BIG to Design Tallinn’s New City Hall

<div><p><img alt="image" src="http://www.bustler.net/images/uploads/big_tallinn_city_hall_01x.jpg" style="border: 0pt none ; width: 500px; height: 410px;" /></p><p>An international idea contest was held for <b>Tallinn’s new City Hall</b> in <b>Estonia</b>, and the best concept was presented by the <b><a href="http://www.big.dk/" title="Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)">Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)</a></b> from Denmark together with <b><a href="http://www.akt-uk.com/" title="Adams Kara Taylor">Adams Kara Taylor</a></b> of the UK.</p><br /><br /><br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><br /><p>The purpose of the international idea contest was to find the best<br />architectural solution for the new administrative building of the city<br />government that will be situated on a 35,000 m2 (370,000 sf) plot near<br />the Linnahall building. The contest for the new city was met with a<br />great interest, 81 architects and their teams were willing to present<br />an entry. Of those, the international jury chose the best 9 to<br />shortlist as finalists into the second phase of the competition. By May<br />15, the finalists handed in their final solutions. The international<br />jury’s decision to award BIG’s entry first place in the competition was<br />unanimous and was presided by the vice mayor Taavi Aas.</p><br /><p><img alt="image" src="http://www.bustler.net/images/uploads/big_tallinn_city_hall_01x.jpg" style="border: 0pt none ; width: 500px; height: 410px;" /></p><br /><div class="cap">First<br />prize in the international competition for the new city hall building<br />in Estonia’s capital Tallinn: Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)<br /></div><br /><p><b>Bjarke Ingels, BIG, Partner-in-Charge</b><br />There is a saying that success has many fathers. That is especially<br />true when designing such a crucial public building and public space as<br />a town hall. The design needs to be shaped by input from neighbours and<br />users, citizens and politicians. Paradoxically we architects often find<br />ourselves isolated from this crucial dialogue at the moment of<br />conception, due to the anonymity of the architectural competition.<br />Since this was a 2 stage competition, we already had our first feedback<br />from the jury – causing us to dramatically rearrange our design to fit<br />the citizens’ needs. As a result we have envisioned a very elastic<br />structure – capable of adapting to unexpected demands. We see it as the<br />first conversation in a design dialogue we look forward to continue.</p><br /><p><a class="floatbox" href="http://www.bustler.net/images/uploads/big_tallinn_city_hall_02x.jpg" rev="group:myGallery caption:`New Tallinn City Hall by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)`"><img alt="image" src="http://www.bustler.net/images/uploads/big_tallinn_city_hall_02.jpg" style="border: 0pt none ; width: 499px; height: 270px;" /></a></p><br /><div class="cap"><i>click above image to enlarge</i><br /></div><br /><p><a class="floatbox" href="http://www.bustler.net/images/uploads/big_tallinn_city_hall_03x.jpg" rev="group:myGallery caption:`New Tallinn City Hall by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)`"><img alt="image" src="http://www.bustler.net/images/uploads/big_tallinn_city_hall_03.jpg" style="border: 0pt none ; width: 499px; height: 270px;" /></a></p><br /><div class="cap"><i>click above image to enlarge</i><br /></div><br /><p><b>Public Insight + Political Overview</b><br />Good governance and participatory democracy is dependent on<br />transparency in both directions. It requires adequate political<br />overview of the problems, demands and desires of the public, as well as<br />public insight into the political processes. The new town hall of<br />Tallinn will provide this two way transparency in a very literal way.<br />The various public departments form a porous canopy above the public<br />service market place allowing both daylight and view to permeate the<br />structure. The public servants won’t be some remote administrators<br />taking decisions behind thick walls, but will be visible in their daily<br />work from all over the market place via the light wells and courtyards.<br />From outside the panoramic windows allow the citizens to see their city<br />at work. In reverse the public servants will be able to look out and<br />into the market place’s making sure that the city and its citizens are<br />never out of sight nor mind.</p><br /><p><a class="floatbox" href="http://www.bustler.net/images/uploads/big_tallinn_city_hall_04x.jpg" rev="group:myGallery caption:`New Tallinn City Hall by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)`"><img alt="image" src="http://www.bustler.net/images/uploads/big_tallinn_city_hall_04.jpg" style="border: 0pt none ; width: 500px; height: 270px;" /></a></p><br /><div class="cap"><i>click above image to enlarge</i><br /></div><br /><p><a class="floatbox" href="http://www.bustler.net/images/uploads/big_tallinn_city_hall_05x.jpg" rev="group:myGallery caption:`New Tallinn City Hall by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)`"><img alt="image" src="http://www.bustler.net/images/uploads/big_tallinn_city_hall_05.jpg" style="border: 0pt none ; width: 499px; height: 270px;" /></a></p><br /><div class="cap"><i>click above image to enlarge</i><br /></div><br /><p><b>Jakob Lange, BIG, Project Leader</b><br />The Town hall is not only surrounded by public space - but literally<br />invaded by the citizens in the form of the public service market place<br />beneath the canopy of the public offices, where the citizens of Tallinn<br />can meet their public servants.</p><br /><p><a class="floatbox" href="http://www.bustler.net/images/uploads/big_tallinn_city_hall_06x.jpg" rev="group:myGallery caption:`New Tallinn City Hall by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)`"><img alt="image" src="http://www.bustler.net/images/uploads/big_tallinn_city_hall_06.jpg" style="border: 0pt none ; width: 500px; height: 270px;" /></a></p><br /><div class="cap"><i>click above image to enlarge</i><br /></div><br /><p><b>Democratic Tower</b><br />The City Council, the heart of the democratic process, is located in<br />the town hall tower visible from the park, the plaza and the podium of<br />the Linnen Hall. The roof of the tower is tilted forming a slender<br />spire. Inside the City Council greeting hall is accessed via the grand<br />stair or elevators directly from the market place, or from the City<br />offices around it. Above the greeting hall, the City Council is located<br />in a generous space illuminated though a large window facing the city.<br />A balcony for press and visitors flanks the space on the level above.<br />The sloping ceiling of the tower is finished in a large reflective<br />material. The mirror ceiling transforms the tower into a huge<br />democratic periscope allowing literal transparency between politicians<br />and public. In ancient times the town hall would have a vaulted ceiling<br />decorated with a sky or frescos of the land and territories under the<br />ruler’s government. In the new town hall of Tallinn the ceiling will be<br />a real (reflected) overview of the city both old and new. Whenever a<br />politician raises his/her glance, he/she will be met with the view of<br />Tallinn’s townscape. In reverse, the citizens, rallying protesters or<br />simply people passing by, will look towards the tower, and within it<br />get an insight into the political work. The circular formation of<br />council members will be reflected in the tilted ceiling, and give the<br />surrounding citizens a sense of assurance that the democracy is busy<br />working for them. In a traditional tower only the king at the top gets<br />to enjoy the great view. The periscope is a form of democratic tower,<br />where even the average Tallinn citizen on the street gets to enjoy the<br />overview from the top. From a distance the silhouette of the town hall<br />tower enters the family of Tallinn’s historical spires including those<br />of the Niguliste Museum-Concert Hall, Toomkirik, Kaarli Kirik,<br />Pühavaimu Kirik, St. Olav Church and the current town hall.</p><br /><p><a class="floatbox" href="http://www.bustler.net/images/uploads/big_tallinn_city_hall_07x.jpg" rev="group:myGallery caption:`New Tallinn City Hall by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)`"><img alt="image" src="http://www.bustler.net/images/uploads/big_tallinn_city_hall_07.jpg" style="border: 0pt none ; width: 500px; height: 267px;" /></a></p><br /><div class="cap"><i>click above image to enlarge</i><br /></div><br /><p><b>Hanif Kara, Adams Kara Taylor</b><br />The structural concept reflects the simplicity of the architectural<br />intent; a grouping of “easily assembled individual Frames” that through<br />vierendeel frames free the connection of the city at ground level<br />whilst simultaneously act as a “group” to resist lateral loads. The<br />result is an economic, fast build adaptable solution.</p><br /><p><a class="floatbox" href="http://www.bustler.net/images/uploads/big_tallinn_city_hall_08x.jpg" rev="group:myGallery caption:`New Tallinn City Hall by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)`"><img alt="image" src="http://www.bustler.net/images/uploads/big_tallinn_city_hall_08.jpg" style="border: 0pt none ; width: 499px; height: 271px;" /></a></p><br /><div class="cap"><i>click above image to enlarge</i><br /></div><br /><p><b>The Jury</b><br />The international idea contest was jointly organized by the City<br />Planning Department and the Union of Estonian Architects. The members<br />of the jury were: Head Architect of Tallinn Endrik Mänd, Administrative<br />Director of the Tallinn City Office Viljar Meister, head Architect of<br />Riga Janis Dripe, architect Tarald Lundevall from Norway, architect<br />Peter Wilson from Germany, architects Martin Aunin, Tiit Trummal, Kalle<br />Komissarov, and Andres Levald as a substitute member. The winning<br />project was awarded with 500,000 Estonian kroons ($45,000). The mayor<br />of Tallinn Edgar Savisaar stated contentment with the results of the<br />competition, thanked all the participants and expressed his hope that<br />the new administrative building of Tallinn will be built sooner or<br />later, despite the hard times in the European economy.</p><br /><p><a class="floatbox" href="http://www.bustler.net/images/uploads/big_tallinn_city_hall_09x.jpg" rev="group:myGallery caption:`New Tallinn City Hall by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)`"><img alt="image" src="http://www.bustler.net/images/uploads/big_tallinn_city_hall_09.jpg" style="border: 0pt none ; width: 500px; height: 271px;" /></a></p><br /><div class="cap"><i>click above image to enlarge</i><br /></div><br /><p><b>Bjarke Ingels, BIG, Partner-in-Charge</b><br />For a Danish architect it is a special honor to design the new town hall of Tallinn – cause after all – they designed our flag.</p><br /><p><a class="floatbox" href="http://www.bustler.net/images/uploads/big_tallinn_city_hall_10x.jpg" rev="group:myGallery caption:`New Tallinn City Hall by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)`"><img alt="image" src="http://www.bustler.net/images/uploads/big_tallinn_city_hall_10.jpg" style="border: 0pt none ; width: 499px; height: 270px;" /></a></p><br /><div class="cap"><i>click above image to enlarge</i><br /></div><br /><p><b>The Tallinn City Hall Credit List:</b><br />Architect: BIG<br />Client: City Planning Office, City of Tallinn<br />Structural Engineer: Adams Kara Taylor<br />Size: 28,000 m2 (300,000 sf)<br />Status: 1st Prize</p><br /><p><b>BIG Architects</b><br />Partner-in-Charge: Bjarke Ingels<br />Project Leader: Associate Jakob Lange<br />Contributors: Daniel Sundlin, Hanna Johansson, Ondrej Janku, Ken Aoki, Benjamin Engelhardt, Maxime Enrico, Joao Albuquerque</p><br /><p><b>Structural Engineer</b><br />Adams Kara Taylor </p><br /><br /><b>Related links:</b><br />http://www.bustler.net<br />http://www.big.dk/<br />http://www.akt-uk.com/<br /><br /></span></div>