Emil Urbel, 1991. EAM 5.4.79

Pärnu cinema

The new cinema project in Pärnu is a fascinating example of architecture that was designed in the 1990s but never built. Designed by architect Emil Urbel, the cinema project entered into a dialogue with the city’s historical architectural tradition, using the modular land-use pattern of Pärnu’s city centre from the late 18th century as a basis for the layout of the neighbourhood and the design of the building. The new building was planned on the site of the Kiir cinema, which was to be demolished due to its obsolescence. The cinema building was to have two auditoriums, the larger with 420 seats and the smaller with 80 seats. Spacious corridors, a larger café and ancillary areas and a larger stage would allow the building to be used more flexibly for different types of events. On the third floor of the building, a housekeeper’s apartment with a separate entrance was planned, as well as a number of technical, office and ancillary rooms. The building was to be finished in white plaster and ceramic tiles, with the use of metal framing and steel detailing characteristic of the period. The area around the cinema on Vee Street was to be transformed into a spacious public space closed to traffic. Text: Anna-Liiza Izbaš

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• 1990s
• Emil Urbel

Georg Winterhalter, 1848. EAM 2.3.5

Estonian Knighthood House

The Estonian Knighthood House in Toompea was the only Neo-Renaissance building in Tallinn at the time of its construction. The building was originally designed by the architect of the Estonian Governorate, Christoph August Gabler, and construction began in 1845. However, Gabler’s classical architectural style did not meet the wishes of the knighthood. After a temporary pause in construction while the necessary building permits were obtained, and the completion of the major works in 1847, the Knighthood commissioned a new façade design from the young architect Georg Winterhalter from St Petersburg. The Neo-Renaissance façade is covered with a varied decoration. The walls are articulated by plasterwork and the windows are surrounded by a rich structural frame, the softness of the building’s rounded corners is counterbalanced by a heavy cantilevered cornice.
The Estonian Knighthood was abolished in 1920 and the building became the property of the state. The building has housed the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1920-1940), the National Library of Estonia (1948-1992), the Art Museum of Estonia (1993-?) and the Estonian Academy of Arts (2009-2016).
Drawings of the façade of the Estonian Knighthood House are among the oldest in the museum’s collection. Text: Anna-Liiza Izbaš

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• 1840s
• Georg Winterhalter

Herbert Johanson, 1920-1922. EAM 2.11.8

The furniture designs of the Parliament building

In 1922, the most important state building of the newly independent Republic of Estonia – the new modern Parliament building (architects Herbert Johanson, Eugen Habermann 1920-1922) – is completed in Toompea. “It is a simple, yet self-conscious and distinctive building, which gracefully combines the individual sense of design of the authors and the fit with its medieval surroundings, while remaining modern.” This is how art critic Hanno Kompus characterised the Parliament building in his introduction to the book “20 Years of Building in Estonia: 1918-1938 “. Herbert Johanson’s designs were also used to create the unique furniture of the Parliament building, which repeats the geometric shapes of the building’s interiors and the Art Deco zigzag motif. The furniture was produced by the Luther factory, for whom it was the first major public commission (see Jüri Kermik. A. M. Luther 1877-1940. Innovation of form from material. Tallinn, 2002). The high quality of Lutermas’ work is demonstrated by the fact that most of the 100-year-old furniture is still in use today.

The museum has more than 30 furniture designs for the Parliament building, ranging from the podium in the sitting room to the coat racks. The original drawings come from the archives of the former Ministry of Roads and were transferred to the museum in 1992. Text: Anne Lass

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• 1920s
• Eugen Habermann
• Herbert Johanson

Ain Padrik, 1983, 1984. EAM 55.1.3 ja 55.1.4

House for a Romantic – House for a Physicist

At the end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s, architecture and especially residential building was starting to look at historical examples, and a relationship with the client or with the location of the building was deemed to be important. Designing a house provided a chance to experiment with the limits of freedom of expression and set an intriguing assignment to interpret the client through architecture. The romantic’s house followed the example of the Arts and Crafts movement in 19th-century England. This movement cherished handicraft and often employed motifs from medieval architecture: romantic towers and complex roof landscapes. The physicist’s house with its more clearly defined volumes proceeds from the wishes of the client. The physicist did not ask for large windows, preferring a lot of wall space and dimly lit interior. A thorough working project was also finished in addition to this sensitive perspective view. Construction received a building permit, but the physicist’s house was never completed. Ain Padrik donated the drawings to the museum in 2016. Text: Sandra Mälk

• 1980s
• Ain Padrik
• perspective drawing