Pelgulinna State Gymnasium
Pelgulinna State Gymnasium takes part in Open House Tallinn. Admission is free. Tours require advance registration.
- Address
- Tallinna Pelgulinna Riigigümnaasium, Kolde puiestee, Tallinn, Eesti
- Open
- Sat, 10. October; Sun, 11. October
- Tours
- Sat, 10. October: 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00 | Sun, 11. October: 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00
- Tour languages
- eesti, English, русский
- Architects
- 2023, Arhitekt Must, Kino Maastikuarhitektid
- Tour length
- 45-60 min
- Max. visitors
- 34
Tallinn Pelgulinna State Gymnasium (PERG) was completed in the autumn of 2023. PERG is one of the largest wooden buildings in Estonia. A key feature of the building is a spatial lattice of glued laminated timber, which gives the facade a three-dimensional quality. The architects (Arhitekt Must OÜ) aimed to blur the boundary between interior and exterior space. Based on this idea, three living trees grow inside the school building. To further connect indoor and outdoor spaces, PERG is surrounded by an outdoor area designed by Kino Landscape Architects OÜ, offering various activities. This park, sports, and exhibition space makes it possible to hold outdoor classes and is also open to the wider public. The interior architects (Pink OÜ) proposed a free-form wooden staircase as the central element of the building, offering everyone a chance to find their own place, way of being, and activity. Tallinn Pelgulinna State Gymnasium is a distinctive and unifying learning environment for more than a thousand young people – students in grades 10–12. PERG is not just a school building. PERG is an educational, cultural, and community hub, where things are done together and flexibly. As one of PERG’s guiding principles states: we do not make a boring school or do things in a boring way – we are bold. Guided tours of the building are led by members of the PERG community, who talk about what it is like to study and work in this building, as well as about the unique features of PERG and the excitement of creating a new school. Pelgulinna State Gymnasium location is sponsored by LAUFEN, explore their activities here: Sustainable Solutions (Building Futures Together): Local materials, particularly local wood, have been used, which are designed to last for generations. This is the best way to utilize wood. The shading solutions, both in terms of façade and automatic shading, have been well thought out. The building has forced-return ventilation, and intentionally, there is no automatic cooling. There are 360 bicycle parking spaces around the building, while only 40 car parking spaces are available. As much tall vegetation has been preserved as the healthy condition allowed. In addition, many locally native trees have been planted alongside the pine trees. More than 80 trees have been planted in the school building’s courtyard. The majority of the outdoor area surrounding the courtyard is covered with granite gravel, which has a smaller carbon footprint compared to concrete pavement. For rainwater, efforts are made to soak it into the ground as much as possible, reducing the need for additional watering with clean water. In landscaping, soil excavated from the same site (beneath the constructed building and roads) has been used, avoiding the transportation of soil from elsewhere for landscaping purposes. This makes it easier for local plants to continue spreading.
In front of the main entrance of the school, next to the art piece.
Open House Tallinn