Tallinn Art Hall
Tallinn Art Hall takes part in Open House Tallinn. Admission is free. Tours require advance registration.
- Address
- Vabaduse väljak 8, 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
- Renoveerimisprojekti arhitektid KUU (Kalle Komissarov, Joel Kopli, Anni Leo, Tarmo Piirmets, Juhan Rohtla)
- Tour length
- 45-60 min
- Max. visitors
- 15
Estonian artists had begun to think about building their own exhibition rooms as early as the 1920s, and the plan took concrete shape at the beginning of the following decade. The architecture competition held in 1932 was won by Anton Soans, who invited Edgar Johan Kuusik, the author of the competition brief, as co-author. The Art Hall on Freedom Square that resulted from their collaboration is one of the most representative functionalist buildings in Tallinn. Functionalism in Estonia was not so much an ideology as keeping pace with a style fashionable in the wider world, hence a certain conservatism: the facade is symmetrical and sculptures have been added. Besides the art halls, the building contains commercial premises on both sides of the recessed entrance, club rooms in the basement, and studios for members of the Artists’ Association on the upper floors. To form an even front with the taller neighbouring buildings, a sixth floor was added in 1959-1962. Extensive renovation work that began in 2022 will be completed in 2026. The project is led by the authors of the winning entry, KUU arhitektid (Kalle Komissarov, Joel Kopli, Anni Leo, Juhan Rohtla; interior architecture by Tarmo Piirmets).
Open House Tallinn