12.06.2017
Tallinna Kaubamaja Real Estate Ltd. and the MSI Group Ltd. in cooperation with the Tallinn City Planning Board and the Estonian Association of Architects announce an architectural competition for the reconstruction of the Tallinna Kaubamaja quarter, i.e. the registered immovables of Gonsiori St. 2/Rävala Blvd. 6. Regarding this architectural competition with a high standing, Estonia’s best architects as well as international bureaus are expected to participate. The term for the presentation of the competing works is September 21st, 2017 and the winning award provides a value of 55 000 Euros.
„Together with the best of architects we would like to create a modern department store which will make us feel proud as much as it does the visitors of Tallinn. I may definitely say that this will be about a unique architectural competition in a global scale as well, for there are not many department stores that are built right in the centre of a city. We wish to fill the new house with many more items and events than it is possible to do in the present building and to take a strong position among the best known department stores in Northern Europe with the goal of becoming the best one at some time,” Erkki Laugus, director of Kaubamaja Ltd., said.
“We have moved towards the announcement of this architectural competition in close cooperation with the city of Tallinn, the Estonian Association of Architects and the MSI Group. Earlier, we performed a public discussion on the conditions for the competition where the project was introduced to interested parties and to the public at large, so that no unanswered questions remained on the table. Together with our partners we thoroughly dealt with traffic solutions for the area and with other preparatory activities, and we also had several expert assessments done that were needed,” so said Peeter Kütt, director of Tallinna Kaubamaja Real Estate Ltd., while adding that, regarding the reconstruction of the quarter, the best architectural solution is expected here; one that will consider the existing local plans and the functionality of the premises to be built and will also fit into the particular surroundings of the city.
As a result of the architectural competition, the cooperation of developers, architects and the city of Tallinn will give birth to a new Kaubamaja sales building in Tallinn, a modern office building at Rävala Blvd. as well as an underground parking lot. According to the local plans, the reconstruction will have an allowed above-ground closed gross surface area of 57 000 m2. The surface area of Tallinn’s representative department store will increase by 2.5 times, compared to its present surface area.
“This competition provides a good opportunity to show the world the high level of our architecture. Another building of this kind will most probably not be projected before decades to come, which means that the author of the winning solution will have the chance to introduce their creative work in Estonia as well as internationally. Since commercial trade forms a very international business area, it will also raise the level of the competition and the quality of the solutions offered. As for us, we are expecting professional, open-minded thinking and grand ideas,” Mati Ivask, director of the MSI Group, told us.
The conditions for the architectural competition have been harmonised with the city of Tallinn as well as with the Estonian Association of Architects. Members of the competition jury are Peeter Kütt, director of Tallinna Kaubamaja Real Estate Ltd., Mati Ivask, director of MSI Group Ltd., Erkki Laugus, director of Kaubamaja Ltd., Arvo Rikkinen on behalf of Tallinn City Planning Board, as well as architects Martin Aunin (EAL), Jaak Huimerind (EAL) and Peep Jänes (EAL).
"The Estonian Association of Architects is proud to contribute to the sound development of the centre of the city, where the Kaubamaja plays an important role as a vitalising force within the city space. As a traditional trading space, the Tallinna Kaubamaja has given people a good reason to come to the centre of the city already for many decades. With a new concept, the complex should add quality architecture to the cityscape as well as function as a manifold meeting place in the future. What is important about this project is the building itself as much as the public space surrounding it," Katrin Koov, the president of EAL, said.
The conditions for the architectural competition may be found on the webpage of the Estonian Association of Architects. The term for the presentation of the works for the competition is September 21st, 2017. The evaluation of the works by the jury will end at the latest by November 8th, 2017 when the winners will be announced.
Negotiations will be held with the author of the winning work, the final cost for the project shall be specified after the conditions for the planning have been confirmed. Additional information on the competition is available in written form from the EAL.