag meetings and celebrations were held. Louis XVI style had inspired the designers of the interior of the Yellow Hall, but the Gothic style — the layout of the Dining Hall. The interiors of these Halls were considered to be the most impressive in Riga.

In 1920 the Constitutional Assembly became the owner of the building. Before that year the People’s Council and the Government of the Latvian SSR headed by P. Stučka had already functioned in it. On 17 October 1921 the building was set on fire, and as a result the main Representation Hall, which was used as the Assembly Hall, burnt down. The Hall was restored according to the design of architect E.Laube and adapted to the needs of the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia. Minor changes were also introduced in other representation rooms.

On November 3, 1922 the last meeting of the Constitutional Assembly took place but already on November 7 the first meeting of the Saeima was held in the restored premises. The subsequent Saeimas worked in the building until the parliamentary work was interrupted on May 15, 1934. After the coup made by K.Ulmanis the former Saeima building housed the administrative services of the President of Latvia. In 1940 when the Soviet occupational regime was established, the building was taken over by the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR.

During World War II the SS established its Eastern Region Headquarters, as well as its police department in the building. At that time the interior decoration of the representation rooms was destroyed, and the largest part of books as well as the collection of applied art objects and paintings which had been preserved since the time of the Vidzeme Knighthood and the independence period of the Republic of Latvia were taken away to Germany. Part of the valuable objects of art were lost in the post-war period when the Supreme Council of the Latvian SSR moved into the building again.

In 1990 after the restoration of Latvia’s independence the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia and later the 5th Saeima worked in the building. At present the 9th Saeima is working in it.

The building has been reconstructed several times. At the beginning of the 1980s one of the inner courtyards was walled up to form a new room which at present is the Voting Hall. In 1996 the vestibule and the large marble staircase were painted anew to create the impression closer to the style of Eclecticism. In 1997 architect Andris Veidemanis in cooperation with SIA AIG designed a new interior of the Assembly Hall which was close to the design created by E.Laube. The amphitheatre layout was used to suit the needs of parliamentary meetings.

In the representation rooms there still are some original interior decorations, suites of furniture and objects of applied art preserved from the time when the building was constructed. The collection of objects of art is continuously supplemented by gifts presented to the Saeima by prominent guests. Guided tours of the Saeima building are organised for groups of visitors.  Reconstructed Assembly Hall, 1998