Architecture competition

The Estonian National Museum in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of Estonia and the Union of Estonian Architects announced on 22 June 2005 the international architecture competition of the new building of the Estonian National Museum.

The goal of the architecture contest was to receive the best architectural solution to the new building of ENM and planning solution to the territory. The contest area is the territory of Raadi manor and its neighbouring area in Tartu. The competition area comprises Raadi lake with an oval shape with the Raadi manor complex located in the North and North-East from the lake. The ruins of Raadi manor main building has been conserved. The competition area is bordered by a garden city like district of private houses in the West, Raadi airport territory in the East and North-West, agricultural land and unused areas in the North.

The contest was open to members of the architect unions or a corresponding professional association of the Member States of the European Union. Contest languages were Estonian and English.

The prize fund  108 649 euros (1 700 000 EEK) was distributed as follows:
I prize                     44 738 euros (700 000 EEK)
II prize           31 956 euros         (500 000 EEK)
III prize                 19 173 euros (300 000 EEK)
4 premiums à          6391 euros (100 000 EEK)

The jury of the contest consisted of Chairman Raivo Palmaru (Minister of Culture of the Republic of Estonia), members Winy Maas (architect, the Netherlands), Andres Alver (architect, Estonia), Rein Murula (architect, Estonia), Jaanus Plaat (Director of the Estonian National Museum), Tiit Sild (Tartu city architect, Estonia), Peeter Mauer (Ministry of Culture, Councellor of Museums), Veljo Kaasik (Estonian Art Academy, architect, the Union of Estonian Architects).

Information about the architecture contest and competition conditions from the website: www.museumcompetition.org.

Calendar of the architecture competition

22 June 2005 The architecture competition was announced
10 November 2005 at 4pm  The deadline for submitting competition projects to the Union of Estonian Architects
14November 2005 at 4pm  The deadline for submitting those competition projects to the Union of Estonian Architects, which were sent by post or express mail
2 January 2006 the latest  The commission shall announce the keywords of winning projects in the media and on the website of the competition museumcompetition.org
16 January 2006 at 12pm  End of the architecture competition, envelopes corresponding to the keywords of the winning projects will be opened at a public meeting and the names of authors are made public
16 January – 26 February 2006  Exhibition of the best contest projects of the architecture competition at the exhibition building of the Estonian National Museum in Tartu
3 –26 March  2006 Exhibition of the best contest projects of the architecture competition at the Estonian Museum of Architecture in Tallinn