SAILING FORWARD. How the 1980 Olympic Regatta Shaped Tallinn

The Estonian Museum of Architecture marks the 45th anniversary of the 1980 Tallinn Olympic Regatta with the exhibition Sailing Forward: How the 1980 Olympic Regatta Shaped Tallinn. In addition to the sailing competitions, the organisation was accompanied by large-scale urban planning and projects aimed at modernising the city.

The city changed significantly and rapidly in preparation for the Olympic Regatta – a greater ambition was to give Tallinn a more metropolitan appearance and simultaneously fill the gaps left by the destruction and bombing of World War II. Olympic urban plans included the aim of opening the city centre to the sea, relocating industry away from the central areas and renewing engineering systems in order to give several parts of the capital a more urban character.

Well-known buildings such as Tallinn Olympic Yachting Centre in Pirita, TV Tower, Hotel Olümpia and the new terminal of Tallinn Airport were completed for the 1980 Olympic Regatta. However, the broader contribution lay in improving the living conditions of local residents. In the wake of the Olympic Regatta, residential buildings, offices, healthcare facilities and cultural houses were constructed or renovated – all designed by Estonian architects, interior architects and engineers. In addition to urban planning, attention was also paid to design – evident in the city, everyday items and poster art alike.

The exhibition presents one of Tallinn’s most ambitious city development projects – the Olympic urban planning, during which more than 120 architectural projects were planned. Some of these were brought to life, while others remained unbuilt visions.

The exhibition is open at the Estonian Museum of Architecture and in the courtyard of the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design from 30 April to 28 September 2025.