Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, collectively known as the Baltics, are three small countries that most of the world finds pretty much indistinguishable. As a geopolitical term, ‘the Baltics’ took root only in the 20th century. The more distant past and cultural history of the three countries differ on several levels.
Perhaps it is namely in defiance against externally imposed homogenising simplifications that we tend to turn to more distant places for inspiration and view local trends and tendencies as something confined only to national borders. However, anxious times encourage unity, urging us to discover and interpret our identities ourselves instead of letting others define us. In order to be carried and consolidated not only by fear, but also joy, pleasure, and curiosity we invite to discover commonalities and peculiarities of the Baltic countries!
Wide breadth, blurred boundaries, ambiguous endings and beginnings—the charm of the Baltic condition is not easy to grasp. But as Latvians say, per Reinis Salins: ‘Katram savs stūrītis’ (‘Everyone has their own corner’).
Architect Johan Tali, landscape architect Merle Karro-Kalberg, architect Siiri Vallner, project manager Priit Õunpuu and interior architect Hanna Karits discuss their experiences of using limestone in recent projects.
Limestone in Estonian Construction and Architecture in the 20th Century.
This piece by geologist Rein Einasto and engineer Hubert Matve was first published in newspaper Sirp ja Vasar on the 13th of July, 1987. Forty years later, Rein Einasto maintains that sustainable and multifaceted use of local stone is a necessity without an alternative, and a wide open road of possibilities.
Case Study - 4 social housing units with 68 apartments in Switzerland, architecture Gilles Perraudin and Atelier Archiplein.
Case Study - apartment building in Paris, at 62 Rue Oberkampf, architecture by Barrault Pressacco.
Case Study - office and apartment building in London, 15 Clerkenwell Close, architecture by Groupwork.
Acting as material broker, Amaya Hernandez writes about saving more than 100 million years old stone from being ground into aggregate for a concrete planter.
Artist Helena Keskküla wanted to work on stone as she tracked stone-related episodes in the text and illustrations of The Kalevide, and looked for connections between stone and Estonianness.
Designing in close collaboration with what the material provides, ’Working Stone’ summer school uncovered some interesting alternative approaches to productive reuse.
Geologist Helle Perens emphasises that instead of worrying about the environmental impact of quarrying building stone, we should worry that there are plans for the near future to extract senseless amounts of it, including very high-quality stone, only to crush it into aggregate.
Architect Madli Kaljuste takes a look at Linnahall that hides traces of 400-million-years-old life in its walls.
Editors' choice
What kind of relationship between a space and its surroundings would help to avoid the objectification of space—i.e., treating buildings or areas as sculptures or fully controllable objects?
Paide State Secondary School is an excellent example of the mutually complementary dialogue between a historical space and contemporary architecture.
Little was built following the re-establishment of Estonian independence in the early 1990s, however, the debates held and practices established largely came to set the foundations for the dominant issues in the architectural field in the past decades.
What kind of relationship between a space and its surroundings would help to avoid the objectification of space—i.e., treating buildings or areas as sculptures or fully controllable objects?
Most read
Developing community gardening helps to improve the ecological, social and financial situation of the urban environment. Estonia still has the tenacity and skills to grow food under power lines and in other urban wastelands, so let's treasure these skills and people who have the know-how to use them in public space!
Against the backdrop of these phenomena, the wasteland paradigm shifted for us: the derelict and polluted areas around the city were like symbols of negative change in the environment with traces og bygone natural habitats or normal human activity, remains of stratified time, soul from different periods of Estonian life.
A story of ruptures and their appropriation.
What is the image conjured up by the phrase ‘the industrial heritage of Tallinn’? Is it the Creative Hub (Kultuurikatel), Rotermann Quarter or perhaps Noblessner Foundry (Valukoda)? Henry Kuningas resorts to outstanding examples to describe the main features implemented in the reconstruction of the industrial heritage in the past two decades.
The architecture offices born at the time of economic downturn are inevitably much less inclined to undertake bold experiments than the ones whose beginnings are rooted in more auspicious times. Instead, what becomes crucial then is an ability to make the most out of the limited resources in a nuance-sensitive way. Thus, KUU architects are, in a sense, minimalists, yet they do not seek minimal form, but look for opportunities to efficiently utilise the existing contexts in order to create spaces that empower its users.
Case Study - 4 social housing units with 68 apartments in Switzerland, architecture Gilles Perraudin and Atelier Archiplein.
Villem Tomiste is like a figure from the beginning of 20th century Young Estonia movement – genuinely European, deeply urban, and as such, slightly suspicious for the local conservative community. Unlike many architects who preach social benefits, he actually lives by what he promotes in his civic visions – urbanistically to the core, commuting on foot and by tram, avoiding over-consumption, and with a refined aesthetic sensibility. Contemporary spatial culture is, for him, a field of opportunities: extending from urban planning and landscaping projects to dialogues with contemporary music, the visual arts and various exhibition practices.
There are tumultuous times in the seafront development in Tallinn with variously motivated changes. This is the moment when architectural institutions must perceive their sense of responsibility and contribute to the big picture with their expert knowledge.
Which building or architectural project has seemed the most enigmatic to you? In this way, remained somewhat inexplicable, yet spoken to you through time? What is it about a building that enables us to say, “Architecture is an art of space“?
Developing community gardening helps to improve the ecological, social and financial situation of the urban environment. Estonia still has the tenacity and skills to grow food under power lines and in other urban wastelands, so let's treasure these skills and people who have the know-how to use them in public space!
