
Evelīna Ozola: in the Mood for Culture
There is no way to describe the current state of Latvian architecture without at least mentioning the so-called “large cultural buildings”. During the last decade, these have been the words constantly repeated by ministers, city mayors, directors of cultural institutions, and the media.

Kaisa Ling. Bathology
Bathology is an example of a possible artistic method which attempts to take into account the object’s perspective, the object as is. The budding bathology was inspired by the Lithuanian artist Marija Baranauskaitė and her exploration of sofanity. Namely, in 2018 she started developing the Sofa Project, a conceptual clowning performance where the target audience is not sentient, not even human but a sofa. In addition to being entertaining to human audiences as well as object-audiences (hopefully), it is also compelling for theoretical reasons, evoking among other things musings in the vein of Philosophy of Technology, Critical Posthumanism and Object-Oriented Ontology as well as exercises in non-anthropocentric thinking, and attempts to place something other than a human in the position of a subject.

Summer/fall 2020: Special Issue: Interior Design
Ilmunud on Maja uus number, mis on pühendatud Eesti Sisearhitektide Liidu 30. juubelile

Acknowledging unnoticed architecture. The foundation of the Kreisi family
The foundation of the Kreis family is the first foundation by a local family to support architecture that was established by Heljo Kreis in 2012 to commemorate her late sons, architects Hanno and Erki Kreis. The aim of the foundation award is to acknowledge noteworthy phenomena, alternative practises and versatile creators who have remained on the margin of the mainstream Estonian architecture. The council of the foundation include Kristel Ausing, Mart Kalm, Pille Kitsing, Ülo Peil, Andres Siim and Emil Urbel. Below, Emil Urbel, Mart Kalm and Kristel Ausing will provide more details about the foundation activities and the award winners.

An Urban Visionary Villem Tomiste
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.

KUU Architects. Between Concept and Context
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.

Indrek Peil. A Local Architect
Spectrum thinking has freed him from the constraints of the black-and-white view of the world: drifting in semitones allows him to choose only the topics that fire him up. Everything you start with must be finished, the process is facilitated by the main tool of concentration that to outsiders seems deceivingly chaotic.

Tomomi Hayashi and Hanno Grossschmidt. Thinking in terms of material
It seems that in architecture, the only way to ensure high quality is to rely on commitment, consideration and precision. Tomomi Hayashi and Hanno Grossschmidt do their work in a composed manner with professionalism and commitment. And their architecture speaks for them.

Veronika Valk-Siska. Enambling Playful Architecture(s). Interviewed by Hans Ibelings
For Veronika Valk-Siska, architecture neither begins nor ends with a design or a building. Her career in architecture until now can be read as a reflection of an increasingly expansive understanding of what architecture could be.

Theoretically Grounded Architecture: Where Did it Disappear?
Andres Sevtsuk is a Professor of Urban Science and Planning at the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT, where he also leads the City Form Lab. Maroš Krivý is a professor of Urban Studies at the Estonian Academy of Arts.They shared their insights on current state and challenges of Estonian architecture.

A Hundred Issues of Critical Discussion on Architecture: a Round Table Discussion With Editors-In-Chief of MAJA
Since 1994, the architectural review MAJA has been the key platform for promoting and reflecting on Estonian architecture. On the occasion of the 100th issue, all former editors-in-chief – Leele Välja, Piret Lindpere, Triin Ojari, Katrin Koov and Kaja Pae – came together to discuss their working principles and the changes the journal has undergone in the past twenty-five years. Interviewed by Andres Kurg.

Kaur Sarv: reviving the “industrial backwoods” of Tudulinna
The reconstruction of buildings under heritage protection and providing them with new content is one way to make a small borough known and alive again.

Madli Maruste: Estonian farmstead—a compass pointing to both the past and the future
What can barn-dwelling architecture teach us today?

Dalia Milián Bernal, Panu Lehtovuori. Split Level
A story of ruptures and their appropriation.

Mariann Drell. Spatial poetry Spatial illusion Spatial design Spatial poetry design
The question is concerned with the unknown and how to give sense to it. As in the end, every unfamiliarity may be given a familiar, perceivable context. However, let us talk about the feeling of unfamiliarity. Could it be something more, something more genuine or even more delicate than the most obvious, for instance, an abandoned building?

Katrin Koov: the travelogue of Mäetaguse
Known for its openness to change, Mäetaguse borough has successfully combined its central area comprising buildings of various eras and the great outdoor space into an effective and comprehensive environment.

Kadri Koppel, Martin Allik. The process within the process
Gothenburg’s Jubileumsparken is being designed with an open mind and all changes are welcomed with open arms: it is still unclear what kind of spatial disruptions will be implemented and where these manipulations will come into play. This depends on the parties involved and their reactions to the process.

Leonhard Lapin: Victims of Communism Memorial at Maarjamäe
The minimalist grandeur and archetypal imagery of the memorial engage the viewer up to a point of awe.

Andres Kurg. Do Not Lead Me Anywhere, Let Me Be Lost
Every act of redesign, renaming or shift, especially in downtown, always bears reference to choices and decisions with a broader ideological background.

Jaan Kaplinski. The Era of Green Deserts
The order of nature is complex, interesting and beautiful. However, mankind’s understanding of order and beauty tends to be somewhat primitive and thus we are increasingly losing the sense of balance that could direct our activities. Green areas are meant for public use, but in reality they have become neatly mowed lawns that people never walk on and that we have consequently made unsuitable for other living organisms.

Terje Ong, Risto Kozer. Architecture That Invites You to Move
How to design public spaces to make us enjoy our daily movement?

Kadri Roosi: a Heated Sanctuary
In addition to bringing together various public functions, the former Kulla confirmation house reconstructed as a library and rural municipality office also functions as a gate to the local community.

Toomas Tammis: Suure-Jaani Gained a Chunk of a Town (centre)
Careful homework on selecting the location for Suure-Jaani health centre, the wise decisions made by the local government as well as drawing together a number of public functions have provided the means for the emergence of very good architecture and the future town centre of Suure-Jaani.

Carl-Dag Lige. A Phoenix Risen from the Ashes: The New Home of the Estonian Academy of Arts
Love is emanating from this building. The new building of the art academy on the edge of Kalamaja in Tallinn has architecture which is carefully thought through and gives a positive boost to the future of Estonia’s principal institution providing higher art education.

Triin Ojari. Humbly Majestic. Arvo Pärt Centre at Laulasmaa
The centre dedicated to the composer Arvo Pärt is loaded with many different expectations which set very high standards for the architecture. A successful architectural space not only provides a particular set of facilities, but also functions as an abstract machine, a means to contemplate our place in grander schemes of things.

Darja Andrejeva. Luther Machine Room: a Temple of the Industrial Era
Strict special conditions set by the National Heritage Board have ensured excellent renovation results but not the thunderbolt contemporary solution on a par with the original.

Ann Alari. A Bogscape in a Birdcage
The renovation of 44 Queen’s Gate Terrace was completed more than a year ago, after which the embassy’s doors were also opened to visitors, whose numbers have risen impressively. A fair testament to high public interest in the building is the fact that on the city’s annual embassy open-doors day, the Estonian Embassy was so popular that the amount of people wishing to tour it exceeded the limited time frame allowed.

Andres Sevtsuk. River Town Tartu – Four Competitions for the Banks of River Emajõgi
Several competition entries captured quintessential characteristics of Tartu. How to plan future competitions so that these characteristics could be more systemically written into competition briefs and implemented in 21st century projects?

Karin Bachmann, Merle Karro-Kalberg, Anna-Liisa Unt. Antidepressants for small towns
“Great Public Spaces” competitions have an unprecedented historical value – the improvement of the quality of the spaces between the buildings has never been approached so systematically. The first of the fifteen squares are completed and ready for use. How did the innovations suggested in the winning entries transform into projects and from paper to space?

Ülar Mark. How to Read the Masterplan Process
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.

Edith Wouters: explorations in the Estonian Countryside: How to Make Villages Smart?
During a two-week stay in MAAJAAM, an artist residency in Neeruti village near Otepää, Belgian architect Edith Wouters reflected on what a desired future for villages in the countryside could be.

Siim Tuksam: Space and Digital Reality
The top-level conference held at the Estonian Academy of Arts during the Tallinn Architecture Biennale dealt with the effect of digitality on architecture, production processes and society.

Marianne Jõgi. These walls, they talk
The objective of the subjective preference theory founded by the Japanese acoustician Yoichi Ando is to examine the emergence of a satisfying aural experience in a space that supports learning and creative processes.

August Krogan-Roley. Emtpy Coats
Photo essay.

Ott Kadarik. Maschinenwerke
Photo essay.

Johan Huimerind. Karlova Obscura
Photo Essay

Anu Vahtra. Four Spaces
Photo Essay.

Johan Huimerind. Karlova Obscura
Fotoessee.

Paco Ulman. Wasteland
Exhibition and spatial installation in the main hall of the Museum of Estonian Architecture 27.01.-25.03.2018.