aurum the space between old and new | issue 1
aurum The circulation becomes the great social retort into which everything is thrown, to come out again as a gold-crystal - Karl Marx Estonia once was the circulation, the country where every new Foreign power destroyed what previous occupier did. The country and its people – Estonians, know how to adapt to different situations and how to make sure everyone is happy and gets the most out of everything. And the fact that Estonia and Estonians appreciate the past and cherish traditions, has made it a gold crystal [hence the name aurum ]; an example of how cultural hybridity works. Estonia has found what makes it unique. Estonia has found its NOKIA. It is not the tradition of the Song Festivals, dating back to 1869, or the medieval Tallinn’s Old Town, which is under the protection of UNESCO, or the good Wi-Fi coverage or Skype, it is all of it together. It is the appreciation of new and old. Making it work. aurum showcases the symbiosis between new and old both in architecture and fashion. aurum’s mission is to define the Nordic lifestyle from the viewpoint of a post-soviet country – Estonia. aurum longs to demonstrate the similarities between Estonian and Nordic culture and also the differences. I, an Estonian living abroad, wish to introduce Estonian creativity to you. So that you would have a clear knowledge of how interesting and different the Estonian cultural scene is, of course, it is not 100 per cent unique, but what is? - Leida Pello
5 facts 6 window to the world 8 estonian henrik vibskov 10 losign track of time 20 artisanal allure 24 knitting her way to japan 30 silver lining in an old space 40 facts 42 going both ways: new vs old 52 remaking the old 56 fresh air to estonian architecture 62 private house public space 68 sustainable lifestyle? 72 where to 74 facts
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission from the publishers. Š 2015 aurum magazine.
Editor-in-chief: Leida Pello Special thanks to: my mum, dennis maloney, rob de niet, gustav adolf grammar school, Wall tower Kuldjala torn, tartu ahhaa centre, DKNY team and everyone else who made aurum a reality front cover photographer: mihkel martinson model: Kristn reiljan back cover photographer: stina kase Model: ivar kruusenberg
1.3 million people in Estonia 427 thousand people in Tallinn 98 thousand people in Tartu 59 thousand people in Narva 40 thousand people in Pärnu 200 thousand Estonians abroad
foreign languages in Estonia
Hannah Laycock
In 2003 UNESCO recognized these traditions as the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity
The Estonian exhibition at London Fashion Week won the International Showcase in 2013 and in 2014 ocne a year tallinn fashion week kuldnõel [golden needle] award for notable desgin effort in fashion design hõbenõel [silver needle] award for most outstanding performance during last year
Estonian English Russian German French Spanish Chinese Swedish Danish Hebrew Italian Japanese Greek Norwegian Swahili
From left: Scheckmann at London Fashion week 2014; Flags; Elisabeth Erm for Self Service magazine
Collier Schorr
Estonia has the biggest collection of folk songs in the world with written records of 133,000 folk songs
69.1 per cent Estonians 24.8 per cent Russians 1.7 per cent Ukrainians 1.0 per cent Belarusians 0.6 per cent Finns 0.2 per cent Jews 0.2 per cent Latvians 0.1 per cent germans 2.7 per cent others
Estonia produces the most models per capita according to pbs. org (2013) models from estonia: Carmen kass karmen pedaru elisabeth erm kätlin aas
window to the world Text by Leida Pello
Florian Renner
clockwise From right: Kristian Steinberg ‘LE SACRE DU PRINTEMPS’; Kristian Steinberg ‘Scars’; Studio August ‘Gentleboy’
“Let us be Estonians, but also become Europeans!” This slogan from over hundred years ago from Estonian writer Gustav Suits illustrates the current mindset among young creatives.
Estonia’s colourful history of being under different empires, e.g. Russian, Swedish, Danish, has enabled the mixing of different cultures. And it has become more and more popular among its young creatives to explore the world on the other side of the border. But at the same time they stay true to their roots. Designers Äli Kargoja and Kristian Steinberg shared with aurum what living abroad has meant to them. It is common for an Estonian to have relatives living abroad, whether it is someone who has either left freely or was forced to leave. Steinberg is one of those who were forced to leave Estonia. He was born in the Soviet occupied Estonia [he was born in 1976] and at the age of 13 he and his family fled to Sweden. Since 2002 he lives in London. During that time he graduated Central Saint Martins menswear course and interned for designers like Alexander McQueen, Marios Schwab, etc. In 2007,
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he established his own label with a collection of men’s shirts. Kargoja has more of a traditional story. Like many young people in Estonia, she aspired to study abroad. In total, she was abroad for eight years. During that time she finished her studies at Studio Fashion School in Paris and interned for Nicolas Andreas Taralis and for Maison Martin Margiela NYC. Kargoja admits, “studying in Paris was an eye-opening experience.” In Studio Berçot they approach the young designers individually so that “everyone’s own style was developed intensely.” This way it helped her to find her niche and enabled her to sell her designs. With the internships she wanted to learn about the business side “to get a better overview of the fashion industry. Everything I learned while living there [in New York] all the experiences shaped me as a designer and an entrepreneur.”
Maiken Staak
Migle Backovaite
“August is a way for me to communicate with the world. An expression of my work and creativity.” After eight years in Paris and New York, she returned back home, to Estonia to create her own fashion label Studio August. She launched the brand, which combines natural materials with innovative design, in October 2014. Kargoja’s mission with her brand Studio August is “to consistently design beautiful collections through which creating interest in foreign stockists. The overall mission of August, in the long-run, is contributing to making Estonian fashion design more known beyond the border.” Kargoja also adds, “August is a way for me to communicate with the world. An expression of my work and creativity.” Steinberg believes that living in different societies helped him understand he is “quite good at fitting into a new culture, but at heart I have always been a rebel and a bit of a loner who spends a lot of time in his own world.” His pallet and aesthetics are very Northern European,
“at heart I have always been a rebel and a bit of a loner who spends a lot of time in his own world.” “I think it is due to the light we have up there [in Estonia and in Sweden].” Steinberg believes that his different background to other designers is “an asset that sets me apart.” During those 25 years abroad he has not lost touch with his fatherland. Steinberg uses retired Estonian ladies to make the knitwear pieces in his collections and for Autumn Winter 2011 ‘Scars’ collection he revisited his challenging past. “I wanted to explain how Estonians feel having lost their country for over 50 years.” Going abroad is a way of finding yourself and deciding where next. If Kargoja had not left Estonia for eight years she might not have had the knowledge to create a brand easily appealable to a foreigner. Had Steinberg’s family not been forced to leave Estonia he would not be introducing Estonia’s difficult past to a wider audience. The thing with Estonian’s is that they can go away from Estonia, but they cannot escape the Estonian in them.
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Grete Astover Tanel Tepper
Grete Astover
Estonian Henrik Vibskov Text by Leida Pello
Using the creative process as a source of inspiration Pamela Peepson is on a new adventure in Paris.
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Peepson is an Estonian textile designer with an interest in menswear. She is currently interning for the French fabric house Malhia Kent. “I arrived so late to the internship that they were already making arrangements for the Premier Vision show, and were less concentrated on designing the fabrics.” Nonetheless, she managed to get her fabric in five different colour shades ready just in time for the Premiere Vision Paris. In Malhia Kent her responsibility is creating knitted fabrics. “I would not say I am stuck in knitwear design; as a textile designer I am interested in playing with different materials, in order to find the one that most engages with that particular design.”
my second collection [‘Rearviewmirror’] I already used different techniques: tapestry, machine knitting, dying of fabrics and fabric recycling.” The ‘Gentleboy’ collection most clearly has a similar feel to it as Henrik Vibskov’s designs. They both design for men; both do knitwear and have a similar colour palette. Something in their aesthetics and creating process is also similar. Both of their designs are boxy yet colourful. In a sense, it seems as if their wish is to brighten the mood up in the North. And most definitely, they have their own follower. These brands are for someone, who does not that much care about what everyone else is wearing; an individual who longs to be different.
In her second year of textile design at the Estonian Academy of Arts, the students had to create their own fabric and find a use for it. “By that time I knew that menswear fashion is what interests me, so I decided to use this opportunity to create something big and create my first menswear collection ‘Gentleboy’. For
Peepson finds the creation of a collection to be a highly concentrated process, where each phase deserves thorough analysis and scrutiny. She does not depend on inspiration. “Inspiration shows itself when it wants to; no matter the time or place. Therefore, it is quite unreliable.” Vibskov said something similar in a video
Kairi Katmann
Stina Kase
clockwise From far left: Pamela Peepson ‘Gentleboy’; Pamela Peepson ‘Gentleboy’; Henrik VIbskov ‘Spaghetti handjob’; Pamela Peepson ‘Gentleboy’; Pamela Peepson ‘rearviewmirror’; Henrik VIbskov ‘Sticky brick fingers’
“Inspiration shows itself when it wants to; no matter the time or place. Therefore, it is quite unreliable.” installation exhibited during his solo exhibition at Designmuseo Helsinki, last spring.
Stefan Dotter
Peepson explains, “I like to discuss the creative process step-by-step with my close ones, through which new thoughts and ideas emerge. Therefore, the most inspiring thing when creating a collection is the creative process, where original thoughts in the end process can unveil completely differently than expected in the beginning. If the motivation happens to be lost and it is hard to concentrate on the creative process: books and music come to rescue and put everything into perspective once again.” Hopefully everything gets put into perspective sooner or later and she introduces once again something new of her own. She does admit having ideas for the next collection. “But I am taking it slow. I want it to come out just as I am imagining it.”
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losing track of time photographer: Stina Kase Stylist: Leida Pello
sweater: Liina Viira
This page: Long Sweater: Kristel Kuslapuu Opposite page: Sweater: Pamela Peepson Trousers: zara
Cardigan: Kristel Kuslapuu Sweatpants: Kristel KUslapuu
This page: Sweater: Kihnu print Handicraft sweater Trainers: Vans Opposite page: Sweater: Liina Viira Sweatpants: Liina Viira Cap: Liina Viira
Sweater: Pamela Peepson Trousers: Zara Trainers: Vans
Photographer: Stina Kase Stylist: Leida Pello Model: Ivar Kruusenberg Thanks to Tartu Ahhaa Centre shot on location in Tartu, Estonia
artisanal allure Text by Leida Pello
Estonia is a country that cherishes traditions, and artisan craft is one of the traditions locals want to preserve.
In Estonia, it is common to have artisan fares during the Tallinn’s Old Town Days or the Tartu Hanseatic Days and different artists selling their handicraft goods on the streets or city squares. The artisan approach stands for something special with a soul and a value. The products are targeted at a niche market. And in the last couple of years, there has been a significant increase in Estonia in designer artisan leather goods. Two Estonian leather goods [and footwear] designers: Sille Sikmann from Scheckmann and Karin Kallas from Stuudio Nahk [in English means Studio Leather] explained the perks and disadvantages in having an artisan approach. Both Sikmann and Kallas agree there are more and more new designer leather goods brands emerging in the Estonian fashion scene. Kallas reminiscences: “Before I graduated EKA [Estonian Art University, she received her Master’s Degree in 2013] there were only around three businesses dealing with leather. The circle was small. There was no output. When people graduated they went on to study something else or to do something completely different. Fundamentally with this specialty if you do not see to it, there is no progress. Then new things emerge and you cannot keep track of. It has become a trend.” Sikmann adds “I did think about how I would fit into the
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market. If I would have done a mass production company I would have been like any other mass product. I cannot imagine how I would have gotten onto the market with all those competitors; all those shoe brands that are basically everywhere. This [the artisan approach] did give a possibility to be completely different, and also the fact that it is only for men. Those two things enabled to be different from everyone else.” Sikmann has been handcrafting menswear shoes from scratch since 2011. Even though there are two girls helping her with leather accessories during Christmas time, she still has not found the person she would trust to do the shoes for her label Scheckmann, besides her. “I did the first ever collection in 2011, the second one was in 2012, when I graduated. They were more personal works. And then the third one was in 2014, for the London Fashion Showcase. Those three collections were stylistically similar. At the moment, I just do not see the point in doing two collections a year. I rather concentrate on special orders.” Stuudio Nahk has been producing designer footwear and leather goods since 2012. And according to Kallas they as well “have now probably given up doing two different
Leida Pello Tiina-Liina Uudam
From above: Stuudio Nahk; Scheckmann
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Sigrid Kuusk Leida Pello
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From above: Scheckmann; Stuudio Nahk
collections a year. It is obviously pointless in Estonian market.” Currently, they have samples available and Kallas adds “To some extent we do sell them. But some you still have to order. If you do not wish to change anything you order the same. This year we are trying to create a base products collection. We have gathered together all those products that have been selling well throughout the years. And we produce them in black and maybe in another colour as well.” Kallas does clarify that Stuudio Nahk cannot be considered completely artisanal. “Well, to some extent it is artisanal, but it is a combination of industry and handcraft. Industrial production is combined with artisan approach, so that it is not 100 per cent handcraft. Why I am saying it is, that it would be unfair to those who really do handcraft for me to say that our footwear is handcraft, they are not. The approach is.” This combination of artisan and industry enables Stuudio Nahk to create as many examples as there is demand. Sikmann, however, has a limit and she has understood how many pairs she can do. “Physically I cannot do more, and those 40 pairs a year do not bring me that kind of bread on the table, as I want. I should be able to do at least 13 pairs of shoes a month, I might manage to do three to six pairs.” At the moment her focus is on offering the best service she can to her customers and showing her work either at an exhibition or lending shoes for a photo shoot. Sikmann admits “in the near future I will not have a big presentation, maybe something small. Otherwise the meaning behind brand Scheckmann would change.” Sikmann has understood that she cannot survive by only doing special orders. Yet, she wants Scheckmann
“Fundamentally with this specialty if you do not see to it, there is no progress.”
“I would have to find a solution. Otherwise, I would be doing this job from scratch until the rest of my life.” to stay as an artisan brand. “I do not want my shoes to be available online, the client has to purchase them from my studio handcrafted by me.” Her plan is to find a possibility to grow her team in Estonia. “The problem is that in Estonia there are not those people who would do the shoes for me. Only then I could present the work to the client quicker. But this takes time. If at one point I would like to start a family I would have to find a solution. Otherwise, I would be doing this job from scratch until the rest of my life.” Even though Stuudio Nahk has a cobbler and they are in search of a new seamstress they are still quite slow with the design process and production. The cobbler has set them a limit of how many shoes he can make and Stuudio Nahk is currently doing most of the leather accessories themselves. “I do not think we are producing crap. We sell everything and there is hardly anything that stays. Usually I take the things for myself, so in a sense nothing stays.” Therefore, Stuudio Nahk’s core values are closer to artisans than mass producers. “It is more designer footwear and leather goods. I do want to be like that I see something and then I reproduce it exactly the same. I try to avoid doing trends. At the same time you cannot do something that is completely not en vogue.” It is evident that artisanal approach enables the designer to create something truly unique and reproducible. At the same time it allows the Estonian to discover the old traditions of artisans. Hopefully, in the next couple of years, the production conditions get better, this way eliminating the main disadvantage of designer leather handcraft goods as both of the brands do struggle with being too slow. But everything good requires time, and something special even more.
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Knitting her way to japan Text by Leida Pello
- interview with Ragne Kikas
Ragne Kikas, the winner of the Première Vision Prize at the Festival Hyères 2012, is an Estonian knitwear wunderkind. She grew up in Veriora Parish, in Põlva County. After high school, Kikas took a year off and was an au pair in Germany. What was meant to be a year turned into ten years and getting a master’s degree in Fashion Design from the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. Even though she has always been ambitious, she never thought it would lead her to knitwear design and working for a fashion legend. For two and a half years now, Kikas has been living in Japan and working as a knitwear planner for Yohji Yamamoto. This year, Yohji Yamamoto Inc. introduced a new label ‘Plyy by Ragne Kikas’.
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Etienne Tordoir
Ragne kikas Hyères 2012
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Yohji Yamamoto Inc.
Etienne Tordoir
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From above: Ragne kikas Hyères 2012; ‘Plyy by Ragne kikas’
aurum: How does it feel to do an Estonian thing in Japan, as Estonia is known for its traditional knitwear? Ragne Kikas: It is tricky. It is like doing Estonian German Japanese thing. I have been asked it before. But I just do my job. I do not think whether I am Estonian or German or Japanese, I just do my job. Maybe being from Estonia gave me an advantage. In Germany, I did notice that in Estonia we know how to fix things. I remember Germans being like ‘wow, you know how to sew a button, wait you can knit, oh my god you know how to sew curtains’ and I was like don’t we all. But then came the realisation that maybe not. Maybe the craft of doing everything yourself is just really strong or at least was when I lived in Estonia.
Au: Have you been homesick during that time? RK: Homesick, no, no I have not. I guess it is my 13th year away from Estonia. But in general, I have not. I think I am someone that feels at home wherever the work is. Until that side is covered, I do not feel homesick.
Au: Do you see yourself going back to Estonia? RK: I don’t know yet. I don’t want to say I will or I won’t. You can always go back. I left in 2003. I was very critical about Estonia. I thought that I would never want to return. I wanted to be German instead of Estonian. This phase goes away in around ten years time. Since I have been in Japan I can see myself more clearly going back to Estonia than I ever did in Germany. From time to time, I do ramble that once I have enough power I will return to Estonia and do something of my own. But these are the romantic fairy tales everyone has in their mind. Yet I do not have any definite plans.
yourself and some just come out of thin air. And with knitting it was like this, nothing has ever come more easily than this first knitwear collection. Then, I knew where to next.
Au: So, once the time is right, it just happens? RK: That is true. That is how it was with Japan. During the master’s degree I was panicking about my future. I just thought about this example that the coolest graduates from the coolest fashion schools are unemployed or lifelong interns. And who am I, why should I be of any interest to anyone. However, who does want it, will get it, but you have to be ready to pack your things and go when you are given the opportunity. You cannot be like I want my dream job to be here, e.g. in Tartu, or in Hamburg. It doesn’t work like this; you have to do some compromises for it. You have to be ready and the time has to be right, then it will come.
“the coolest graduates from the coolest fashion schools are unemployed or lifelong interns. And who am I, why should I be of any interest to anyone.” My opportunity arose during the Festival Hyerès in 2012. I got to the final with my master’s collection. That is when I met Yohji Yamamoto. He was the head of the fashion panel that year.
Au: So now, the time was right for ‘Plyy by Ragne Kikas’? Au: How did you become a knitwear designer? RK: I knew about knitting only as much as I had learnt from my mum and at school [in Estonia]; we always had to knit or crochet. At university they didn’t even have a course for knitting. There might have been knitting theory, but nothing practical. I did feel like I was missing something. And I had this awful urge to try knitting, but it required my own time. One day I just did it, I started my own knitwear collection. With some works you just do it and do it and you torture
RK: I mean, we started with Plyy SS15 and the second collection is out now [available in shops retailing Yohji Yamamoto]. Before launching ‘Plyy by Ragne Kikas’ I had created more sculptural pieces for Yohji Yamamoto Femme: the brand’s most important women’s line showing at Paris Fashion Week in every six months. And it has happened that onto the most complex handcraft art pieces we had already added the combined label Ragne Kikas for Yohji Yamamoto. So my name was familiar to the customer and buyers
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“Sometimes it does feel like I do the most pointless thing in the world, others save icebears and human lives and I knit.” and they loved the story of how Yohji Yamamoto met an Estonian knitwear designer at a competition and decided to take her under his wing. We needed something younger and more colourful and a little bit more affordable – knits for everyday use - to balance it out, and that’s how Plyy came into existence.
Au: How is the design process for Plyy different from the one for Yohji Yamamoto Femme? RK: If I would have to compare how much time it takes to do Plyy and how much to do main line, then assisting in Yohji Yamamoto Femme most definitely is more intense. As it is handicraft and it comprises of loads of meetings with Yohji san himself and it is a long but wonderful journey. Design language for Plyy is mainly my responsibility so things get done quicker.
Au: I assume in design the sketches and clothes are more important than words? RK: That is true; clothes do the talking. And that is how it is supposed to be. For example, if we present something to Yohji san we do not say a word we just show it on the model.
Au: I think in Japan the Estonian mentality fits in nicely; actions speaking louder than words? RK: I agree. But in Germany I got used to getting angry all the time in order to achieve something. You learn to ask a lot of questions and take everything into consideration. As a questioner you have to be smarter than the answerer, at least in Germany. And then I came here. In Japan, it is not polite to be pushy. If I had come straight from Estonia, it all would have been quite okay.
Au: But the German phase was necessary? RK: Of course, I grew up in Germany and became an adult. It was an important time. I would not want to not have had it.
Au: Do you have some sort of five years plan? RK: I would like to, once we are talking about five years, definitely work in Japan for the next five years I think that is a nice, solid work experience. But what comes after, we will see what happens.
Au: Are happy that you became a knitwear designer? Au: Have you gotten used to the Japanese mentality? RK: It took me a year to figure out most of it. This hierarchy is a bit tricky. And the way the communication works, it takes time to thoroughly understand it.
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RK: Yes, I am. It’s crazy, isn’t it? Sometimes it does feel like I do the most pointless thing in the world, others save ice bears and human lives and I knit. But as soon as I start to create something new I just feel at home. It is my real passion.
Monica Feudi
Yohji Yamamoto Autumn/Winter 2014
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silver lining in an old space photographer: Mihkel Martinson Stylist: Leida Pello
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Dress: DKNY trainers: adidas
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Dress: Cos
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Dress-shirt: DKNY trainers: adidas
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Dress: Max & Co Trainers: adidas
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Dress: Cos trainers: adidas
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Dress: DKNY
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Blazer: DKNY Dress-Shirt: DKNY trainers: adidas
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Coat: Diesel black gold trainers: adidas
Photographer: Mihkel Martinson Stylist: Leida Pello Model; Make-up and Hair: Kristin Reiljan Thanks to Gustav Adolf Grammar School and Wall tower Kuldjala torn shot on location in Tallinn, Estonia
Leida Pello
In Tartu there are statues of Oscar Wilde and Eduard Vilde chatting friendly. Technically these two writers could have met but never did. Exactly the same statues are in Galway, Ireland.
clockwise from above: Eduard Vilde and Oscar Wilde Statues in Tartu; St. Olaf’s Church; XXVI Estonian Song Festival
Estonia's break from Soviet rule is called the “Singing Revolution”. mass folk song events took place in Tallinn's Song Festival Grounds in summer 1988
Leida Pello
1154 Arab geographer included Estonia (Astlanda) on his world map 1219-1346 The Northern part of Estonia belonged to Denmark 1561-1700 Swedish rule 1722-1917 Russian rule 24.02.1918 Estonian independence day 25.02.1918-19.11.1918 German occupation 28.11.1918-02.02.1920 Estonian war of independence 06.08.1940-20.08.1991 Estonian SSR 07.07.1941-22.09.1944 german occupation 20.08.1991 Restoration of Independence 17.09.1991 Estonia was accepted as a member of the United Nations 31.08.1994 The Russian armed forces withdrew from Estonia 2004 Estonia became a member of the European Union and NATO 2010 Estonia became a member of OECD 2011 Estonia became a member of eurozone
The joint choir of the Estonian Song Festival has the biggest number of singers in the world: more than 30,000 singers performing to an audience of 80,000
Tallest buildings
Leida Pello
St. Olaf's church, in Tallinn | 123.7 m (406 ft) | 1519 | Was the tallest building in the world from 1549 - 1625 standing 159 m (522 ft) tall, before being hit by lightning in 1625 | the heritage protection does not allow new buildings to be higher than st. olaf’s church Swissotel, in Tallinn | 117 m (384 ft) | 2007 Tornimäe Business Centre, in Tallinn | 117 m (384 ft) | 2006 St. Nicholas' Church, in Tallinn | 105 m (344 ft) | 1275 Renovated in 1984 Radisson Blu Hotel Tallinn, In tallinn | 103 m (338 ft) | 2001 SEB main building, in Tallinn | 94 m (308 ft) | 1999 Tigutorn, in Tartu | 89.92 m (295 ft) | 2008 Radisson Blu Hotel Olympia, in Tallinn | 84 m (276 ft) | 1980 City Plaza Tallinn, in tallinn | 78 m (256 ft) | 2004 Sokos Hotel Viru, in Tallinn | 74 m (243 ft) | 1972
if you find a particular circular stone on Tallinn’s Town Hall Square there is one spot where you can see all five of the city’s medieval spires. Look out for the positioned hole in one of the roofs, and make sure you find the correct stone, there are fake ones to distract you.
Opened in 1864, Maiasmokk (Sweet Tooth in English) is the Tallinn’s oldest running café. The interior décor of the café has remained unchanged for almost a century, and it has its own Marzipan Museum
Chimney Sweeps in Tallinn continue to wear 19th century uniforms. If you come across one, be sure to touch his brass buttons. Myth has it that this brings good luck. since 1997 historic centre (old town) of Tallinn under Unesco protecion
going both ways: new
KUMU (art museum) in Tallinn
vs OLD photographer: Leida Pello
St. Catherine’s Passage in Tallinn
Aida street in Tallinn
sakala street in tallinn
Rotermann Quarter in Tallinn
St. Catherine’s Passage in Tallinn
st. olaf’s church in Tallinn
Rotermann Quarter in Tallinn
Jaan poska street in Tallinn
R채vala avenue in Tallinn
Tony Bowden Erik Raik端la
remaking the old Text by Leida Pello
The Pagari street building [known as KGB house] is in the old town, and it was built before the first Estonian Republic [before 1918]. Then it was the police house where people were tortured in the chambers. The question that arose there was more concerned about who of Estonians would want to own a flat in a building with such a history. However, the restoration of the building had nothing to do with the Soviet heritage, it was just about restoring a house in the Old Town and changing the function. - Madis Eek
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Leida Pello
Joe Gallitano
A new movement in Estonian architecture introduces a symbiosis between old and contemporary.
Clockwise From above: Radio house before; Linnahall exterior Now; Radio house after; Pagari one after; Pagari One before
Leida Pello
Since the country’s most recent independence in 1991, the restoration, reconstruction, and process of demolishing the old and building something new have become the en vogue in its architecture. In the last couple of years, Tallinn’s TV tower, radio house, and the old KGB building have all gotten a makeover, just to name a few. The latest addition will be ready in December this year; the old Soviet era Kungla hotel transforms into the first ever Hilton hotel in the Baltic States. Aurum spoke to three architects: Andres Põime, Madis Eek and Meelis Press who shared their opinion on the notion of remaking the old architecture. Põime believes that this remaking of old buildings is an inevitable process. It most certainly is not a new one. According to Eek “this remaking of old architecture is of interest in Europe, where we are facing a lot of heritage. Some of it really is valuable, which ought to be treated prudently and rather restored. However, most of it really needs some kind of an enhancement and contemporary feel to it, which in my opinion is really interesting.”
When it comes to remaking the architecture, Põime’s credo is: “everything worth keeping should be kept, but if you do something new to the existing building, it has to stand out from the old.” He also believes “each building has to carry the notion of the era, yet the building’s architecture should not endanger the existing environment. Therefore, originality cannot be a goal on its own.” Whenever Põime remakes old architecture he considers the context and location, “they are the Alpha and Omega of my work. The location influences a lot, and one should never neglect the surroundings.” The main reason why so many old landmarks are demolished or changed completely in Tallinn is the lack of protection of cultural heritage outside of the Tallinn’s Old Town. In Tallinn, the Old Town buildings must be restored under very precise heritage protection terms. Eek admits, “when it comes to restoring buildings outside the Old Town it depends on the architect.” Hence, the reconstruction of the 1970s architecture, e.g. the Radio house, as Põime states, “is a relatively new and
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“the Kungla hotel, renamed the Park Hotel, its logistical scheme was completely arbitrary. Usually in hotels, the plumbing runs across the corridor. The pipes then run together to a big shaft and from there to a ventilation chamber somewhere on the roof. in this Kungla over each room, in front of the connecting corridor ran a set of joist, this way eliminating the possibility to add pipes to the building. Erik Raiküla
All the ventilation was through outer air,
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completely unheard of in the 21st Century.” - Meelis Press
unnegotiated phenomenon. It is unknown how to regard it, as in general these buildings lack the protective hand of protection of cultural regarding some projects, e.g. in London, thanks to people’s protest Southbank is left as it is: a brutalism landmark with an open public space not with cafés and etc.
are increasing, there will be less money available for architecture. Often this decides the planning process enabling a certain capacity and directions to the city planning. However, as the process in here is pretty chaotic I would say the development is somewhat chaotic as well.”
Even if Estonians share their disapproval the authorities might not cancel the project. Eek gives an example of the Ministry of Finance building, ”the architects do not really support the project. There is city procurement behind the project and some have named it the twin towers. Basically, there will be exactly the same tower behind the existing one. However, they do not reconstruct the first tower but demolish it completely and build two new towers. This arises a question whether it is reasonable and whether the reason behind it is the same as behind all those demolitions. During soviet times they didn’t create an underground parking lot. And today, parking is a serious issue in Tallinn’s city centre.”
The demolishing of Kungla hotel and building the Hilton, is an example of private capital. The architect responsible for the project, Press [who also reconstructed the Tallinna Teenindusmaja building into a Tallink City Hotel], believes that the notion behind remaking the Soviet landmarks is not merely the desire to remove the Soviet aura. It is a fact that these Soviet buildings lack logical planning. “During the Soviet times, we had only a few hotels, the markets were closed. We did not have that many outside visitors; we had Intourist hotels [a hotel group]. Our architects who had not been abroad made those Intourist hotels; and the outcome was quite inept and miserable.”
In other cities, this remaking of old architecture is generally part of a bigger city planning, e.g. in Berlin, Kaliningrad. In Kaliningrad, there was even an international competition for the city planning. Yet in Tallinn the planning process can be described as chaotic. According to Põime, “as the construction prices
Press says that even today “some architects say ‘I draw the building and then comes the ventilation guy and messes up everything,’ the pipes are big and the original plan will, therefore, most definitely change.” Hence, he thinks of everything in advance. “Hilton will feature two big consoles above the street, I do sense that this way there
Tomomi Hayashi Meelis Press
From left: Kungla hotel; mockup of the Hilton; linnahall aero view
is no need to put some sort of a huge post underneath or hang it with some sort of trusses.” This technical knowledge also saves him time, as he does not have to consult with someone else. And this kind of a technical knowledge is according to him lacking in some Soviet architecture, particularly hotels.
“It requires a strong faith and a very rich investor, who takes up the challenge.” Linnahall [a concert and sports venue built for the Moscow Olympics in 1980] is a sad example of government, city, to be precise, procurement. However, according to Press, “in this case, it is not that much about the architectural exterior that provokes the desire to rebuild it, rather things do not withstand the ravages of time.” The soviet-era architectural landmark has been closed for more than five years now. Eek suggests that one of the reasons it is still empty is the protection of cultural heritage. “Therefore, those soviet-era buildings under
the heritage protection, including the Linnahall, have precise requirements on what is allowed to do and what not.” “If I am not mistaken, they have remarkably lessened the requirements regarding the Linnahall,” however, he continues, ”I just think that the problem with the Linnahall is that it is too grandiose, and requires straightaway a huge investment. It requires a strong faith and a very rich investor, who takes up the challenge.” Press also believes that “In current time, it is probably the best example: it is bold and arrogant and a little bit superior. However, in today’s sense it is a very inapt story. No one can revive it. Its relationship between useful and unused space is so out of proportion that no calculation or business risk can save it.” In Eek’s view, in the end “this tendency is dependent on the value of the building.” It is evident that Estonian architects know when to cherish the heritage and when to disregard it. However, when the project is funded by the state, there is no room for the architect to play around, as heritage protection sets the rules. Hopefully the chaotic city planning does not hinder the current Tallinn’s architectural combination of new and old, which shows how to remake the past into a better future.
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fresh air to estonian Architecture Text by Leida Pello
- interview with VIlen Künnapu As a student he learnt to draw energy and now his buildings are the ones creating it. Vilen Künnapu is an Estonian architect with more than 40 years of experience. He has practised modernism, post-modernism and is now part of the futuristic movement. Künnapu is also one of the creative minds behind the modernisation of Estonian architecture and someone that is not afraid of criticism. His work is easy to distinguish from someone else’s. And his fondness towards spiritualistic symbolism has gotten one of his buildings in Tartu the nickname Tigutorn [snail tower], as the tower resembles a snail. The same symbol is also evident in his other works. Künnapu’s different approach to architecture has lead him and his work to be featured in different architectural publications from the United States to Russia. Au 56
Leida Pello
TRiumph Plaza (Narva road 7 Building)
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aurum: How did you become an architect? Vilen K체nnapu: Well, it all happened naturally. My father showed interest in architecture. He helped me with drawing and guided me. My older brother also brought me catalogues from Moscow. They had there an exhibition displaying American architecture. I cannot recall exactly when it took place, at the end of 1950s, maybe even later, probably in the 1960s. And then, of course, drawing has a role in it as well. I had an excellent drawing teacher Raivo Korstnik. He taught me how to draw shapes and volume. From there, I got a powerful understanding of what is shape and what is light. And then, it gradually led me to architecture.
Au: How has your style evolved during the 40-odd years Merko Grupp
you have been an architect?
Above: Viru Centre interior Below: Viru Centre exterior
VK: Well, that is interesting. I just had this little exhibition at one of the art communes in Kalamaja [sub district of the district P천hja-Tallinn (Northern Tallinn) in Tallinn]. They have this little gallery called Metropol; it is six square metres big. I hung there 60 images of my previous work: art, conceptual work, sculptures and buildings. I looked at myself throughout the 40 years of progress, and I noticed that a certain line runs through my work: some sort of a strong figure, something energetic. I have had all sorts of experiments, yet there is always something that stays the same: outside of time, timelessness. I am like an alien from somewhere else. I am not that dependent on time. I have started acknowledging the symbols of eternity as I have seen more sacred places in the world. Hence, my work has also gotten more precise and powerful.
Au: What kind of an architectural style would you say
Pjotr Mahhonin
your work fits into?
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VK: Well, it most definitely is the predecessor of the new era; the golden age that is yet to come. My architecture is hard to describe, there are not that many who do something similar. With Padrik [Ain Padrik from K체nnapu & Padrik] we have done those competitions and we also have this kind of a mythological futurism and mythological constructivism going on. Everything seems to add up, but we also have this mystical element in our work: the magical moment that is hard to explain with words.
Au: Many of your work display a snail symbol, twisted
Au: How would you describe the Viru Centre
tower, what is the story behind it?
[department store in Tallinn that was built onto a car park] development?
VK: These are the energy buildings. If you start looking at those old stupas and towers around the world, they also gradually decrease. And this is connected to, as I previously mentioned, my teacher Korstnik, he taught me to draw energy. I see energy and I draw it, the same is with architecture. That is the reason why I am an architect, I want to do the same energy tower or house. Once I feel it, I am fine. If the energy does not move, well, then nothing happens.
Au: When remaking the Narva road 7 building, did the previous architecture have any impact on your designs? VK: The owners changed and they made a small contest. Five architects, five bureaus, to be precise, had to design a couple of floors on top of the existing building. We [Künnapu & Padrik] did two or three, and then it somehow happened. The stairwell was so strong that we decided to do something on top of it, something on top of the stairs. That is how the tower motive idea came to existence. Without acclaiming the previous architecture a sacred cow the towers went on
“A lot of rubbish can turn into profit; Those who are beaten the most get themselves together and create something.” top of the existing house and the structure. Then we covered it with glass. Therefore, one can still see the old structure through the glass. Some have criticised that we are too much, but that is how I like it. With this building we were doing something and did not know, whether it would work. At first the new owners did not want it, they started yelling, ‘what towers, why are you messing with us?’ They wanted to flunk it. But then somehow someone otherworldly helped us and it happened. If I do something, I always have a mission. There has to be energy, and energy has to move. That is the intention; and now it moves nicely. Those three towers do have a powerful energy when light reflects off of them.
VK: This new time period that we had during the soviet times, well, Viru Centre came after that. Right after the re-independence we had this strong tsunami, how to phrase it, capitalism and energy and economy changed. There was dirty money and that period was a little bit shady, colonial. Colonisation always attracts all sorts of third-rate architects and other nonsense. However, Estonian architecture has a strong structure, and the ones who took the hit were strong players: Raivo Puussepp, from women Meeli Truu and Irina Raud, then me and Ain Padrik, and Jüri Okas. We gave our best so that neither the Finns with their schemes nor foreign Estonians (who were not that strong) would have gotten the project. Well, to some extent we had to consider their [Finns] schemes and, of course, what we [Künnapu & Padrik] did was not that clean, but the end result does have a strong energy to it. The project was at the time of anarchy, the 1990s. During the development the business was ruthless and they wanted the schemes to be ready: two floors and covered with steel. I was a real fighter. I demanded there to be all sorts of art things and floors. There were some conflicts, but the interior and all the squares, did come out 75 per cent normal. Overall, the Viru Centre and its surroundings have this energy; there is nothing to be ashamed of. Viru quarter is pretty decent. In the beginning, the new energy does need time to get used to. The same was with Radisson SAS. We had schemes and things, yet they allowed us to do our thing. We did Cubism up there and a tower. To be honest, all those three objects under discussion are related to each other. The three-tower house, which is architecturally the cleanest, then Radisson, along the Laikmaa corner it is nice to walk, and then Viru Centre, they all have power. There is nowhere else in Tallinn something like this, like the colonnade passage in front of the Viru Centre. One can sit there when it is raining or snowing. Other world cities have a lot of those colonnade passages; we have none of those. The Viru Centre one is still the only one in Estonia.
Au: How did you come up with the Tigutorn [snail tower] building idea? VK: We [Künnapu & Padrik] were assigned to do the detail planning, there was supposed to be one tower
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“ ideas are just given from the outside, they just appear and one has to obey them and that is in a way a source of inspiration.” and then something else as well, but we did not know for sure. They had already done something, but then came the time to get more specific. It was when Viru Centre was widely disapproved all over the media. That really baffled me. Overall we were standing for the Estonian concept. We have done a lot for shaping the materialistic Estonia, more than one might think. There was pressure coming from everywhere that we are going to mess it up once again. We stood heroically for it, but the criticism was harsh, we were thinking to ourselves, ‘now we are going to build another tower in Tartu and the outcry will get even worse.’ Then we decided to do something special out of it as well. That is how it sometimes is; a lot of rubbish can turn into profit. Those who are beaten the most get themselves together and create something. Therefore, that is one of the reasons. But now about the Tigu [English for snail, a nickname]. We had done those three towers in this form of the stupa and then the notion of spiral came into it. In Tartu, the university and the surroundings are in classicism and spiral is also a classicistic symbol, a very old symbol. It really is something, and out of nowhere the idea of a spiral hit us. Sometimes, that is just how it works; you have both real reasons and then those that are just given from somewhere. I imagine an artist doing something and then the ideas are just given from the outside, they just appear and one has to obey them and that is in a way a source of inspiration.
Au: What is more important: architecture fitting into the city image or being original? VK: Originality. Well, all the things together are important and so is fitting into the scene. Yet the
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suitability can sometimes be in terms of contrast, but that too is fitting into the scene. They are both important, but I do not want to completely lose my originality and imitate something that has already been done. One can be daring. Some can afford it, in the sense of being bold and taking everything as a game. Private houses that is an important subject. It is a tradition in Estonia, the Estonian farm and then the Estonian period houses. During the soviet times they already did something interesting and now, what we have is a small form. But I like it, I do it all the time and I also try to add there something powerful and vigorous.
Au: You did one private house in Maardu that is now known as the Elephant house. How did the customer approach you? VK: They did not tell me anything specific they just wanted to get something truly interesting. They had some sort of an image demonstrating I can do something really crazy. It was from some kind of a computer game, but nothing was left behind of this image. I created something of my own. I felt that now I can hit it as they gave me the opportunity. They did say that with my things are like if to do it, then do it completely, not a little bit and then change it. But they executed it very powerfully. There is a lot of art, parts of the house and sculptures as well. It is like it is. The house is featured everywhere, in Russia, China and Chile and in all sorts of portals. It has found something. Something new. Some criticise it and some admire it. That is how it is with my work; you either hate it or love it.
Arne Maasik
Leida Pello
Arne Maasik
clockwise from above: Snail tower and the AhhAA science centre; Radisson SAS; the elephant house
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private house public space Text by Leida Pello
- interview with Emil Urbel
In his early twenties, Emil Urbel the Estonian architect was not sure whether architecture was his calling but he trusted his gut feeling. Thirty years later, he has his own architectural bureau Arhitektuuribüroo Emil Urbel OÜ and is an award winning private housing architect. In 1996, 2000 and 2003, he received the annual architecture award of the Estonian Cultural Endowment. In 2013, his Kukemõisa private residence in Järva County won the competition “ERAMU 20082012”. This competition was held by the Union of Estonian Architects in order to recognize the most interesting private residences made during that time. Today, Urbel’s driving force behind every housing project is creating a new environment. aurum wanted to find out why he prefers private housing over commercial architecture.
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Martin Siplane
kukem천isa private residence
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JK
aurum: Why architecture?
Clockwise From above: villa in Merivälja; Aaviku Residental Area; Carpet Housing in Kloosrimtesa
Emil Urbel: It was pure coincidence. Actually, after upper secondary school, I had a plan to study a science subject, either maths or physics. But as I had done art when I was younger and then, it turned out that the architecture exams consisted of maths, physics, drawing and painting. It was an absolutely fascinating combination; I did not know anything about what I was about to start studying. As my father is an engineer, he is a land development engineer, I assume I must have seen some papers, pencils and drawing boards when I grew up, and I had some sort of an assumption that somewhere were some men, who drew and then someone else did something with their sketches. Well, I did not know a thing about architecture. The choice was random. Maybe subconsciously I knew something I did not know how to explain. That is always the problem, deciding when you are young, thankfully I turned out good. I was 17 when I went to EKA [Estonian Art University]; what was I supposed to know about the world.
Au: How did you start preferring private houses over
Kalle Veesaar
Vanessa Stauber
commercial buildings?
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EU: It was not like this or that. We still enjoy doing bigger buildings. Well, the private house is like a poem and a novel. You write a poem, and it has everything. A drop reflects the world; it is a clichĂŠ. Henno Sillaste (Estonian-born Canadian architect) once said that the easiest thing for an architect is to create a skyscraper; there everything repeats. In a private house all the architectural problems are evident, be they four or fourteen. It depends how complex one wants their road to be. It somehow has turned out like this for us: we have not done any warehouses or markets or commercial architecture. It might be due to comfort. I am not sure whether to call it necessarily comfort, more luck that we have had private housing customers who have given us time and opportunities to consider issues regarding private housing. Those aspects are evident throughout all the architecture surrounding people, construction, nature, and environment. Some sort of a supermarket has probably less worries. It has different issues and scales. The amount of worry one has is still related to the architect; how many problems does he want to face when he is involved in the creating process. The greater the knowledge the more capable one is to do something unique, niche.
Au: Looking at your architecture, it has this minimalist,
Au: Does a client come with own ideas or are there those
modernist feel to it. The buildings are relatively big boxes.
who say I want this and that?
EU: Well, of course, it has developed from modernism. I assume, as we all here. Dubiously someone has practiced any historical styles here. The studies were one chapter. I started to comprehend what I am studying, and what I wanted to do I think it was five years after graduation. I had worked in different bureaus, in those big government companies. And then I started to develop an understanding of what this profession really is and how it is done, what influence does architecture have, and how to create forms and spaces. Then, I won the first architectural
“ how can an architect speak to a client, who is a millionaire if he does not know how a millionaire lives, he has not seen it.” competitions and I understood I did not know anything about affecting something. And then, I realised I do know something; I am capable of affecting something or affecting it in the direction I want. But this process usually takes time. From the beginning of the studies it is usually up to 15 years, before the young person starts to understand what he is doing and why. Maybe it goes quicker for some talented people. 30 is not architect’s age, it is impossible. This is such a complex, difficult specialty; it synthesizes so many different areas. One must have life experience. I think that this is the problem with youth, I talk like an old man, but that is something I still feel lack of. As you asked earlier about the private residence, how could I talk about private residence to a customer if I have never lived in one, it comes with experience, with time. Or how can an architect speak to a client, who is a millionaire if he does not know how a millionaire lives, he has not seen it. But in the end, the experienced architect knows it; he has seen different worlds, different worldviews, and understandings of the world. He knows them, knows how to connect things, synthesize, and create something new out of them.
EU: Usually, the customer is not that good in phrasing what he wants. Mainly it tends to be something from the magazine. It is always refreshing if someone comes with a precise project, it is like an initial task. He has described how he wants the space to be, with some boxes or trivial sketches; there is some information. I do not perceive it as an insult and I do not get upset if someone says do it like this; it allows us to communicate. It helps him to explain what he wants, what he has thought of. In the beginning, it is a dialogue to understand whether there is any point to continue working on it, whether we can have a dialogue; I offer ideas, and he offers ideas. If we are capable of listening to each other, changing the project, creating the sketch, and first solutions we can continue working together and get a good result.
Au: Does the environment affect the project as well? EU: What else then, the environment and its surroundings and the place. Environment is one of the most important factors, starting with where does the sun shine. It depends whether it is a suburb in Paide or the areas surrounding Tallinn’s city centre, or the social environment that has the same impact as the spatial environment. But it does not create direct connections; that you just fetch lines and there is meaning. It is a combination of different factors architect then has to consider. But the person, the customer has a big impact as well. I recall a tailor describing prior to the Estonian Independence day (24th Feb) what he does. His task is to choose which cut is important. So he can make this suit, which is overly conservative and does not have a lot of space to play around, reflecting the customer’s ambitions and vanity. We do the same thing. We either let the customer know straightaway or we keep quiet about everything, as he might not be ready for some kind of craziness. One cannot ask about it, as you have to keep it a secret. It is ready once it really is ready. It is like tailors, they cannot explain every step they do.
Au: That is true, that process would be insanely long. EU: Yes, there is no point doing it. We do experiment with things during the creating process that we do not share with the customer; there is no need for it. In the end, all those experiments will stay there, those
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“ it is more appealing to be involved in creating a greater environment for different people.” experiences that you can use afterwards. It is not like, ‘oh it did not turn out like this, so it serves him right’. It is not that bad. With every project you try to refine something, not necessarily something new, or you look to make your work more interesting, to find precise solutions.
Au: How is it in Estonia, is there a change in the private housing market? EU: I am not sure. If we do three private houses a year we have no idea what is happening in the market, how many houses are built, 1000 or 2000, it is none of our business. However, there is some sort of a tendency. Those, who were eager to build themselves a house 15 years ago, have now grown and started to cherish the city or the quality of living in central, and not use the car every day. Maybe they have even moved abroad or work less. With a private house it always conjures up an image of a rich customer with a bottomless purse. I prefer the middle class life, creating an environment, not one top, unlimited possibilities house. It is more appealing to be involved in creating a greater environment for different people. A housing project is more interesting than only houses, some private houses. More of this low-budget theme, something less developed or primitively developed like Lasnamäe [a suburb in Tallinn]. There are those social houses; I do not know on what grounds funded by the city, I guess, they are in no sense that different from those soviet time Lasnamäe or Mustamäe [a suburb in Tallinn] houses. It would be intriguing to do there
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something fascinating, something extraordinary in terms of architecture, both in spatial and technical side, in terms of the arrangement of apartments and creating a whole environment – to create something big. But no one wants to support or fund the thinking and creating process. The main concern is cheap and quick and now, and that slows down. Rather than remaking those old Lasnamäe buildings, there should be an institute or a group that would think the process through and consider what we really want to see in 30 years. In Western Europe renown architects build those social houses. Those districts are done to the highest standard and funded by the city. This matter is fascinating; a private house is like a little poem a haiku. It is fun to work on, elitist even, if you have a good customer. However, it does not solve the problems, in any way.
Au: So you are on a mission to make the world a better place? EU: Yes, there is. It is nice if a house receives an award and stands out; it is like advertising. It is like to wear an order that is great. Yet it does not change much if someone else builds complete rubbish next to it. This depends on the quality of environment; hands are too short when doing a private house. It is good in terms of architectural propaganda; you can put it into a magazine and show what is pretty. However, this also has its place and time. This elitist aura it can create class hatred.
Leida Pello
house in kardiorg
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Sustainable lifestyle? Text by Leida Pello
Introducing eco-friendly manufacturing models in Estonian fashion and architecture is a way of stopping harming the environment.
Ancient Estonians were nature worshippers. It is no wonder, as more than half of its area is covered with forests, bogs and swamps. This urge to conserve the nature is what has led many Estonians towards a sustainable lifestyle. Upcycling fashion designer Reet Aus and timber architect Mihkel Urmet elaborate on different ways of becoming a more conscious consumer. Many Estonian young fashion designers address the issue of overconsumption. For instance, Pamela Peepson recycles fabrics and Äli Kargoja from Studio August prioritises using ecological and sustainable fabrics and manufacturers. However, Reet Aus was one of the first designers in Estonia to become concerned about overconsumption. She made the decision when she understood “that fashion world, as we know it, cannot operate the way it does much longer.” Aus believes “the solution for overconsumption is conscious consumption. Ethical design looks at the whole production process and offers an alternative.” Since 2002, Aus creates collections using the recycling principle. In her doctoral thesis in 2011 Aus stated, “this
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upcycling model [process that enables circulating the leftover materials back to the production through design, at the same time significantly reducing environmental impacts] should be tested in other design sectors, such as interior architecture, industrial design, and furniture design. It would definitely be useful to test the model in cooperation with a major mass production company.” She believes Aus Design [aus is honest/fair in English] became the role model of upcycling method “through applying the knowledge in mass production. Aus Design proved in practise the ability of applying the upcycling method in production.” Since 2012 Reet Aus has been collaborating with Beximco - Bangladesh’s biggest industrial conglomerate. And at the end of 2014, the Beximcos’ production line using Aus’s upcycling method was given the Upmade certificate. This certificate is part of the Aus Design Llc. They created it in collaboration with Stockholm Environment Centre – Tallinn, in order to credit those using the upcycling method. In her (doctoral) thesis, Aus proposed a Trash to Trend model that was meant to facilitate “the use of upcycling in the regional production of fashion design.” Now, it has
Herkki Erich Merila and Riina Varol
Reet Aus
from left: Reet Aus spring/summer 2015; Reet Aus Design
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Marina Puškar Tõnu Tunnel
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from left: Villa Romantic; vääna-Jõuesuu school
“ fashion world, as we know it, cannot operate the way it does much longer.” become a separate world, encouraging more designers, also a furniture brand, to prefer the upcycling model and reuse their waste. The Trash to Trend model has become “a way of preventing waste in advance, rather than simply a solution for dealing with leftovers at the end of the manufacturing process.” Aus admits the Trash to Trend model has developed “even further”, than she ever expected. It has become a global community platform connecting designers, manufacturers and consumers who favour sustainable and ethical practices. Even though many fashion and furniture designers embrace upcycling and waste-free production, architects have not made it their main concern. However, Urmet does admit “the one thing that worries me is the waste.” He offers an example of plywood manufacturers. “They often face difficulties with what to do with the waste, as burning plywood is not an option [It releases toxic chemical when burned]. That is something I would like to research in the future.” At the moment, in the architecture world, not many are concerned about the waste timber architecture creates. “In the end, it is wood and glue and they do not talk about the glue; what does it consist of and how eco-friendly it really is. As at one point you do have to get rid of the glue as well.” The process behind timber buildings in itself is both nature and cost friendly. Urmet explains, “wood itself is energy saving, as it has a very good thermal conductivity. Actually, energy saving relies on climatic conditions. One has to know how the sun moves; at what time does the sun reflect at what angle, how much energy does it give and other similar factors. One has to look at it as a whole, that the house would be energy saving both during building, using and it also has to be energy saving to demolish. In the end, the building has to leave the smallest carbonfootprint possible. It also has to fulfil its function, and
in a way enrich the world without taking something away from us.” Most of the buildings are built indoors and then transported to the building site. Urmet says they [TEMPT an architectural office and a creative team] “collaborate a lot with factory houses. It is simply more [cost] effective to create the houses indoors, in some sort of an industrial hall.” This way they avoid excess building waste. As constructing the house in a factory enables to reuse the leftover materials from the building process and also avoid the weather changes. Urmet would not say there is a craze for energy saving and working out the CO2 footprint among their clients in Estonia. However, “when the topic of CO2 arises, many clients tend to be worried about it. They wish their living environment would affect the surrounding world less, and at the same time they want the environment around them to be as friendly as possible.” Therefore, their team offers different building solutions in order to cater for the client’s needs. “We start to be more conscious about the materials we choose. We would not use stone wool in a timber frame house. We would try to find something nature friendlier, e.g. cellulose wool that is made out of paper. It is very nature friendly. There are many of those options, but not that many clients understand it and ask.” He is positive about the future. As more and more clients are concerned about the impact architecture has on the nature and are willing to reconsider timber architecture that at one point was thought to be unsafe. “But it is natural to prefer wood; the energy prices are increasing daily. Everyone understands why it is necessary to be energy saving, they just have to be more conscious.”
“In the end, it is wood and glue and they do not talk about the glue; at one point you do have to get rid of the glue as well.”
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where to Events Estonian Pavilion at Expo Milan 1 May - 31 October 2015 in Milan, Italy European Conference on Conscious Action 7 May 2015 in kumu, in tallinn Estonian Pavilion at 56th Venice Biennale 9 May - 22 November 2015 in Venice, Italy Latitude59 14 -15 May 2015 in Tallinn Creative Hub, in tallinn
Hanseatic days 11 -12 july 2015 in Tartu XXIII Viljandi Folk Music Festival 23 - 26 july 2015 in viljandi the Black Nights Film Festival November 2015 in Tallinn
Kadarik T端端r Arhitektid
XXXIV TALLINN OLD TOWN DAYS 30 may - 6 june 2015 in tallinn
from left: Estonia, Expo 2015; Ulla-maija Alanen. Bodyscapes; J端ri Arrak. Lava; Marko M辰etamm. Self-portrait in a Carpet
Exhibitions Ulla-Maija Alanen
Metamorphoses of the Black Square. Interpretations of Malevich’s Work in Estonian Art 20 March - 9 August 2015 in kumu, in tallinn Ulla-Maija Alanen. Bodyscapes 11 April - 07 June 2015 in Estonian Architecture Museum, in Tallinn Art Revolution 1966 17 April - 16 August 2015 in kumu, in tallin
Jüri Arrak
100 Steps Through Estonia’s 20th Century Architecture 21 April - 30 May 2015 In Lainturi Gallery, in Helsinki, In Finland Body Language 22 April - May 24 2015 in Tallinn Art hall, in Tallinn ART SENSES. Art biennale by handycap artists. 1 - 28 May 2015 in The Museum of New Art, in Pärnu
Marko Mäetamm
New Nordic Fashion Illustration 2 23 May - 27 September 2015 in Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design, in Tallinn Home and Away. Raymond Pettibon: Living the American Dream. Marko Mäetamm: Feel at Home 29 May - 13 September 2015 in kumu, in tallinn
in 1980 Tallinn hosted the sailing events for the Moscow Olympics
blue sky black earth; forest
Valmar Valdmann
white snow
About 90 per cent of Estonians pay their taxes via Internet online voting since 2005 Tallinn is home to NATO’s main research centre for cyber defense
More than 50 per cent of Estonia is covered with forests, marshes and bogs. Estonian wooded meadows are among the richest biomes in the world – one square metre has more than 70 species (exceeds the diversity in the tropics).
Mart Sepp
The first daily newspaper was published in Tallinn in 1675 (in England – 1702).
Estonia has more than a 100 historical parishes, each one with its own traditional clothing. 2011 Housing and Population Census data showed that 19 per cent of ethnic Estonians and 50 per cent of non ethnic Estonians indicated they are religious.
from above: Estonian Flag; Kakerdaja Bog
Estonia produces more startups per capita than any other country in Europe, according to wsj.com (2012) startups: transferwise.com taxify app skype grabcad
aurum Estonian fashion and architecture magazine