Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla

R E - P U R P O S I N G S PAC E :
THE ROLE AND
P OT E N T I A L O F S PAT I A L
INTERVENTION
Dissertationes Academiae Artium Estoniae 22
The practice-based research deals with the re-purpos- Dissertationes Academiae Artium Estoniae 22
ing of historical buildings to find modes and mod-
els for expanding the concept of professional spatial
intervention. The research focuses on the possible
interaction between phenomenological knowledge
and spatial investigation, design activism and the
gentrification process. The thesis investigates, on the
basis of case-studies – the Pärnu Mud Baths, Tallinn
Linnahall and Hiiumaa Paluküla Church – the activa-
tion of space and forms of spatial intervention tactics,
focusing on physical, mental and social strata of space.

In interior architectural practice, the physical and

the emotional approaches are in an inversely propor-
tional relation to each other. The research focuses on
the relationship of the past (buildings) and the future
(users), evaluating spatial layers and human behav-
ioural patterns. As an interior architect, I am interested
in the impact of space: how it is possible to direct
people’s behaviour through physical space and how
space affects the human atmosphere.
of New South Wales (NSW), Sydney 2013.
Fig 1: Collection of aboriginal art (a fragment), the Art Gallery
Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla
Re-purposing Space: The Role and Potential of Spatial Intervention
Ruumi ümbermõtestamine: ruumilise sekkumise roll ja järelmõju
Dissertationes Academiae Artium Estoniae 22

Supervisors
Prof Ranulph Glanville, PhD
R E - P U R P O S I N G S PAC E :
Prof Mart Kalm, PhD
THE ROLE AND
External reviewers
Suzie Attiwill, PhD
Lilian Hansar, PhD
P OT E N T I A L O F S PAT I A L
Opponent
Prof Morten Lund (Chalmers University)
INTERVENTION
Public defence
14 June 2017 Ruumi ümbermõtestamine:
ruumilise sekkumise roll ja järelmõju
Editor
Epp Lankots, PhD

Translation
Peeter Tammisto
Liis Kivirand

Copy editor
Richard Adang

Design and layout

Stuudio Stuudio

The research has been supported by

Estonian Academy of Arts
Archimedes Foundation
Cultural Endowment of Estonia
Estonian Association of Interior Architecture

© Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla, 2017

All photo credits Vaikla Studio (if not mentioned otherwise)

ISBN (trükis) 978-9949-594-10-8

ISBN (pdf) 978-9949-594-11-5
ISSN 1736-2261

Printed by
Grupp trükiagentuur

Doctoral Thesis
Estonian Academy of Arts 2017
Content
1. CONTEXT – Motives and Research Questions.. ................................................ 11
1.1 Space and Re-purposing.. .................................................................................... 16
1.2 Space and Gentrification..................................................................................... 20
1.3 Space and Form.................................................................................................. 22
2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND CREATIVE METHODS................................ 31
2.1 About Theory and Practice in Interior Architecture............................................... 32
2.2 Creative Methods and Concepts......................................................................... 38
2.3 Multi-layered Space............................................................................................ 44
2.4 Phenomenology.................................................................................................. 47
2.5 Spatial Values and Remodelling........................................................................... 52
2.6 Gentrifying the Environment .............................................................................. 58
3. METAMORPHOSES OF SPACE.......................................................................... 67
3.1 Spatial Metamorphoses, the Transformation of Buildings .................................... 69
3.2 Spatial Interventions........................................................................................... 86
3.2.1 Site-specific Art.................................................................................................. 87
3.2.2 Social Works of Art............................................................................................. 92
3.2.3 Design Activism.................................................................................................. 93
4 5
4. CASE I – Pärnu Mud Baths . . ............................................................................. 99
4.1 Pärnu Mud Baths and Summer Resort: The Story of the Building and Context. . . 101
4.1.1 The Story of the Mud Baths.............................................................................. 104
4.2 Exhibition Project Spatial Snapshot, Pärnu Mud Baths, 10–13 November 2011....110
4.3 Restoration of the Historic Mud Baths Building: Modernisation and Extension... 121
4.4 Conclusions...................................................................................................... 127
5. CASE II – Tallinn Linnahall Concert Hall. . ........................................................ 131
5.1 Declining Modernity. Demolish? Forget? ‘Hibernate’? Reconstruct?.................. 133
5.2 The Life of the Linnahall Concert Hall. . .............................................................. 144
5.3 Exhibition Project How Long is the life of a Building?
13 th Venice Architecture Biennale, 29 August – 25 November 2012..................... 152
5.4 Conclusions...................................................................................................... 160
6. CASE III – Hiiumaa Paluküla Church............................................................... 165
6.1 Re-purposing the Past. . ..................................................................................... 167
6.2 Functional Changes in Sacred Buildings in Europe and Estonia. . ........................ 169
6.3 Exhibition Project Housewarming, Hiiumaa’s Paluküla Church,
12 July – 4 August 2013.................................................................................... 180
6.3.1 Spatial Change: Context – Action – Ideas ......................................................... 181
6.3.2 Open Workshop Re-vitalisation.. ........................................................................ 185
6.4 Conclusions...................................................................................................... 190
7. SUMMARY. . ..................................................................................................... 193
8. KOKKUVÕTE. . .................................................................................................. 203
9. REFERENCES. . ................................................................................................. 225
10. Appendix......................................................................................................... 233
 Preface

The alteration of space and particularly spatial intervention

has interested me for the last fifteen years as a spatial
practitioner, in other words as a practising interior architect,
artist and person. The revitalisation (even if temporary) of
abandoned places balances on the borderline between
planning and implementation. This is not necessarily the
wish to alter something existing but rather the aspiration to
highlight spatial relationships that have hitherto remained
concealed.

6 7
 My story: I lived the first few years of my life in a ‘Stalinovka’ in the
centre of Tallinn, and was later raised in a ‘Khrushchevka’ in the city’s
Pelgurand district (the terms are used nowadays to specify Soviet
architecture after the Second World War according to the reigns of the
Soviet heads of state J. Stalin, N. Khrushchev and L. Brezhnev). Later I
made my way to Herbert Johanson’s functionalist schoolhouse in the
city centre from the modernist atmosphere of a concrete panel apart-
ment building in the Mustamäe district. All of this was the impetus
for my early picture of the world, or more precisely my experience of
space from which to flee and where I could gratefully return. My first
knowledge of the world of art and design came from the innovative
Chair of Design Studies at the Estonian State Institute of Art (hereafter
ERKI), thanks to Professor Bruno Tomberg, the founder of Estonia’s
school of design, through whose supervision and in cooperation with
the Academy of Sciences Institute of Cybernetics I completed my
diploma thesis on the use of computer graphics in both urban space
and spatial design by way of Mandelbrot’s fractality.
I am grateful for flexible situations, well-disposed organisations and
the support of many people, in which the Estonian Academy of Arts
has played an important role in my studies as well as in my role as an
interdisciplinary lecturer, and also to the Archimedes Foundation and
the Estonian Cultural Endowment, both of which have been critical
in promoting open interaction with the world. I had the opportunity
to participate in practice-based research courses for doctoral candi-
dates at the LUCA/Sint-Lucas School of Architecture in Brussels and
Ghent in 2010–2012, and to work as a guest research fellow, critic
and supervisor at the RMIT University of Melbourne School of Archi-
tecture and Design during the autumn semester of 2013, for which I
am grateful to Professors Johan Verbeke and Suzie Attiwill. Working
within an international context has enabled me to draw parallels
and analyse differences, and also to test possible approaches in the
practical work of learning and teaching at several universities. The
manuscript for this dissertation was completed at a borgo in the for-
tress of Mazzano Romano in Italy in the residence programme of the
Väinö Tanner Foundation.
These valuable experiences and contacts gave me the chance to
curate the SISU international interior architecture symposium in
cooperation with the Association of Estonian Interior Architects and
the Estonian Academy of Arts Department of Interior Architecture,
which has shaped my professional attitudes and viewpoints. Over the
course of this event, which brought together theoreticians and practi-
tioners, dynamics between theory and practice were sought in interior
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 8 PREFACE
architecture: Interior Architecture – Dynamics of Theory and Practice
(Tallinn 2014); the impact of space and the role of the (interior)
architect in it: The Impact of Space (Tallinn 2015); spatial changes in
both living space and public space associated with migration result-
ing from both contemporary voluntary nomadism and involuntary
refugees: Welcome Stranger! (Tallinn 2016); and the transformation
and metamorphoses of space: Naked Space (Lucerne/Tallinn 2017).
The journal of interior architecture research SISU—LINE evolved out
of the symposium. The encouragement provided by discussion of
nature and the development of the profession of interior architecture
in today’s changing world has led me to cooperation with the board
of the European Association of Interior Architects (ECIA).
I thank Dr. Liina Unt and Dr. Raivo Kelomees, the heads of curriculum
of the Estonian Academy of Arts Doctoral School of Art and Design,
as well as Dr. Anneli Randla, Professors Hannes Praks, Toomas Tammis
and Andres Ojari for the support and collaboration during these years.
I am grateful to the preliminary reviewers of my doctoral dissertation
exhibitions, Professor Lilian Hansar and Tom Callebaut and all pre-
liminary reviewers for advice regarding the subject matter. I am very
grateful for Dr. Epp Lankots, Richard Adang, Peeter Tammisto, lighting
designer Siim Porila and the graphic designer Mikk Heinsoo. Everyone
who has graciously contributed through interviews and conversations
has been very important for me during the research process.
The old friends – The MTÜ Arhitektuuripärandi Sõprade Selts [Society
of Friends of Architectural Heritage] – has been the instigator of long
and short trips to spatial environments for some ten years. Together
with them I have had the chance to discover the undiscovered. My
creative family – Urmo, Ingel, Ann Mirjam – has naturally provided
emotional support in the completion of this doctoral dissertation, and
their role in site-specific exhibition projects has been indispensable, I
am thankful for their help with the amazing photos and films used in
the research. Special thanks to my parents – Tiiu and Paul Kokla – for
all the interest and dedication. Writing this dissertation, carrying out
practical research, preparing the exhibitions would not have been
possible without you all.
I owe my most sincere thanks to the supervisor of my doctoral dis-
sertation, Professor Mart Kalm. The backbone of this dissertation
developed and took shape through intense conversations with him. I
sincerely thank Professor Ranulph Glanville (1945–2014), who helped
me to comprehend ways of investigating artistic and architectural
practice in a different perspective.
9
1.

CONTEXT – Motives and

R e s e a r ch Q u e s t i o n s

This dissertation is an attempt to find modes and models for

expanding the concept of professional spatial intervention
– as an installation/exhibition/performative mode – which
precedes and also informs the final project re-design/
re-purposing of a space/building. The practice-based research
investigates, on the basis of case studies, the activation of
space and forms of spatial intervention tactics, focusing
on physical space parallel to the mental and social strata
of space. The practical part focuses on phenomenological
knowledge of techniques for rethinking derelict buildings that
revived the evolving gentrification process.

 Fig 2: Pantheon at midday, Rome 2015. 11

 In today’s changing world, a large portion of historical industrial memories translated in buildings, sites or material, and the phenom-
buildings, churches, farm buildings and other structures stand vacant. enon of reclaiming and transforming industrial buildings and struc-
A few buildings are fortunately transformed in the course of recon- tures through adaptive reuse, from the European traditional arena to
struction into chic dwellings, offices, theatres, restaurants and gym- recent developments in China and South America.
nasiums, and as a result the revitalisation of a building or of a whole
area takes place. This sort of attractive and dense association of con- Nowadays, there are abandoned building complexes in the country-
tradictions between content and form intrigues me. Recent historical side and in cities, in Estonia and throughout the world, due primarily
strata, such as the nostalgic ‘Estonian era’ and the hated Soviet regime to rapid globalisation, but also to demographic reasons: the decay of
that followed it, are recorded in people’s ways of thinking. Economic industry,i.e. the transformation of the economy to the post-industrial
as well as social relations become decisive circumstances in the (re) phase, accompanied by contractions in cities and rural settlements.
vitalisation of a building, with one naturally depending on the other. Contemporary examples of this are found in cities in industrialised
Everything for which no use is found inevitably decays and decom- Western Europe (e.g. Genk) as well as in Eastern Europe (e.g. Lodz)
poses. What should be done with fascinating architectural landmarks and Northern America (e.g. Detroit).
or vitally important parts of infrastructure that are nowadays no
longer needed in their original function, e.g. lighthouses, windmills
and watermills, postal stations and railway stations, factories, cultural
centres and municipal saunas? Old buildings still contain immense
potential, and perform exceedingly well in new contemporary func-
tions. Ample positive examples of the new use of such historical
buildings as theatres, libraries and university buildings can be cited
as verification of this claim, reflecting above all sensitive restoration
and renewal, and it’s clear that the preservation of the atmosphere of
an old building can also be profitable economically. The desire for
total change presumes the design and construction of a new building
instead, yet resources for this are insufficient. Fascinating and criti-
cal works at the world’s top architectural and artistic events – the
architectural biennials in Venice, Manifesta in Genk, and Documenta
in Kassel – all in former industrial buildings, creating an intriguingly Fig 3: The Packard Factory is the largest abandoned industrial complex
in the world, Detroit 2017.
unique environment for expositions, verify the topicality of the theme
of the recycling of buildings. Current discussions addressing interior
architecture as a practice of re-purposing, adaptive reuse or recycling Here in Estonia, such an example in the border city of Narva, with its
within the academic arena have been provided by Professor Graeme Kreenholm factory. Large and exceedingly large building complexes,
Brooker (London Royal College of Art) and Sally Stone (Manches- of course, are the first to be abandoned, since in economic terms
ter School of Architecture) in several publications concerning the they are difficult to maintain when their original function disap-
complex process of remodelling existing buildings. 1 The academic pears. Contemporary examples in Tallinn of industrial heritage that
journal Int|AR – Interventions/Adaptive Reuse (editors Liliane Wong has now been valuated are the former cellulose integrated plant
and Markus Berger) of the Interior Architecture programme of Rhode (architect Erich Jacoby, 1926–1930), otherwise known as the Fahle
Island School of Design researches the reuse topic from different building, and the seaplane hangars (Christiani & Nielsen, engineer:
viewpoints: the relationship of art and building reuse, adaptive reuse Sven Schultz, 1916–1917), now a part of the Maritime Museum (archi-
in emerging economies and emerging markets, the experience econ- tects for both buildings: Raivo Kotov and Andrus Kõresaar, 2002–
omy and adaptive reuse, (negative) associations, experiences and 2006). As the state currently holding the presidency of the European
Union Council (2017), Estonia is concentrating its key presidential
1 G. Brooker, S. Stone, Rereadings: Interior Architecture and the Design Principles of Remodel-
events in the restored and renewed Tallinn Kultuurikatel [Creative
ling Existing Buildings. London: Riba Enterprises, 2004; G. Brooker, S. Stone, Basics Interior
Architecture: Context + Environment, London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2008. Hub], the building that formerly housed the city’s electric power

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 12 CONTEXT – Motives and Research Questions 13

 station. 2 Among other examples are the modernist meat market in
Copenhagen connected to the city by rail (architects: Poul Holsoe,
Curt Bie and Tage Rue, engineers: C. Bruun and P. J. Borge, 1934),
which now functions effectively as a supermarket, and the Koff brew-
ery in Helsinki (architect: Woldemar Baeckman, 1970), which is now
the Emma Museum of Contemporary Art. The more important monu-
ments have also been added to the UNESCO list of world heritage,
which is one way of appreciating cultural heritage nowadays; the
coal mining town of Zollverein in the Ruhr area, for instance, is on
the list of world heritage as a pearl of industrial architecture.
The replacement of the imposed socialist system of government of
the Soviet Union (1945–1991) with contemporary capitalism based on
private property, and joining the European Union (2004) are important
aspects of recent Estonian history. This first brought a considerable
increase in immigration and then a notable decrease at the beginning
of the 21st century. The abandonment of quality architecture that has
been created in the shadow of the bland Soviet-era mass construction
in contemporary Estonia is visually offensive. Its demolition for the
construction of new buildings is very rarely undertaken. The usual
practice is the forgetting of this architecture, although a multitude of
objects are on the waiting list, for the realisation of which there are
not enough ideas, nor is there enough capital to finance them. Church
buildings and roofless threshing barns have stood vacant since the
Soviet era, when the kolkhozes built new residential buildings and
cultural centres. Yet already at the outset of the creation of Estonia
as an independent state – as a result of the economic reform imple-
mented in the 1920s – the lands of manorial estates were nationalised
and small holdings were established on these lands, and many manor
houses were also nationalised, some of which were left unused. Thus,
leftover space is not a phenomenon characteristic of only the present
time; rather, it mostly accompanies changes in systems of government.
In the relationship with the local community and vacant houses, I
see in the current situation the opportunity and need to communi-
cate with and relate to the surrounding (urban) space, especially
with people. In creative practice research, I analyse different forms of
spatial intervention through site-specific exhibition projects. I rely on
my own experience in this process. How can public discussion and
critical thinking be generated? Public action and intervention can
be a field for exploring boundaries. My desire is to highlight spatial
2 The winner of the design contest for the creative design and furnishing of venues for
presidential meetings was the entry Vool [Flow]: authors Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla, Urmo Vaikla and
Mikk Meelak (2016).  overshadowed in the built environment.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE
relationships that have hitherto remained concealed to understand
different possibilities for action, involving the local population in
the discussion, and attempting to change stagnant viewpoints and
broaden the horizon in generating new alternative ideas in the chang-
ing world, the creation of a point of contact between people and
institutions. As a practitioner, I relate to topical subjects, society’s sore
points, and fascinating manifestations of the world of architecture
not so much through literature as through international exhibitions
and events that are naturally accompanied by studies, expositions
and presentations. For example, there is the idea of the site-specific
exhibition project, which involves community etc., as a spatial inter-
vention in the actual site, as a temporal intervention in the progress
of its transformation and as a mode of activism to raise awareness.
Questions concerning the reasons for and ways of functionally re-pur-
posing buildings (inspired by the motives described below) took shape
one after another in practice in various case studies. The artist poses
a question by way of an exhibition but does not necessarily offer an
answer within the framework of that same exhibition. Thus the purpose
of the question is more to create an ambivalent atmosphere in order to
find kindred spirits among the public or, in other words, to communicate
with people. In one way or another, urbanists, artists, students and local
inhabitants (in addition to official institutions) constantly deal with the
questions that have emerged in the current spatial environment: why
is a new function sought for a building? Who are the users of an old
building today and how do they relate to the building? Are the values
of an old building material or emotional? Do they change over time?
How can forgotten old traditions be replaced by new ones? What are
the alternatives if a new use is not found for an abandoned building?
I have set the following research questions: how to find an inter-
action of contemporary user and historical building in the func-
tional re-purposing process? and what should be borne in mind
when speaking of architectural and spatial values? I argue that in
the case of historical buildings, only the physical substance of the
building is valued by heritage protectors, and its intangible values
are not protected. Often in the revitalisation of derelict buildings
there is a lack of human contact with the possible users in the func-
tional re-purposing process. In this dissertation, I have set the goals
of focusing on extending the concept of spatial intervention and
experimenting as a spatial practitioner with approaches that would
facilitate finding and highlighting spatial attributes in order to appre-
ciate the mental (emotional) and social spatial level that has been
14 CONTEXT – Motives and Research Questions 15
1. 1 S PAC E A N D R E - P U R P O S I N G
My research project deals with questions arising from the meta-
morphosis of space through housing new functions. To find new
methods for designers/architects in the re-purposing process, my
research approach involves testing different case studies: I examine
abandoned spaces as a lab (test-site), focused on awakening spatial
emotions and seeking different values. My challenge is the linking
of the spatial environment to its user, in other words the search
for a functioning social involvement that includes conservation,
the use of space in a sustainable way, an innovative approach and
human-centred design, or a design free of barriers. Relying on my
personal emotional sense, I have pondered the nature of old houses,
and have both loved and hated them for aesthetic reasons. Who
needs an old building? Age is relative here, of course. When does the
pitiful condition of a building ravaged by time become poetic and
merit attention, preservation and adaptation? Or, visa versa, when
does it demand to be removed to make room for new architecture?
How can valuable details be recognised? How can we proceed with
conservation creatively, innovatively and sensitively? The massive
inundation of new buildings during the last construction boom
(2000–2007) was unexpected and raised an acute question when
the subsequent economic crisis hit: why is a new building better
than an old one, or should one prefer an old building to a new one?
This also prompted my interest in the way abandoned buildings are
used and the problems of involving the community.
In the 1970s, the critic of modernism Peter Blake, who had studied
architecture under Louis Kahn, claimed that old buildings that
have found new uses function considerably better in their altered
uses than purpose-built brand new buildings. 3 According to Blake,
an important building has several lives: its first life begins when
the building is completed and its success or failure is manifested
in its functioning or non-functioning. Its second life follows as
generations change when nobody remembers any more whether
the building had met expectations in terms of finances, comfort
and planning design. A building is viewed more like a work of art,
which is good, bad or special. Sometime later, a third life follows,
where the building’s age becomes a value in itself, even though
the building may be ugly. According to Blake, the buildings of
3 P. Blake, Form Follows Fiasco: Why Modern Architecture Hasn’t Worked. Boston/Toronto: Little,
Brown & Co, 1977, p. 20.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 16
such classics of modernism as Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe
and Frank Lloyd Wright lived in their first phase for a long time,
where the cost, functioning, thermal insulation and weatherproof-
ing of those buildings were assessed pragmatically. 4 Yet a space
is never final; rather, it is designed and built, and it constantly
changes over time together with people and the needs arising
from their character, cultural space and the nature of the use of
the space. Naturally, the possibility of flexible use gives new peo-
ple the chance to adapt to the building and to adapt the building
as needed throughout its entire physical existence. On this basis,
the buildings by Mies van der Rohe with open spatial planning
are good examples of flexible metamorphoses or transformations
as the purpose of space changes, where open-ended planning can
be changed by using sliding walls, for instance. This universal
concept of functionalism requires user activity and the freedom
of the creating of an environment: for the user, space is ‘empty
space’, a receptacle that can be filled with different wines, empha-
sising space as having universal possibilities derived from the
variability of social and everyday life, in which the consumer is a
co-author. 5 La production de l’espace [The Production of Space]
(1974) by the French neo-Marxist philosopher Henri Lefebvre
has become topical in contemporar y critical spatial practice.
According to this book, space is not an empty container where
both things and people are situated; rather, it is more dynamic
and flowing, and reproduces (renews) itself as a result of human
activity. In other words, it is a temporal-spatial social product. By
distinguishing three types of space – perceived, conceived and
lived – alongside physical (real environment) and mental space,
it is social space in particular that becomes important as the
place where people communicate. Thus people as inhabitants,
with their behaviours and habits, are an inseparable component
of space, and are the creators of lived space. Lefebvre highlights
the different aspects of space in a way which helps me to follow
his layers of space in my research on the re-purposing process
(Chapter 2.3 Space and Place).
Considering the Venice architectural biennials of the current dec-
ade as the top events in architecture worldwide, the subject matter
examined at them has ranged from architectural criticism of the
built environment to the mutual effects of creators and users, mov-
ing from poetic spatial installations in the 2010 Biennale People Meet
4 P. Blake, The Master Builders: Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright. New York/
London: Norton, 1996, p. 14.
5 K. Lehari, Ruum. Keskkond. Koht. Tallinn: Eesti Kunstiakadeemia, 1997, p. 24.
CONTEXT – Motives and Research Questions 17
 in Architecture (curated by the Japanese architect Kazuyo Sejima)
to quests for a common human element in Common Ground, 2012
(curated by the British architect David Chipperfield). The Ger-
man Pavilion’s exhibition Reduce/Reuse/Recycle – Architecture as
Resource (curator Muck Petzet), for instance, dealt with the theme of
the reuse of buildings, presenting different kinds of buildings, from
a church to a gymnasium, which could be easily reused by reduc-
ing their size through reconstruction and marking out the historical
proportions of the buildings. Rem Koolhaas’s bureau OMA Architects
analysed manifestations of the reuse of buildings using examples
from large cities in the curator’s exhibition. Also an interesting and
Fig 5: Inside Tempelhof, Berlin 2015.
important object displayed at the curator’s exhibition was Berlin’s
Tempelhof Airport (authors of the exposition Mark Randel, Thomas
Kupke and Philipp Oswalt), where a contemporary function was In a similar way, nearly the entire 14 th Venice Architectural Biennale
sought for the gigantic airport complex located in Berlin. Fundamentals (2014), curated by the Dutch architect and architec-
tural theoretician Rem Koolhaas, involved the theme of abandon-
ment and re-use of architecture, in particular as it relates to 20 th
century modernisation. The same theme is being discussed more
and more throughout the world, in Estonia as well, for example at
the Tallinn Architectural Biennial (TAB) Taaskasutades Nõukogude
ruumipärandit / Recycling Socialism (2013), whose curators were Aet
Ader, Kadri Klementi, Karin Tõugu and Kaidi Õis, and which devel-
oped into a kind of continuation of the 13 th Venice Architectural
Biennale Estonian exhibition Kui pikk on ühe maja elu? / How Long
is the Life of a Building? (2012), whose curator was Tüüne-Kristin
Fig 4a: Tempelhof as a social space, Berlin 2015.
Vaikla. Several different approaches emerged at this international
biennial on the theme of how it is possible to reuse a building. Two
Nowadays people use the vast former airfield for windsurfing, bicy- directions clearly stood out: to simply squat the building, so to speak,
cling, jogging and other physical activities, as I discovered on a or to modernise it. In both cases, the location, history and typol-
recent winter walk. A (small) part of the interior of the abandoned ogy of the building provide subject matter for the development of
building has also been occupied by Freud University, giving it audi- ideas, along with inspirational examples, raising the questions: why
toriums with windows that open up into aeroplane hangars. This is do built buildings no longer function or why have they been left
apparently an alternative educational institution that has found an uncompleted during construction? What should be done with this
advantageous opportunity to organise its teaching that is inspira- heritage, who might need it now, and how can a building be profit-
tional primarily because of the spatial sense of the building. ably modernised and used?

Fig 4b: Tempelhof as a social space, Berlin 2015.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 18 CONTEXT – Motives and Research Questions 19

1. 2 S PAC E A N D G E N T R I F I C AT I O N
Relating conservationally to the environment and communicat-
ing with residents in a sustainable way while disregarding the vain
designs of market demand have motivated me in my (interior)
architect’s work process. Personal contact with manifestations of
gentrification in interior architectural practice provided the impe-
tus for my research work. Gentrification, the renewal of run-down
urban environments through the ‘infiltration’ of the more prosper-
ous middle class into working class residential districts and the
gradual displacement of the original residents of those districts,
emerged in the 1960s. 6 In the course of an intensifying process of
gentrification, it became evident that the spatial environment sub-
ject to renewal did not relate to the existing population. I am inter-
ested in how to combine the stratifications of different eras into a
uniform whole within the context of a selected (abandoned) build-
ing that would continue to interest and address contemporary peo-
ple as users and would contribute to the possible creation of new
functioning events, the generation of traditions. A community has
to be understood as people with different attitudes, depending on
cultural and economic background, age and character. How can the
replacement of lost traditions with new customs be accomplished
in a way that ensures the dignified use of these historical buildings,
in an enduring, healthy and profitable way on both the individual
and collective levels? At this point it is important to note changes
in people’s attitudes together with the change in the social system:
the replacement of Soviet-era collectivism with the individualism
inherent to capitalism in the period of the restoration of Estonia’s
independence, as well as the opposite tendency of the emergence
of joint democratic community activity after the recent economic
crisis. One example of this is the citizens’ initiative Teeme ära! [Let’s
do it!], which was launched in Estonia and has turned into the
worldwide campaign World Cleanup!, joining together over a hun-
dred countries and millions of people in the name of promoting a
clean environment throughout the world. I’ll come back to gentrifi-
cation in Chapter 2.6 Gentrifying the Environment.
Manifestations of gentrification arose in connection with changes
in ownership relations in the process of privatising state property
when Estonia regained its independence at the end of the 20 th
century. The stratification of people from different economic and
6 R. Glass, London: Aspects of Change. London: MacGibbon & Kee, 1964.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 20
cultural backgrounds began occurring in Estonia as well through
changes in urban lifestyle; the Kalamaja district in Tallinn and the
Supilinn district in Tartu developed in fascinating directions. This
phenomenon has occurred on a large scale in recent years in Esto-
nia through the transformation of industrial architecture in Tallinn
in the phenomena of the Kultuurikatel [Creative Hub], the Telliskivi
Loomelinnak [Creative Campus], and the Rotermann, Luther, Bal-
tika, Volta and Noblessner complexes, similarly to many analogous
phenomena throughout the world, where historical industrial or
residential districts gain a new infusion of life with the help of
‘hipsters’. The result of the gentrification process is a renewed resi-
dential district based on the characteristic historical values of its
buildings. As a phenomenon, gentrification leads to a change in
residents or users. Who are the gentrifiers? The revitalisation of a
district clearly takes place, but at the expense of what and whom?
The contemporary French art critic and curator Nicolas Bourriaud
claims that contemporary human relations do not function outside
of the fields of commerce, as everything that cannot be marketed
dies out. Relationships are replaced by veiled consumerism. Human
warmth is sought and is found in the sale and purchase of a coffee
cup at an agreed price. By virtue of the rapid commercialisation of
society and urban space, Bourriaud sees a tendency toward pow-
erlessness and helplessness in contemporary mankind, as it comes
face to face with the electronic media, theme parks, user-friendly
locations and other widespread phenomena of social interaction,
like a laboratory rat on its way to eternal rest in a cage full of cheese.
‘For anything that cannot be marketed will inevitably vanish [---] So
here we are summoned to talk about things around a duly priced
drink, as a symbolic form of contemporary human relations. [---] So
try our coffee.’ 7
People with different cultural, social and economic capital replace
the existing community. Human relationships that had functioned
fade away, services are replaced by machines, and people’s quests
for identity are expressed as trademarks: the inhabitants of the new
place of residence search for an image that suits their lifestyle by
asking: what does it look like, and how do I live? Bourriaud’s text
helps to explain the changes in the psychological aspect of time
and how it influences the relationship between people in a local
community.
7 N. Bourriaud, Relational Aesthetics. Trans. S. Pleasance, F. Woods. Dijon: Presses du réel,
2002, p. 9.
CONTEXT – Motives and Research Questions 21
1. 3 S PAC E A N D F O R M
Thirdly, critical discussion of the social sore points of the spatial envi-
ronment has motivated me, which means abandoning the treatment of
architecture as pure form, i.e. not setting aesthetics on a pedestal. This
is often the focus in creating an innovative built environment. Unlike
the amplified treatment of architecture in the media, the architect
and historian of architecture Kenneth Frampton has criticised the
consideration of buildings as impressive designs or merchandise. He
stresses architecture’s social responsibility and the singularity of place
in counterbalancing the homogenisation and scenographic touch
brought on by globalisation. 8 Looking back to the last century, he
points out the worldwide ‘Bilbao effect’, where on the strength of the
success of the Guggenheim Museum (1995), provincial towns started
commissioning design projects from top American architects and,
over the next decade, the work of star architects increased consider-
ably throughout the world. Iconic buildings sprang up in diametrically
different political and cultural contexts.9 He mentions the Kiasma Art
Museum in Helsinki (architect Steven Holl) as one example in which
discernible ethnicality – the notion of a public building as a stage
for the public – has been overshadowed by extravagance, the desire
for originality and neo-neo-avangardism. 10 A similar approach was
encountered in Tallinn during the economic boom of the current
century, where several international architectural competitions were
ambitiously held, which shows an inability to adequately distinguish
between actual needs and opportunities that accompany temporal
and spatial changes. For instance, the ambitious winning entries of
Danish architectural bureaus in the competition for the new broad-
casting corporation building (Nobel arkitekter, 2007), the architectural
competition for the new Estonian Academy of Arts academic building
(Effekt arkitekter, 2008), and the competition for Tallinn’s new city hall
(Bjarke Ingels Group BIG, 2009) have not been built.
The Living Architecture series of films (directors Ila Bêka and Louise
Lemoine) deals with criticism of pearls of contemporary architecture.
It considers well-known buildings with pretentious forms from the
viewpoint of users (janitors, employees and neighbours): for instance,
8 K. Frampton, Towards Critical Regionalism: Six Points for an Architecture of Resistance. –
Postmodern Culture. Ed. H. Foster. London: Pluto Press, 1985, pp. 16–30.
9 K. Frampton, Moodne arhitektuur: kriitiline ajalugu [1980]. Trans. I. Ruudi, E. Näripea. Tallinn:
Eesti Kunstiakadeemia, 2011, p. 361.
10 K. Frampton, Hommage á Finlandia: Finnish Architecture and the Unfinished Modern Project.
Lecture at the Museum of Estonian Architecture, 14 October 2015 (author’s notes).
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 22
the Millennium Church in a suburb of Rome by the architect Richard
Meier, Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Art Museum in Bilbao, the villa by
Rem Koolhaas, and others. 11 Peter Blake stated as early as the 1960s
that a constant demand for novelty had developed among the pub-
lic: ‘The real problem is the demand for novelty. Indeed, all artists, to
a degree, are under the same sort of pressure – a pressure familiar
enough in the area of consumer goods, where styling must satisfy the
demands for new models at regular intervals to keep buyers buying
and factories humming, but rarely before applied to the arts.’ 12
Likewise, Paolo Baratta, the chief organiser of the Venice architecture
biennales acknowledges that the 15 th Biennale Reporting from the
Front (2016) strove to fill the void that prevails between lavish archi-
tectural designs and civil society: ‘After the important experimental
Biennale developed by Rem Koolhaas, dedicated entirely to the cura-
tor’s research, it is our belief that we must follow up with a Biennale
that convenes the architects, and is dedicated to the exploration of
the new frontier that demonstrate the vitality of architecture, a fron-
tier that spans across various parts of the world and shows architec-
ture engaged in providing specific responses to specific demands.
This Biennale intends to react once again to the gap between archi-
tecture and civil society, which in recent decades has transformed
architecture into spectacle on the one hand, yet made it dispensable
on the other.’ 13 He appeals to the architects of the Biennale to devote
themselves to expanding the boundaries of dynamic architecture
by meeting specific requirements. Timelessness is an important con-
cept in creative pursuits, which is also what the Finnish architect
Juhani Pallasmaa stressed at the SISU interior architecture sympo-
sium Ruumimõju / Impact of Space in Tallinn.14 He stated that he had
paid critical attention to the aestheticising approach in new Finnish
architecture, bearing in mind fashionable artifices that make con-
temporary architecture superficial. A commercial way of thinking is
becoming more and more dominant in the world of architecture: the
economy is directing architecture. Pallasmaa defines architecture as
11 The film installation La Maddalena and La Maddalena Chair (from the Living Architectures
director duo) at the Venice Architecture Biennale, curated by Rem Koolhaas, published a strik­ing
case, juxtaposing the failure of the building of the gigantic Arsenal architectural com­plex
(architect Stefano Boeri) on the small island of Sardinia for the G8 political summit, with the 21st
century Robinson Crusoe-like story of the process of making one chair not far away.
12 P. Blake, The Master Builders, p. 416.
13 Alejandro Aravena Appointed Director of the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale. – BBC News
ArchDaily 18 July 2015, http://www.archdaily.com/770446/alejandro-aravena-appointed-
director-of-the-2016-venice-architecture-biennale/ (accessed 8 November 2016).
14 J. Pallasmaa, Body, Mind and Architecture: The Mental Essence of Architecture. Lecture
at the SISU symposium, Kanuti Guild, Tallinn, 29 May 2015, https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=ZPzhJOPS2Xg/ (accessed 8 November 2016).
CONTEXT – Motives and Research Questions 23
 follows: if interest in architecture as an institution, architecture as a
historical, metaphysical process, is forgotten or lost, then architecture
is lost and all that will remain of it will be a profession that provides
a service. The metaphysical dimension emerges at the moment when
we comprehend how the world touches us and we touch the world
[---]. Pallasmaa points out that diversification becomes possible if the
local context is taken seriously as landscape, climate, culture and
specific economic circumstances. At the same time, all architectural
tasks are similar: they frame human life and give us an existential
anchor. 15 Pallasmaa’s phenomenological approach helps to broaden
the understanding of the values of space through personal experi-
ence (Chapter 2.4 Phenomenology).
Architectural and spatial values are parts of the concept of spatial
intelligence. Intelligence is considered to be general cognitive capa-
bility. According to the American psychologist Howard Gardner’s
theory of multi-intelligence (1983), however, people lack general
capability, and he differentiated eight types of intellectual capability,
independent of one another: linguistic, logical-mathematical, musi-
cal, spatial, bodily-kinaesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal and
naturalistic intelligence. Spatial intelligence manifests itself in the
capacity to orient oneself in space and in spatial relations, spatial
imagination and orientation on maps. It is the capacity to depict
the perceptible in spatial relations: to visualise and think about
what an object might look like and what sort of space it would fill. 16
The architect and academic Leon van Schaik, in his study Spatial
Intelligence (2008), discussed place sensitivity as the recognition of
important human capacity. It includes the example of Alvar Aalto’s
architecture, which reflects local spatial intelligence, tying interior
and exterior space in nature together into a unique whole. This book
argues for greater continuity between our spatial intelligence and
the built environment, which usually surfaces only in eidetic recall,
and between this intelligence and architecture. 17 I’d like to draw
a parallel between people with perfect pitch and those with spa-
tial intelligence who can use their previously perceived experience
accurately and vividly, but spatial intelligence is an ability which can
be improved through practice. Frampton stresses that in speaking of
the social role of architecture, cultural sustainability is important,
15 C. D. Lige, Ükski tõeline arhitekt pole tahtnud olla moodne. – Sirp, 10 July 2015.
16 H. Gardner, Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century. New York: Basic
Books, 1999.
17 L. van Schaik, Spatial Intelligence: New Futures for Architecture. Chichester: Wiley, 2008, pp.
017–018.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 24
yet it is not easy to formulate this in laws.18 By spatial intelligence,
I mean the relation to the local identity in terms of cultural space.
Spatial intelligence provides the ability to be creative and solve
problems in a way that is appreciated in the local cultural context.
The quality of construction, one important indicator of which is
its durability over time, not only physically but also morally, can
partially be considered an architectural value. The question of a
building’s quality has several dimensions, one of which is the dimen-
sion of durability: a hundred years ago, construction was seen as an
activity aimed at eternity that could be justified by referring to qual-
ity. Nowadays the duration of a building is determined in the course
of its project design, starting from 25 years. Quality also has many
different meanings: thus quality or values can be thought of as what
people simply like and what is associated with the contemporary
liberal attitude.
The value of historical buildings is, among other things, of a mystical
poetic nature or, in other words, an atmosphere that originates from
another time. For instance, the architect Peter Zumthor discusses the
value and perceptible atmosphere of architecture:
What do we mean when we speak of architectural quality? It is
a question that I have a little difficulty in answering. Quality in
architecture… is to me when a building manages to move me.
What on earth is it that moves me? How can I get it into my own
work? [---] How do people design things with such a beautiful,
natural presence, things that move me every single time. One
word for it is ‘atmosphere’ [---] I enter a building, see a room,
and – in the fraction of a second – have this feeling about it. We
perceive atmosphere through our emotional sensibility – a form
of perception that works incredibly quickly, and which we humans
evidently need to help us survive. 19
In addition to the preceding emotional description, the enumeration of
material and non-material spatial values (see Chapter 2.4 Phenomenol-
ogy) includes diverse viewpoints that are not connected to the factor of
time: the relationship to climate, space-sensitivity, good access, human-
centred approaches taking users with special needs into account, views
that open up from interior space, and naturally the logistics and func-
tionality of space all play important roles. Added to this is the profitable,
18 I. Ruudi, Sajand võitlust vastutustundliku arhitektuuri eest. – Sirp, 6 November 2015.
19 P. Zumthor, Atmospheres. Basel: Birkhäuser Verlag AG, 2006, pp. 11–13.
CONTEXT – Motives and Research Questions 25
 pragmatic uses of the building, such as energy efficiency, maintenance,
operating costs and durability. Flexibility, scale proportions and textures
of tangibility can generate emotional delight. The acoustics of a space
have an independent value, for instance such acoustics can be per-
ceived in an underground car park where an enormous sound space
is situated between its low concrete ceiling and floor. Similarly, natural
light coming from an oculus can create architectural value in space.
Fig 6: Pantheon at midday, Rome 2015. Fig 7: Lihula windmill, Estonia 2014.
Fig 8: Neues Museum reconstruction by David Chipperfield, Berlin 2015.
Excellent examples are the Pantheon in Rome (115-125 AD) and Peter
Zumthor’s Bruder Klaus Field Chapel (2007), created for local farm-
ers among the fields of Germany, where natural sunlight is taken into
account in their design. At midday, the sunlight falls straight downward
in an intense stream of light, which constantly changes the space. I
have experienced a similar feeling in midsummer heat in the ruins of
a windmill in the tiny town of Lihula in western Estonia.
Artificial light can also create atmosphere even in urban space when
the street lighting is designed entirely in the form of mild façade
lighting, for instance in Belgium on the riverbanks of the city centre
of Ghent. Architectural values are divided into physical or material,
and cognitive or intangible values, and their appreciation changes
over time. A building’s sensory atmosphere is created by smells,
memories and sounds, which Pallasmaa compares to the visual: the
way we sense space, a room’s smell and sound, is equivalent to what
we see. 20 The German philosopher Gernot Böhme defines atmos-
phere as the meeting of objective spatial designs and subjective
experiences, which refers to unique personal experience that does
20 J. Pallasmaa, The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses. Chichester: Wiley, 2005, p. 7.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 26
not necessarily apply universally. 21 While atmosphere is associated
with the physical experience of space, rooms and buildings speak of
time, and the tactile attributes of architecture are perceptible primar-
ily through the physicality and materiality of architecture. Themes
associated with atmosphere, such as concealment and revelation,
rhythm and sound, opaqueness and transparency, are revealed pre-
cisely through materiality. 22
Fig 9: Bruder Klaus Field Chapel by Peter Zumthor, Germany 2011.
It is also possible to recall a place according to a particular characteristic
material or lighting, and one’s personal feelings. The experience of space
is primarily individual, yet certain generalisations naturally occur there.
One of my spatial experiences from childhood is my grandmother’s story
of how when she was sent from the countryside to town (Pärnu) to attend
school, she slept at the house of relatives in their spacious vestibule under
a piano beside a rubber tree.This mental image, which contains the child-
ish fear of a large, cool and unfamiliar room, has not become blurred by
later reality. I also remember riding up and down in the miniature wooden
lift in the splendid former Krediidipank [Credit Bank] building completed
in the centre of Tallinn according to the design of Eliel Saarinen (1912)
where, among other institutions, the Eesti Raamat publishing house, my
mother’s workplace, was located during the Soviet era.The careful closing
of the lift’s double doors and metal grating was necessary for the tiny lift
chamber to slowly start moving. The smell of lacquered wooden walls
and their distinctive creak: I have recently recognised something like this
in the old lift of Tartu’s former cathedral, which is currently the University
of Tartu Museum of History. I have intuitively looked for manifestations of
such nuances in the course of site-specific projects and ultimately tried
to consciously amplify them.
21 G. Böhme, Atmosphere as Mindful Physical Presence in Space. – OASE 2013, no. 91, pp.
21–31; G. Böhme, Encountering Atmospheres, OASE 2013, no. 91, pp. 93–99.
22 K. Havik, G. Tielens, Material and Atmosphere. – Ehituskunst 2015, no. 58, p. 97.
CONTEXT – Motives and Research Questions 27
 In summary, the following sub-themes inspired me: tangible and
intangible spatial values in architecture, and principles of preserv-
ing historical buildings in balancing this preservation. I argue that,
in the case of historical buildings, only the physical substance of the
building is valued by heritage protectors, and its intangible values
are not protected. In practice, research on intangible values is usu-
ally lacking.

How is it possible to find the best interaction between a contem-

porary user and a historical building? I argue that often in the revi-
talization of derelict buildings there is a lack of contact with the
possible users in the functional re-purposing process. I have set the
goal of focussing on extending the concept of spatial intervention
in this dissertation and experimenting as a spatial practitioner with
approaches that facilitate finding and highlighting spatial attributes
in order to appreciate the mental (emotional) and social spatial
level that has been overshadowed in the built environment.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 28 29
2.

T H E O R ET I C A L
F R A M E WO R K A N D
C R E AT I V E M ET H O D S

Spatial values are differentiated in the built environment in

terms of how people value these places. Certain places attract
people. Architecture and the entire spatial environment turn
them into meeting places where people like to be. Upon closer
examination, field lines that contain the potential for active
use and living are revealed in these places.

 Fig 10: Couvent Sainte-Marie de La Tourette by Le Corbusier and Iannis Xenakis (1960),
near Lyon 2016. 31
2.1 ABOUT THEORY AND PRACTICE IN INTERIOR
ARCHITECTURE
Interior architecture/design is a discipline which deals with the
interaction of public/private spaces and users, in other words with
people and their modes of habituation in a spatial context. Instead
of universal spatial (interior architectural) solutions, each space is a
unique case which requires a special contextual approach. Interior
architecture has broken out of its indoor boundaries and nowadays
affects urban space as well as world-views: the influence of space
on people and people’s influence on space are themes in the inte-
rior architect’s visual field and on their work desks, even if spatial
intervention is marginal. How does space affect people and how do
people affect space? What kinds of spatial intervention inspire us?
The hidden connections found in the interaction of place and activ-
ity, or which places have the qualities to evolve into meeting places,
must also be sought. Which creative means can a professional use to
intervene in space, and how can refraining from intervention affect
the atmosphere of a space? The built environment has reached the
level where architects are more and more focused on reconstruc-
tions and the space between buildings. At the professional level,
primarily interior architects/designers deal with creating interior
space. The occupation of interior architecture is generally defined
by Graeme Brooker and Sally Stone: ‘as the practice of remodel-
ling existing buildings where the robust reworking of a building,
interior architecture also deals with complex structural, environ-
mental and servicing problems, but also referred to as adaption and
adaptive reuse.’ 23 Interior design is defined as: ‘an interdisciplinary
practice that is concerned with the creation of a range of interior
environments that articulate identity and atmosphere, through the
manipulation of spatial volume, the placement of specific objects
and furniture and the treatment of surfaces.’ 24 And the term inte-
rior decoration is: ‘the art of decorating inside spaces and rooms to
impart a particular character and atmosphere to a room [---] con-
cerned with surface pattern, ornament, furniture, soft furnishing and
lighting.’ 25 My professional field is interior architecture. In Estonia,
interior architecture has been taught academically as a separate
profession since the middle of the 20 th century, and professional inte-
rior architects have vigorously proven themselves with interesting
projects as the creators of modernist architectural interiors since the
23 G. Brooker, S. Stone, Basics Interior Architecture, p. 172.
24 G. Brooker, S. Stone, Basics Interior Architecture, p. 172.
25 G. Brooker, S. Stone, Basics Interior Architecture, p. 172.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 32
1960s. The role of the interior architect admittedly depends on con-
crete cultural space: for instance, in Finland, the interior architect
(sisustusarkkitehti) typically draws up the plan for the furnishings,
and in Denmark and Latvia, there is no independent school of inte-
rior architects. Practice-based research in architecture and interior
architecture at the doctoral level is a relatively new phenomenon
in Europe, America and Australia. The relationship to the interna-
tional context has enabled me to draw parallels and analyse differ-
ences, and also to test possible approaches in the practical work
of learning and teaching at several universities. According to Suzie
Attiwill, the profession of interior design/interior architecture has no
defined theoretical background, particularly in the practical context,
which is determined primarily by budgets and deadlines based on
business interests. Conceptions of space and subjectivity are not
questioned but assumed as natural givens in practice. Citing a key
figure in postmodern French philosophy, Gilles Deleuze, Attiwill has
presented the idea of practical philosophy as a philosophy focused
on ‘how?’, on actions, as distinct from one which tries to answer the
question ‘what?’: thinking takes place through doing. 26 The nature of
interior architecture as a profession, its practice and theory are in
constant dynamic change together. The process of learning through
doing, i.e. the possible interaction between the academic teaching
process under the supervision of practitioners, was investigated in
the first doctoral thesis by an interior designer in Montreal’s McGill
University (2003). 27
We ordinarily speak of architecture in terms of buildings: where do
the boundaries of the field of work of the interior architect begin
and end in public and private space nowadays? At what point does
architecture become interior space and vice versa? The times when
the Danish modernist architect Arne Jacobsen designed the first
high-rise hotel, SAS House in Copenhagen, right down to the last
door handle and uniform seems to belong to the past, as is true
for the functionalist villa completed according to the drawings of
the Estonian architect Olev Siinmaa, together with the kitchen fur-
nishings and hooks for the clothesline. Why does this sort of model
for creating space not work any more? Traditions and local identity
are spoken of in the spatial context, even though these phenom-
ena tend to become unified in today’s globalising world. Does a
well-designed interior reflect the identity of the user or is it primar-
ily the interior architect’s personal style that is manifested in the
26 S. Attiwill, Practical Philosophy. – SISU—LINE 2015, no. 1, pp. 42–57.
27 T. Poldma, An Investigation of Learning and Teaching Processes in an Interior Design Class: An
Interpretive and Contextual Inquiry. Doctoral Thesis. Montreal: McGill University, 2003.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND CREATIVE METHODS 33
 work? Interior architects/designers follow very different creative
approaches, and here perhaps lies the strength of the speciality’s
professional approach. Sometimes the interior architect acts as a
buffer between the customer and the architect by giving the space
the expected human dimension. Is the interior architect born with
an identity, which is developed through schooling, or does the eve-
ryday locality in the form of the surrounding environment prove to
be the decisive factor? 28 Brooker discussed the nature of interior
architecture as a theoretically nebulous field at the SISU symposium,
arguing that its allure lies in its elusiveness, freedom from rules and
ambiguity. Openness and the absence of rules and systems are two
of the most captivating attributes of interiors. Space can be thought
of, and interior space can be created and used, in endlessly differ-
ent ways, generating a spatial geography as an integral system that
allows the way that space is used to be interpreted in very different
ways. 29 The borders between urban space and interior space are
disappearing. For example, there are the pedestrian underground
tunnels and pathways in huge shopping centres, which are more or
less controlled open public spaces. According to Brooker, the man-
ner in which space is used and inhabited and the extent to which
the designer can control it are of vital environmental importance. 30
Fortunate experiences and contacts have given me the chance to
curate the SISU international interior architecture symposiums in
cooperation with the Association of Estonian Interior Architects and
the Estonian Academy of Arts Department of Interior Architecture,
which has shaped my professional attitudes and viewpoints. The
encouragement of the discussion of the nature and development of
the profession of interior architecture in today’s changing world has
led me to cooperation with the board of the European Association
of Interior Architects (ECIA). ECIA has drawn up and revised the
European Charter of Interior Architecture Training, which in accord-
ance with the Bologna Declaration (1999) is in harmony with inter-
national standards and agreements in defining the nature and level
of education of interior architecture as a profession, and in guiding
28 The Estonian Association of Interior Architects in cooperation with the Estonian Academy
of Arts Department of Interior Architecture and Furniture Design held the SISU international
symposium Sisearhitektuur – teooriast praktikani / Interior Architecture – Dynamics of theory
and practice in Tallinn on 11-14 June 2014, where recognised theorists and practitioners in the
architectural field from Estonia and abroad met (curator T.-K.Vaikla). Critical discussion of the
identity, naming, boundaries and environment to be created in the professional context was
held in the SISU 2014 Roundtable: Mõttekoda. – SISU—LINE 2015, no. 1, pp. 195–213.
29 G. Brooker, The Interior Condition: Impact and Agency. – SISU—LINE 2016, no. 2, pp. 31–44.
30 G. Brooker, S. Stone, Basics Interior Architecture, p. 114.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 34
the development of curricula at universities. 31 In the professional
project design of interior architectural space, the real approach and
the emotional approach are inversely proportional to each other:
when dealing with physical space, emotional perception disappears
and, vice versa, by focusing only on mental space, the functional,
practical needs of that space may go unresolved. In Estonia, educa-
tion in interior architecture has traditionally focused on physical
space. There is quite often a lack of the expected attention and
competence in combining a phenomenological sense of space with
constructive project design in the work process. The qualification
certificate issued by the Estonian Qualifications Authority, based on
Europe’s qualifications framework (EQF), verifies the professional
level of the interior architect. In contemporary built society, it is
important to focus on spiritual and social space in parallel with
physical space.
Ever more sensitive reactions to actual changes are particularly
expected from the field of education. The contemporary human
being is in constant nomadic movement: one’s temporary dwelling
or so called ‘own space’ for living and working can be self-generated
without any need for the help of the professional interior architect/
designer. The attraction and pain of extremely rapid intermittent
changes directly affect future lifestyle. Does the trace of the stamp
of personal spatial experience depend above all on a specific place
or rather on the temporal dimension that has been inhabited some-
where in solitude at a tender age? What should be remembered if
many various experiences are concealed in the corners of the mem-
ory and even in the human body? How should one highlight these
visual memories, make choices and translate them emotionally into
the language of different materials? A certain personal narrative or
preceding experience influences the experience of space. In the case
31 ‘The aim of the Charter of Interior Architecture Training is to serve as a reference document
for the Interior Architecture profession and educational institutions to define objectives and
scope of Interior Architecture training, and to describe the standard of the entry level to
the profession. The aims and objectives of the ECIA Charter of Interior Architecture Training
are to define the skills and the training necessary for a qualified practitioner to competently
engage in the profession of Interior Architecture and by doing so to provide a guideline for
curricula development in educational institutions. The European Charter of Interior Architecture
Training is modelled on the Bologna Declaration (Joint Declaration of the European Ministers
of Education, 1999), and based upon national and international standards and agreements on
the entry level in the interior architectural and design professions. The Charter uses the terms
“Interior Architect” and “Interior Architecture” as the common description in most of Europe
for the profession. In those countries the general description for the profession is “Interior
Design” and where applicable “Interior Architect(ure)” should be read as “Interior Design(er)”
or vice versa.’ (Charter. European Council of Interior Architects. https://ecia.net/education/
charter/ accessed 21 February 2017).
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND CREATIVE METHODS 35
 of phenomenological experience, one must account for the fact that walls of the study, a pull-out divan bed and desk, and an enormous
one’s personal perception depends on one’s state of mind. Gaston copper funnel made at the ARS cooperative have all held up to this
Bachelard ascribes essential cognitive meaning to a person’s personal day. As déjà-vu, the learning assignments of students in today’s more
experiences and recorded memories, which affect future events and innovative fields of architecture at European and Estonian universities
experiences of both the person and the surrounding spatial envi- are aimed at rediscovering different forms of cooperation in social
ronment. According to Bachelard, everyone has their own personal life. In the everyday atmosphere of the depletion of resources, global
childhood room in their subconscious that seemingly has nothing to warming, total population migration, and the intensifying danger of
do with the conscious design of space. Bachelard’s description of a terrorism, there are no more ideal landscape type approaches, and
house in the vertical dimension, from the cellar to the attic, highlights ever more social projects are approached from a position of austerity.
the primary task of the phenomenologist: to find the original ’seashell’ The building of standard model flats in their diverse forms is once
in every abode, every castle. The inhabitants of big cities live in boxes again under discussion, with total settlements with miniature boxes
stacked one on top of another. The absence of intimate values in the in row houses as their examples, for instance in Dessau-Törten near
verticality of big city buildings makes the relations between the abode Bauhaus, which originate from Walter Gropius from the early years
and space artificial. Buildings do not belong in nature any more.32 A of modernism, or examples from Portugal of Alvaro Siza’s later pub-
Mati Unt-like 33 contradictory solitude in a populous concrete panel lic housing projects (1973–1978) in Evora (Malagueira) and Porto
city building, which exudes the boredom of the standardised world (Bouca and Sao Victor). All of these developments were inspired by
of the block of flats, is also associated with the experience of my the needs of local factories for housing for their workers based on
own early past. The attraction of urbanist anonymity, which was true the industrial mass production of building construction details. The
to the era regardless of locality, was concealed in the large scale of manufacturing industry has faded away from the urban environment
this, Tallinn’s first Soviet-era modernist residential district. My child- nowadays, yet the typification of dwellings and economical construc-
hood could have proceeded somewhere else as well: in some exactly tion are widespread as architecturally simple manifestations in Hol-
identical standard flat in the building next door, or in another city, or land and elsewhere.
even in another country where concrete panel construction prolifer-
ated. I remember wandering around in the enormous carcass of a
half-finished nine-storey silicate block of flats (architect Raine Karp).
The physical and social environment of my school years consisted of
series 1-464 of the USSR-wide concrete panel model buildings. The
layout of their flats had grown out of Germany’s Existenz-minimum
principle of the 1920s, where flats with small rooms and tiny kitchens
were primarily meant as places to spend the night. All daytime life was
concentrated in the social public sphere, in cafeterias, day nursery
groups, after school groups for school children, pioneer and sports
camps, cinemas and theatres, culture centres and others: all in the ser-
vice of working women and men. People’s spatial needs were based
on statistics from quantitative studies. Quite a few buildings of an
experimental nature were completed as exceptions. Admittedly, there
were unique designs by the renowned modernist architect Tiit Hansen
in our Mustamäe home: a lemon-yellow dining table that could be
folded up or down attached to the dark brown stained ribbed wall in
the living room. Modern armchairs, bookshelves integrated into the

32 G. Bachelard, Ruumipoeetika [1957]. Trans. K. Sisask. Tallinn: Vagabund, 1999, p. 39.

33 Mati Unt is an Estonian writer who is famous for his philosophical novel about the life in
Tallinn’s first Soviet-era modernist residential district: M. Unt, Sügisball. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat,
1978.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 36 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND CREATIVE METHODS 37

2.2 C R E AT I V E M ET HO D S A N D C O N C E P T S
The possibilities for the alteration and conversion of (interior) space
in the reuse of abandoned, leftover or vacant buildings in the course
of functional re-purposing – quests for creative connections between
gentrification theory, social processes, cultural heritage preserva-
tion and spatial values – and the practice of interior architecture
have inspired me to create site-specific exhibition projects that have
developed into the creative section of this study.
In my research, I deal with questions related to changing (interior)
space, which I refer to as re-purposing space because the process
derives from the reuse of abandoned, leftover or vacant buildings
through finding a new function for the space.34 The objective of this
research is to find new methods for (interior) architects/designers
to relate to space in the process of the sustainable re-purposing of a
building, taking into account the physical, mental and social levels
of space. Reuse of an existing building, according to Brooker and
Stone, may also be described as ‘transformation’.‘Reuse’ suggests that
the elements of both new and old buildings are reworked in order
to create new space. Also, ‘adaptation’ is the process of transforming
an existing building to accommodate new uses. 35 The built spatial
environment contains within itself a wealth of information concern-
ing different narratives in the historical context. Historical buildings
function as ‘memory containers’, so to speak, for (local) people, both
former and future users. I study and test different abandoned spaces
through spatial intervention, focusing on the arousal of emotions and
senses in discovering the values of a space. In this creative approach,
I attempt to explore the boundaries where contemporary views and
innovative ideas of today’s world meet one of a kind historical tra-
ditions. I attempt to involve the local community in the process of
revitalising abandoned buildings with the aim of finding the values
of a space, tangible or intangible. Thus I deal primarily with space that
is inseparable from place. I define space on the basis of my practi-
cal experience as an interior architect primarily as interior space
that is phenomenologically perceptible through all five senses: vision
(approximately 80%), sound, smell, touch and taste. I am interested
34 I have previously published on the subject in T.-K. Vaikla, Re-Purposing the Past. – Idea Journal
2014, pp. 14-27; T.-K. Vaikla, Declining Modernity. – Reflections 17: Research Training Session
2012. Ed. Johan Verbeke. Brussels/Gent: KU Leuven Faculty of Architecture, Sint-Lucas School
of Architecture, 2013, pp. 126–139; T.-K. Vaikla, Spatial Snapshot. – Reflections 16: Research
Training Session 2011. Ed. Gudrun De Maeyer. Brussels/Gent: KU Leuven Faculty of Architec-
ture, Sint-Lucas School of Architecture, 2012, pp. 104–111.
35 G. Brooker, S. Stone, Basics Interior Architecture, pp. 170–174.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE
in the impact of space on people and people’s impact on space.36
The Critical Spatial Practice book series (editors N. Hirsch and M.
Miessen) constructs a larger discursive foundation about how space
can be interpreted as a political medium within which action can
take place. Jane Rendell suggested a new term (2003), ‘critical spa-
tial practice’, which allows people to describe work that transgresses
the limits of art and architecture and engages with both the social
and the aesthetic, the public and the private. The term ‘critical spatial
practice’ draws attention not only to the importance of the critical, but
also to the spatial, indicating the interest in exploring the specifically
spatial aspects of interdisciplinary processes, or practices that oper-
ate between art and architecture.’ 37 I am interested in the encounters
between people and space or, in other words, people’s relation to a
specific space in a surprising or random way, where an unexpected
reference to indicating spatial values is manifested. My case studies
(Chapters 4 to 6) have developed from this, becoming actions of a
particular kind aimed at the diverse perception of the integrity of a
building’s architectural form and the nature of a space, the experience
of treatment, and the application of experiences. Concealed strata
are added to the physical nature of a place: connections between
people’s memory and experience. I call this critical spatial practice.
The site-specific exhibition projects, or spatial interventions, that I
have curated are an attempt to stimulate dialogue between forgotten
traditions of the past and new, evolving traditions; in other words: spa-
tial interventions denote the translation of the potential of a building
into the language of the contemporary user. The Berlin-based artist
Nairy Baghramian defines site-specificity as an artistic method that
does not presume the autonomy of the artwork, but rather reflects on
contextual conditions and referential possibilities relating to various
registers, such as the economic, political, social and cultural. These
can be tested on the basis of institutions and their own networks
of conditions. 38 As a practising interior architect, or a spatial prac-
titioner, I am interested in what people say about architecture and
how they say it – about buildings, space, place and location – through
which the background system is also manifested to the viewer, ena-
bling each different case to relate to a specific set of problems in
the process of revitalising an abandoned place. Thus my creative
approach is closely associated with specific spaces and places, and
36 J. Pallasmaa, Body, Mind and Architecture. – SISU––LINE 2016, no. 2, pp. 11–27.
37 J. Rendell, Art and Architecture: A Place Between. London: IB Tauris, 2006.
38 N. Baghramian, Essence of the House. – What is Critical Spatial Practice? I. Eds. N. Hirsch, M.
Miessen. Berlin: Sternberg Press, 2012, p. 17.
38 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND CREATIVE METHODS 39
 their intertwining with human relations. 39 According to Timo Maran, potential. These (creative) spatial interventions have provided the
the connection with the surrounding environment is often the only opportunity to experience the emotions and reactions that spatial
advantage that local culture has, compared to global culture: ‘Global interventions generate in the local community and in exhibition
culture is self-sufficient, acquiring identity through abstract ideas and visitors (the public).
value judgements projected beyond itself, like universal values, sym-
bols, ideals. The focus of local culture, on the other hand, is aimed
more at the surrounding environment. The distinct features that char-
acterise it derive mostly from its connection to the environment.’ 40

Narration is interesting in terms of places and spaces. According

to Kaia Lehari, narrative from the personal perspective is offered
as a restorative description. Narratives have a metaphoric role: they
describe the world in a fresh way, revealing new meanings and
feelings. ‘Places remind us of stories and it is precisely thanks to
stories that places exist’. 41 This refers to people’s consciousness
in relating to stories, which is primarily connected with emotions.
Aboriginal nomads, for instance, have from generation to genera-
tion described their long journeys from one mountain to another
through the red sandy desert in the form of narratives, which were
originally drawn on sand. I have experienced the magic of the
topographical narratives of contemporary Australian aboriginal art
in their paintings in the art museums and galleries of Sydney and
Melbourne. These unique narratives in ‘pointillist’ technique are
collected for the permanent expositions of well-known museums
in Europe and America.
As a curator and co-author of site-specific exhibitions, I have tried
to comprehensively test various means of approaching historical
buildings by way of my three creative exhibition projects: I have
interviewed professionals, local people and officials associated
with buildings and tried to find various actual solutions and ways
of approaching the revitalisation and use of buildings from the
viewpoint of the architect/designer. I use emotional lighting and
sensitive sound to help people to notice distinctive nuances of
the nature of a space, to sense its atmosphere, and contemplate its
39 Valuable local examples where the community and practice are related recently: Linnalabor
[Urban Lab] is a testing ground for urban innovations, working on new solutions to improve and
diversify the urban life. The Lab is all about experimenting, projects involve scientific, social and
artistic methods. www.linnalabor.ee (accessed 22 February 2017). The students site-specific
project Lasnaviljamäe (2016, Estonian Academy of Arts, Department of Interior Architecture by
Ann Press, Andrea Tamm) which brought a rural barleyfield into the urban context, but at the
same time it focussed into the relationship of local Russian community and Estonian identity.
40 T. Maran, Lokaalsuse ökosemiootilisi aluseid. – Koht ja paik / Place and Location II. Eds. V.
Sarapik, K. Tüür, M. Laanemets. Tallinn: Eesti Kunstiakadeemia, 2002, pp. 89.
41 K. Lehari, Ruum. Keskkond. Koht, p. 58.
Fig 11: Collection of aboriginal art (fragments), the Art Gallery of New South Wales (NSW), Sydney 2013.
Here is a point where aesthetics meets design activism as an inno-
vative approach. As background material, I have also selectively
exhibited information gathered from the local community and other
people connected with historical buildings. In the case of spatial
interventions in which I change the effect of space through various
means of design and installation solutions – thus through design – I
have started with the perception of space as an individual experi-
ence that is affected by both social and cultural background. At the
same time, perceptible space is also not only optical space but also
a multi-layered sensory experience. This approach is also referred to
nowadays as design activism, which is known as creative problem-
solving, or according to Harrison Fraker: ‘Design activism is “problem
seeking”: it is proactive, it chooses an issue (or set of issues) and
explores it (or them) from a critical, sometimes ideological perspec-
tive. It uses design to recognize latent potential and makes it visible.
It explores “absences” in everyday life and gives them a “presence”.
It reveals new ways of seeing the world, and challenges existing
paradigms.’ 42
Gentrification or vitalisation as a sociological concept makes it
possible to contextualise this study in a transdisciplinary manner:
the methodology of this research touches on such fields as urban
42 H. Fraker, Welcome to DA. – Frameworks 2005, no. 1 (Spring), p. 3.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 40 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND CREATIVE METHODS 41

 studies, environmental aesthetics and urban geography, which in turn
are connected to the international labour market, immigration and
the emergence of global cities. I began my research with the aim of
analysing the changes in spatial configuration set in motion here
in Estonia as the consequences of the gentrification process – the
transformation of buildings and developments in interiors – that arise
from the connections of gentrification with economic and social
shifts and their combined effects. Gentrification in cities is mainly
connected to the movement of people, which can be observed as
a manifestation of urban construction in the re-use of (industrial)
buildings to function as living space. It is important in considering
this topic to appreciate the spatial environment in the architectural
sense, as well as the local community in the cultural sense. Local
peculiarities in this process are apparent in the context of recent
history, characterised by the absence of the regulatory role of the
socialist era market, demographic changes and other such phenom-
ena. My interest in ways of reusing and reinterpreting buildings has
developed in my practice as an interior architect from projects asso-
ciated with manifestations of gentrification. Gentrification as a pro-
cess is an intensifier of changes in the spatial and built environment.
Housing costs (rents) rise as a result of an area’s development, and
the original aura that generated a (creative) community lifestyle and
inspired self-generated initiatives and developments disappears with
the replacement of the area’s residents.
and users with potential be related to? The non-material values of a
building can be found by way of a phenomenological approach by
using the perception of spatial intelligence, which has been part of
site-specific exhibition projects testing case studies. Since the theme
of involving people and the creation of meaning has an important
place in this study, in the theoretical part I make sense of this theme
in terms of phenomenology, where the environment is not just a
space surrounding us that is designed with objects, but rather a
part of the environment, and its designer and participant are also
affected by knowledge and personal memories.
The creative practice research method of my dissertation involves
spatial interventions, where, on the basis of phenomenological cog-
nition, I create spatial solutions that help to discover the values of
space and refer to its multi-layered nature. Highlighting these strata
is an important step in preserving invisible spatial values in interior
architecture in the course of the functional re-purposing of space,
or in how people experience and comprehend the world, creating
meaning for a spatial place. I seek answers for the questions that
have been posed – how is it possible to find an interaction of con-
temporary user and historical building in the functional re-purpos-
ing process? and what should be borne in mind when speaking of
architectural and spatial values? – in the format of the exhibition as
an event at the physical and mental level, and that of social space.

What are the effects of spatial intervention on the public, and can
broader generalisations also be made by observing different cases?
Various phenomena are taking place in the physical and social envi-
ronment in parallel with manifestations of gentrification, including
the shrinking of cities, which is also spreading to villages and brings
with it the problem of the total abandonment of buildings. There
are different possibilities of reacting to this. The functioning of sus-
tainable life requires a different, more sensitive approach to the re-
purposing of historical buildings than legislation has been capable
of enacting.

The role of architecture and spatial values is often ignored in the

course of contemporary pragmatic (interior) architectural project
design and the functional re-purposing of space: in other words,
spatial intelligence has been forgotten in a site-specific sense. In the
transformation of buildings, only the building’s physical substance
is protected in Estonia by the Heritage Conservation Act, but the
non-material values of buildings are not protected. Invisible spa-
tial values have been lost in fixed-up houses. How should places

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 42 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND CREATIVE METHODS 43

2.3 M U LT I - L AY E R E D S PAC E
The historical alteration of the treatment of space is connected to
the modification of relations between people and nature, which
are in constant flux depending on the cultural context. In speak-
ing of space in ordinary language, interior space is borne in mind
for the most part, but it is considered as a part of the architectural
whole. Interior space or interiors also cannot be analysed as inde-
pendent phenomena in altering the function of a building. This is
clearly a part of the field of architecture. The professional approach
requires an appreciation of the local context – of the surrounding
spatial and built environment, of history and the population. Loca-
tion means the involvement of identity and activity. In this sense,
place is context. Location analysis is undertaken transdisciplinar-
ily: in philosophy, anthropology, urban geography, urban studies and
environmental aesthetics. Architecture was more the domain of
practitioners until the architectural theory boom emerged. Funda-
mental studies of space conducted by philosophers, where human
existence is connected primarily to space, appeared in the 1960s
when the first English translations were published: G. Bachelard,
The Poetics of Space (1958), O. F. Bollnow, Human Space (1963),
chapter on space M. Merleau-Ponty, The Phenomenology of Percep-
tion (1962), preceded by M. Heidegger, Being and Time (1962).
Different societies, groups and individuals live their lives and realise
themselves in different spaces. They are always assembled around
human activity: people-centres. They multiply and change as part
of the everyday practical lives of individuals and groups. According
to Lehari, the interpretation of the attributes of space depends on
individual spatial experiences that are understood and generated
differently by different individuals and societies, and as a result we
cannot speak of a universal nature of space. At the same time, spa-
tial experience cannot be neutral and unambiguous; rather, it takes
place in accordance with age, gender, social belonging and rela-
tions with other people. Since space is understood and experienced
differently, it also is a contradictory, conflicting means by which
individuals act and are affected by actions. The distinct features of
a space are always comprehensible only in context. Space is a net-
work of relations between things and places. Thus, there is no space
that is not relative. Social relations, and natural and cultural objects
generate space. Space, in turn, affects the relations between them.43
43 K. Lehari, Ruum. Keskkond. Koht, pp. 46–48.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 44
Thus individual experience affects the perception and comprehen-
sion of space. Brooker and Stone mention in their analysis of con-
text and environment: ‘The setting in which an interior is situated
provides its context. The analysis of context is the understanding
of the spirit of the place (genius loci) and its physical, visual, aural
and prevailing character. The environment has much more to do
with the natural and climatic conditions of the area – the study of
the weather, the atmosphere, the ambience of the space. The two
are examined as distinct but concurring, inextricably linked entities.
They are not mutually exclusive and there are inevitable overlaps
both in the influence they have on the design and in the way in
which they are examined. The particular characteristics of a specific
situation can influence the redesign of an existing space.’ 44 So, in
analysing the links of context and interior space, they have reached
into location, history (narration), external connections and thresh-
old, visual connections and logistics (movement). In analysing the
connections between environment and interior, they include climate,
light, temperature, orientation, view/aspect and materials.
Spatial context constantly changes over time. Lefebvre has expanded
the concept of space the most, introducing the concept of social
space: the space of social practice, the experience of everyday life,
real space, which is tied to communication between people, habitual
customs and traditions, where the phenomenon of perception takes
place, as well as deposited experience and memory. Spatial practices
are directly tied to social space, where a person creates social space
through some kind of particular activity in a specific environment,
and that concrete practice and the individual himself are part of that
social space: social space reproduces itself through spatial practices.
According to Lefebvre’s three inseparable concepts of space, tangi-
ble space ranks first, meaning actually perceptible physical space
as people’s everyday space that reproduces itself by way of experi-
ence. Arising from this, actual physical space has meaning in creating
identity, since the notion of us and others takes shape through spatial
relationships. Next is imagined or mental space, which is emotional
and spiritual: connected to the intellect, imagery, ideals, conceptions,
place, design plans and developments by which we practice human
spatiality in an abstract way (for instance, spatial plans and devel-
opment plans). And the third is lived space, or social space, where
imagined and actually perceptible spaces intertwine. The spaces of
these representations make alternative spatial practices possible.
Lefebvre has tried to bridge the gap between the mental and social,
44 G. Brooker, S. Stone, Basics Interior Architecture, p. 006.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND CREATIVE METHODS 45
 between philosophy and reality. Lefebvre places the user of space
and its creator (designer) at the centre of attention.45 In the urban
context, the urban geographer Jussi Jauhiainen brings together a sim-
ple trichotomy: concrete, mental and social space. Concrete space
is the physical environment where human activity takes place. Men-
tal space is a person’s subjective image of the city and its different
places and meanings. Social space is associated with human activity,
where concrete and mental space meet social activity. 46
While Lefebvre associates his notion of spatial practices with the
existing social space as a creator and reproducer, Michel de Certeau
points out the individuality of practices and their dependence on
the motives of a particular person. According to de Certeau, tactics
play a role here. This depends on the interests of a particular person
and is not completely subject to official strategic practices. De Cer-
teau makes sense of place through order. According to him, place is
order (whichever kind of order), according to which elements are
divided up in relation to their coexistence. This rules out the pos-
sibility that two things could be located in the same place. The law
of ‘property’ prevails in a place: the observed elements are beside
one another, each in its ‘own’ clearly distinguishable place, which
that element then also defines. Thus a place is a configuration of
positions at a certain moment. This presumes that a place is charac-
terised by a certain stability. He considers space, on the other hand,
to be variable and defines it through physical concepts: he argues
that space exists as soon as direction vectors, the quantity of speed,
and time as a variable are taken into account. Thus the intersec-
tion of moving elements generates space. The amount of movement
unleashed in a space gives it life in a certain sense. Space is in rela-
tion to place in the same way that a word changes when it is spoken,
i.e. when it finds itself in the ambiguous grip of performance and
becomes a term dependent on many conventions. Therefore, unlike
place, space is not characterised by the non-ambiguity and stabil-
ity of ‘property’. 47 In its predetermination, de Certeau’s place is, in
a certain sense, similar to the concept of space in the way that it is
understood in human geography and location philosophy: he con-
siders place to be static and space to be more living, more dynamic.
45 H. Lefebvre, The Production of Space [1974]. Trans D. Nicholson-Smith. Oxford, Cambridge:
Blackwell, 2012, p. 11.
46 J. Jauhiainen, Linnageograafia: linnad ja linnauurimus modernismist postmodernismini. Tallinn:
Eesti Kunstiakadeemia, 2005, p. 72.
47 M. de Certeau, Igapäevased praktikad. I Tegemiskunstid. Trans. M. Lepikult. Tartu: Tartu Ülikooli
Kirjastus, 2005, pp. 179–180.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 46
2.4 PHENOMENOLOGY
The non-material values of a building can be discovered through
a phenomenological approach by applying the perception of spa-
tial intelligence. The creative method of my study involves spatial
interventions, where, on the basis of phenomenological sensibility,
I create spatial solutions that help to discover the values of space
and refer to its multi-layered nature. Highlighting these layers is an
important step in transmitting invisible spatial values in interior
architecture in the course of functional re-purposing.
In addition to the pragmatic approach, the contemporary world
deals with the theme of re-use at the mental level as well, where
the functional re-purposing of buildings requires a relation to the
surrounding spatial environment and to its inhabitants. The starting
point for phenomenology is a person’s direct contact with the world:
the concreteness of this way of thinking, its closeness to actual life,
and the way that phenomenology manages to combine the everyday
experience of the world with philosophical thought has fascinated
its followers. 48 According to Maurice Merleau-Ponty, phenomenology
is a philosophy in which the world is always ‘already here’, before
reflection, as an inalienable presence, and the aspiration of which
is to rediscover the original connection to the world in order to
ultimately give it philosophical status. 49
Phenomena are things as we consciously perceive them, not things
as they really are, independent of our experience. Phenomenology
is the study of things in the experience of our consciousness, the
study of how things appear to be, not of how they actually are.
Phenomenology broadens the concept of the content of conscious-
ness, which is not such states of mind as sensory contemplations or
theoretical thinking, but the perception, recollection, imagination,
wishing, reflection, intuitive cognition or repulsion of something:
syntheses of acts on different levels of consciousness are formed,
which are necessary for perceiving the narrative as a whole, the
formation of one’s own ‘self’. 50
48 E. Annus, Modernsuse filosoofiad. – 20. sajandi mõttevoolud. Ed. E. Annus. Tallinn-Tartu: Tartu
Ülikooli Kirjastus, 2009, pp. 9–29.
49 M. Merleau-Ponty, Phenomenology of Perception [1945]. Trans. C. Smith. London/New York:
Routledge, 2009, p. i.
50 T. Viik, Fenomenoloogia. – 20. sajandi mõttevoolud, p. 216.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND CREATIVE METHODS 47
 In short, phenomena are very natural and universal. Phenomenology
is both philosophy and method, where the little things that are in use
are studied, where notions and perception are studied instead of
reality. Phenomenological analysis shows that syntheses of different
levels and cognitive horizons that the consciousness synthesises into
a single whole characterise the perception of an object. According to
the founder of phenomenological philosophy, Edmund Husserl, the
whole is polarised into internal (the thing as a whole) and external
(the object is perceptible in the field of other things) horizons. ‘Spa-
tial synthesis’ occurs when internal and external objects are joined
together. Temporal horizons are also added, for instance a synthesis
of perceptions from the past and potential perceptions in the future
emerge when listening to a melody. A kind of horizon of expecta-
tion is also formed in the consciousness in relation to the perspec-
tives that the movement of things brings forth. 51 In Merleau-Ponty’s
view, phenomenology was aimed at studying the bodily horizons of
experience in order to create a general theory of corporeality that
makes sense of how phenomenology can, in mutual cooperation with
science and art, describe the existence of the bodily in the world.
According to him, language develops from bodily experience of the
world, since it is an organ of perception and communication. Think-
ing is embodied in speech just as the spirit is embodied in the body.
Language does not come from a space free of communication, but
rather from common pre-linguistic communicative behaviour.52 Since
the phenomenological method analyses and describes experiences,
it is also empirical in a particular way. In Edmund Husserl’s opinion,
the phenomenological method can be applied from the position of
the self. Following Husserl, Heidegger and Merleau-Ponty have placed
value on people’s social involvement with others: we habitually deal
with the perception and comprehension of the experiences of others,
sometimes mistakenly. 53
In order to draw broad-ranging generalisations concerning why people
like particular environments, it is important to more broadly under-
stand the preferences and behavioural patterns of the user of contem-
porary space. Arnold Berleant has formulated environmental aesthet-
ics as the flow of aesthetic experience or feelings of the involvement
of people, and of meanings that denote participation and different
points of contact in life that are affected by knowledge, experiences
51 T. Viik, Fenomenoloogia, pp. 219–221.
52 T. Viik, Fenomenoloogia, pp. 279–285.
53 T. Viik, Fenomenoloogia, pp. 224–225.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 48
and memory, creating meaning for space.54 According to Berleant, the
aesthetic raising of awareness of the environment is extremely impor-
tant because people vitally need to become aware of their personal
environmental experience, which not only has a cognitive aspect but
also relates to memory and knowledge. His emphasis that both the
individual experience of a person and culture are decisive in the per-
ception of environment is important. Berleant considers the relation-
ship between people and the natural environment, where the abstract
site-centred concept of space free of people is replaced by a human-
oriented environmentally theoretical treatment. He also discusses the
perception of architecture as art: unlike observable art, architecture
requires entrance, being inside, and exiting. The architect and cultural
heritage expert Lilian Hansar has analysed the city as a space of phe-
nomenological sensibility and meanings. According to her, the envi-
ronment (including the surroundings, the atmosphere) is not only an
external phenomenon, but also contains people, and therefore atmos-
phere is tied in primarily with the person’s perception.55
The Norwegian modernist and architectural phenomenologist Chris-
tian Norberg-Schulz used five concepts of space as his point of
departure: pragmatic, perceptive, existential, cognitive and abstract.
According to him, pragmatic space helps the individual to perceive
the surrounding environment, perceptive or perceptible space shapes
identity and allows direct experience, existential space connects
people to social and cultural structures, experiential space allows
the contemplation of space, and abstract space provides means for
perceiving these different spatial levels. 56
Juhani Pallasmaa’s The Eyes of the Skin – Architecture and the Senses
(1996) developed out of the collected work Questions of Percep-
tion: Phenomenology of Architecture (1994) and has become a basic
text for the phenomenological treatment of architecture. The repro-
duction of Caravaggio’s suggestive The Incredulity of Saint Thomas
(1602) 57 illustrates the author’s guiding principle of multi-sensory
54 A. Berleant, Living in the Landscape: Toward an Aesthetics of Environment. Lawrence:
University Press of Kansas, 1997, pp. 3–11.
55 L. Hansar, Nähtav ja nähtamatu linnas. – Kunstiteaduslikke Uurimusi 2005, vol. 14 (2/3), p. 93.
56 C. Norberg-Schulz, Existence, Space and Architecture. New York/Washington: Praeger
Publishers, 1971, p. 11.
57 According to St John’s Gospel, Thomas the Apostle missed one of Jesus’s appearances to the
Apostles after His resurrection, and said ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my
finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.’ John 20:25. A
week later Jesus appeared and told Thomas to touch Him and stop doubting. Then Jesus said,
‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet
have believed.’ John 20:29..
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND CREATIVE METHODS 49
 experience or, according to Bachelard, the polyphony of the senses. 58
As in his publications, in the public lecture Forest Architecture. Land-
scape, Space and Metaphor. Architectural Atmospheres of the North:
Forest, Light and Silence, he visualises his thoughts, comparing a
pair of photographs or reproductions, the combined effect of which
is harmoniously complementary or contrastingly adversarial: ‘the
city of participation – the city of alienation; architectures of hear-
ing and smell (church); spaces of intimate warmth; the significance
of shadow and darkness, vision and hapticity’. 59 Pallasmaa defends
the sensory and sensual qualities characteristic of architecture and
art, which retreat before the commercial thinking of the consumer
world, highlighting the important aspects of the phenomenological
cognition of space, such as the time factor, components of sound
and silence, light and darkness, which function as the result of com-
bined effect and opposite effect. Architecture articulates time just as
it articulates space. He poetically calls ‘place a container of the soul,
and the soul is a container of place.’60 Yet architecture also has a one-
of-a-kind protective function, which protects nature in silence. Light
becomes a spatial quality of architecture. 61 In today’s pragmatic
approach to a building, light has become more of a quantitative
element. The window as a mediator has lost its meaning between
two worlds: enclosed and open, interiority and exteriority, private
and public, light and shadow, the movement of light in space, the
mutual effect of light and shadow as inhaling and exhaling. Dimness
and darkness also play an important role in space, creating solidarity
and amplifying the power of words (e.g. in Alvar Aalto’s Säynätsalo
town hall). The sensory experience is directly connected to the body.
Pallasmaa places the human body in the central position.
acoustics is subconscious, yet it is acoustics in particular that create
an intimate experience of spatial interiority. Contemporary interi-
ors often absorb sound, which does not allow sounds and voices
to carry and echo naturally. Old houses take people back to the
silence and slowness of the past. More permanent images in the
memory are preserved by way of scent. Scents and tastes are spe-
cific in the sense of geography. ‘Vacant, abandoned houses generate
a particular hollow smell. [---] The nose makes the eye remember.’ 63
According to Pallasmaa, architecture at its fundamental level con-
sists of verbs. For instance, the door is an invitation to step over the
threshold, while the window is an invitation to look. [---] Pallasmaa
calls them images that can be experienced and are not just visual. 64
The phenomenological values of space are primarily perceptible
and among other things also visible. Pallasmaa speaks of creating
spatial values in architecture, yet the preservation of perceptible
phenomena is equally important. Preservation should also accom-
pany the creation of new values, which are possible only in that
space and are relevant at the moment of their creation.

Architectural space frames, reinforces and focuses our thoughts,

protecting them from dissipation. Contact with architecture is a
multi-sensor y experience: the attributes, materiality and size of
space can be experienced equally by way of the eye, ear, nose, skin,
tongue and muscles. All of the senses are extensions of the sense
of touch, including vision, because the gaze only confirms what
the skin touches. The eye discerns from a distance the intimate
experience of touch. 62 The gaze isolates, sound incorporates, or the
eye arrives at something, while the ear receives. The perception of

58 G. Bachelard, The Poetics of Reverie: Childhood, Language, and the Cosmos. Boston: Beacon
Press, 1971, p. 6.
59 J. Pallasmaa, Forest Architecture: Landscape, Space and Metaphor. Public lecture, Universitá
Roma TRE, Rome, 23 March 2015 (author’s notes).
60 J. Pallasmaa, Forest Architecture.
61 J. Pallasmaa, Forest Architecture. 63 J. Pallasmaa, The Eyes of the Skin, pp. 51–55.
62 J. Pallasmaa, The Eyes of the Skin, pp. 40–49. 64 J. Pallasmaa, The Embodied Image. Chichester: Wiley, 2011.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 50 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND CREATIVE METHODS 51

2.5 S PAT I A L VA L U E S A N D R E M O D E L L I N G
What should be borne in mind when speaking of architectural
and spatial values? What are the important anchor points in re-
purposing historical buildings, and how should the phenomeno-
logical approach to space be used in the course of the restoration
and reconstruction of valuable old buildings? According to the art
historian Alois Riegl, the modern spectator does not find aesthetic
gratification from the good preservation of a work but rather from
its consistent and endless alteration. 65
The restoration of a valuable and unique building is regulated in
Estonia by law, with special heritage conservation conditions that
include: an overview of the history of the monument, a descrip-
tion of the existing situation, conclusions of studies that have been
conducted, an assessment of the building’s technical condition,
an overview of the inventory drawn up of structures and details of
cultural value, value judgements of parts, structural elements and
details of the monument, as well as an assessment of the functions
and changes planned for it, and the requirements and restrictions
that apply to the project design. 66 At this point, it becomes appar-
ent that only the building’s physical substance is protected, i.e.
regardless of the aspects listed above, it is not necessarily possible
to preserve and achieve spatial values in the old building that
can communicate with the new user in terms of their function,
mode of use and aesthetics. This includes contemporary conserva-
tion, restoration, renovation and remodelling. I use the terms here
according to Brooker and Stone: ‘conservation’ is the art of con-
serving existing structures in their present form or returning them
back to the original state. ‘Restoration’ is the process of returning
the condition of the building to its original state using materials
and techniques of the original period to ensure that the building
appears as though it has been constructed. ‘Renovation’ is the pro-
cess of renewing and updating a building but the function remains
the same; the structure is generally untouched, but the manner in
which the building is used is brought up to date (e.g. heating and
sanitary systems). In ‘remodelling’, the function is the most obvious
change, but other alterations may be made to the building, such as
65 A. Riegl, The Modern Culture of Monuments. Its Essence and its Development [1903]. –
Historical and Philosophical Issues in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage. Eds N. Stanley-
Price, M. K. Talley Jr., A. Melucco Vaccaro. Los Angeles: The Getty Conservation Institute,
1996, pp. 69–83.
66 Heritage Conservation Act, §35. – Riigi Teataja no 27, 20 March 2002.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE
its structure, circulation routes and orientation. Additions may be
constructed and some areas may be demolished. 67
The theory and practice of contemporary heritage conservation,
the preservation of the distinctive features and values of the envi-
ronment in the re-use of historical buildings in the course of res-
toration, rely to a great extent on Riegl’s 19 th century philosophi-
cal discussions of the concept of historical values. This Austrian
art historian sought an answer at the beginning of the 20 th century
to problems related to how to define the artistic and historical
value of a monument and how to make sense of the inevitable
contradictions of preserving a monument. The contemporary con-
servator Barbara Appelbaum has expanded Riegl’s value theory
by grouping the object’s non-material aspects. 68 These histori-
cal and contemporar y value judgements help to systematically
explain the points of departure of conser vation, as well as to
make sense of contemporary approaches to remodelling.
The greater and lesser destructions of the First and Second World
Wars in cities brought on the expected vigorous modernisation. In
the ensuing chaos, the question arose: what should be rebuilt and
how should this be done? None other than Adolf Hitler organised
the photographic documentation of valuable buildings and monu-
mental paintings in Germany during the war years (1943–1945) so
that if they were destroyed, it would be possible to authentically
restore them. Several contemporary art projects have grown out
of this documentation. 69
Slowing down the too thoughtless abandonment of the past
in the post-war renovations became one of the guiding prin-
ciples of the Venice Char ter (1964). 70 The Char ter for mulated
the fundamental principles of conservation, which should form
67 G. Brooker, S. Stone, Basics Interior Architecture, p. 172–174.
68 B. Appelbaum, Conservation Treatment Methodology. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2007,
pp. 86–119.
69 An interesting example of this is the video Everything Actually Depends on the Color of Light
by the Swiss duo of artists Peter Köhle and Nicolas Vermot in Tallinn at the KUMU exhibition
Jutustades lugusid. Šveitsi ja Baltimaade kunstnikud [Telling Stories. Artists from Switzerland
and the Baltic States], 2014), which deals with interpretations of this kind of work process
proceeding from different cultural contexts: the artists interviewed Rosemarie Nohr, who was
a photography student at that time and participated in Hitler’s photo documentation campaign.
The script written on the basis of interviews is the basis for the installation.
70 International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites. The Venice
Charter 1964. 2nd International Congress of Architects and Technicians of Historic Monuments,
Venice, 1964. Adopted by ICOMOS in 1965, https://www.icomos.org/charters/venice_e.pdf
(accessed 8 November 2016).
52 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND CREATIVE METHODS 53
 the starting point even today: for instance, copying should be
discontinued and the original handiwork of the masters should
be preserved as authentically as possible in order to avoid the
distortion of histor y. The new, on the other hand, should bear the
spirit of its own age. The Charter placed value in the contextual
connections between monuments and histor y and in the integ-
rity of ensembles as a whole. The theor y of the Italian theoreti-
cian of restoration Cesare Brandi 71 served as the basis for draw-
ing up the Venice Charter. Even so, a large number of charters
concentrating on more narrow fields were adopted later on as
well, arising from different categories of monuments: the Flor-
ence Charter (1981), protecting historical parks, the Washington
Charter (1987) 72 , dealing with urban construction, and the later
Nara Document on Authenticity (1994) 73 , which expands the
material aspect of cultural heritage to the spiritual and intellec-
tual sphere, ascribing a much broader meaning to authenticity.
In the case of the authenticity of cultural value, the document
stresses focusing on the design, materials and function of the
object. 74 In addition to material, considerably more attention
should be directed to the meaning of traditions and heritage. In
many cultures, building as a process is more valuable than the
structure that is to be completed. The Nara Document places
value on the role of studies and developments in order to under-
stand the nature of different cultures in considering authentic-
ity. Based on cultural context, the proposal for drawing up the
‘Development plan for preserving and appreciating Estonia’s cul-
tural heritage until 2030’ has been constructively worked out. 75
71 ‘This theory was accused of directing attention to the conservation-restoration of the image,
thus neglecting the structural concept altogether (particularly in the case of architecture).
Brandi’s theory has been treated more as a theory on the restoration of paintings, even
though in his writings, he often refers it architecture in particular. (H. Hiiop. Cesare Brandi on
restoration. Lecture at the Estonian Academy of Arts, 20 October 2014 (author’s notes)).
72 Charter for the Conservation of Historic Towns and Urban Areas. (Washington Charter 1987),
https://www.icomos.org/charters/towns_e.pdf / (accessed 22 April 2017).
73 E. F. N. Ribeiro, A. Pal, S. Kasiannan, R. Sharma, M. Sharma Saxena and S. Saha, Appendix 01:
Nara Document on Authenticity. – Kangla Fort Archaeological Park Concept Development Plan:
Charter. Ed. N. Thakur. Kangla Fort Archaeological Park Team, 2003, https://architexturez.net/
doc/az-cf-21197/ (accessed 17 March 2017).
74 A wide range of sources of information is encouraged to be looked into when judging a cultural
heritage’s authenticity, such as design, materials and functions. They can in turn shed light on
different dimensions of the cultural heritage, such as the historical and social (Nara Document,
1994), https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-21197/ (accessed 17 March 2017).
75 Eesti kultuuripärandi hoidmise ja väärtustamise arengukava aastani 2030: koostamise
ettepanek, https://www.riigikantselei.ee/valitsus/valitsus/et/valitsus/arengukavad/arengukavade-
koostamise-ettepanekud/kultuurip_randi_arengukava_ettepanek.pdf / (accessed 8 November
2016).
RE-PURPOSING SPACE
In examining developments nowadays, we can observe tendencies
in the field of cultural heritage protection directed at helping local
people go from the position of observer to that of participant. At
the same time, the retention of the original function is often more
valuable in the case of heritage – as the contemporary stratum of
continuity – than the establishment of a museum or reservation.
Here the self-evident nature with which the operation of the original
function is considered is questionable.
Fig 12: Valuable private collection in the Byrd Hoffman Watermill Foundation, Long Island, New York 2016.
Old things are preserved because they are valuable. It goes without
saying that an old house needs to be fixed up over time. At what point
does renovation become restoration, and how should this term be
understood? What do we mean by value and heritage? Values – both
material and immaterial – that can be ascribed to an object / space
are variable over time; they are not constant quantities. In his study,
Riegl values not so much the good preservation of a monument, but
rather its constant transformation as it ages; he discusses the frame-
work of preservation to prevent destruction.76 The emotionally percep-
tible value of time is evident, compared to scientific historical value,
the measure of which, however, depends precisely on authentic pres-
ervation. Thus the concepts of preservation are contradictory. The pri-
mary objective of contemporary theory concerning the preservation
of monuments is to avoid conflict between temporal value and histori-
cal value. Intentional memorial value, on the other hand, helps to stop
time. The value of use is of irrefutable importance, which is justifica-
tion for intervention. Riegl is against the imprisonment of monuments
in museums, which would liberate them from the need for restoration.
Riegl disapproves of the restoration of a work as a complete finished
whole. According to him, the broad masses mistakenly ascribe artistic
value to the new value. He sees the conflict between temporal value,
historical value and new value as inevitable. Appelbaum has recently
expanded Riegl’s theory and has discussed the non-material aspects
76 A. Riegl, The Modern Culture of Monuments, pp. 69–83.
54 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND CREATIVE METHODS 55
 of objects. She highlights the diverse and ambiguous scale of values
and the different effect on restoration arising from their nature: art
or cultural value, aesthetic value, historical value, use value and sen-
timental value, research value, educational value, age value newness
value, monetary value, associative value, commemorative value and
rarity. 77 Thus, in modern times, an additional number of value catego-
ries have appeared that highlight the sense of values. For instance, the
shoes of the actress Marlene Dietrich and a plate that belonged to the
pop artist Jeff Koons, both of which in the entirety of their meanings
have most of the values listed above, being inseparable from each
other, are side by side in the art collection on Long Island belonging
to Robert Wilson, a contemporary director in experimental theatre.
Fig 13 : Bauhaus Masters’ Houses (UNESCO-World Heritage): perfectly renovated Kandinsky–Klee semi-
detached house and the new Masterhouse Gropius (by BFM Architekten) – a new model emulating the
destroyed one, Dessau 2015.
Appelbaum sums up by saying that the flexible relationship between
the physical condition and value of an ‘object’ can be affected over
time both positively and negatively. The conscious acknowledgement
of its non-material aspects makes it possible to preserve the different
values of the ‘object’ in the course of its treatment – conservation /
restoration / reconstruction / re-purposing. 78
Public attitudes towards ways of preserving and making sense of
monuments in the 21 st century have not changed significantly from
Riegl’s era, so consideration of this theme is topical in every respect.
The most widespread attitude is new value as affection for the old
and beautiful, which also leads to diligent restoration, particularly
if financial means are available. I find that the conscious classifica-
tion of non-material values as precisely as possible is important in
77 B. Appelbaum, Conservation Treatment Methodology, pp. 89–114.
78 B. Appelbaum, Conservation Treatment Methodology, pp. 115–119.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 56
order to ensure a diverse relationship in the process of restoration
and renovations. By virtue of this, flexibility is the key word and can
be applied to both the use and the restoration of monuments. The
perception of timelessness makes it possible to also see the potential
of the monument in the event that the inconsistency and change
inherent in the contemporary world dominate.
In today’s terms, heritage is a part of physical reality, as well as being
an intellectual and spiritual phenomenon. Meanings are created and
values presented to communities and more broadly to society by
way of heritage. Other interest groups, such as local people as users,
owners, museologists and artists, are also included more and more
in conservation processes led by experts. 79 Thus the trend is towards
involving the people around the process, but the danger remains
that such cases tend to be put down on paper merely as a gesture to
democracy. I hope in the creative part of this study to highlight and
analyse the actual corresponding activities. How to share individual
memory experiences among a group and to function as a commu-
nity differs in each individual case. I have tried to systematically
find possible repetitions of this as patterns. I see this as a trend away
from traditional conservation customs towards contemporary solu-
tions, which are undertaken to highlight heritage through new spa-
tial approaches, the impetus for which, needless to say, is economic
interest. On the basis of the principle of contrast, the authentic old
differentiates from the added new as a necessary quantity from the
viewpoint of the operation of the contemporary function.Various tan-
gible examples confirm theoretical discussions on how to combine
traditions and an innovative approach appropriate to the object as a
dignified and functional solution. According to the Danish architect
Trine Neble, by using heritage and adapting it to current needs, devel-
opment is effected based on traditions, good examples of which are
the redesigned manors in Denmark, where the design is ultramodern
and minimalist, yet is implemented using traditional materials. In this
way, the new design is not an ancillary layer added to an old house,
but rather an independent quality, the realisation of which does not
allow what has been done to be thoughtlessly replaced, even the
original details. 80 Here it is important to expand the way the world
is seen and inculcate corresponding directions of thought among
both visionaries and decision-making bodies, which in Estonia are
the National Heritage Board and State Real Estate Ltd.
79 K. Konsa, Tänapäevane konserveerimine: objektidest-väärtustest-subjektidest. Lecture at the
Imavere Dairy Museum, 21 November 2014 (author’s notes).
80 T. Neble, Heritage, Contemporary Architecture and Design in Interaction. Lecture at the Latvian
Academy of Arts, Riga, 12–13 March 2015 (author’s notes).
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND CREATIVE METHODS 57
2.6 GENTRIFYING THE ENVIRONMENT
How is it possible to find an interaction of contemporary user and his-
torical building in the functional re-purposing process? My argument
is that in the revitalization of derelict buildings there is often a lack of
human contact with possible users in the functional re-purposing pro-
cess. Gentrification is an inevitable phenomenon in today’s urban devel-
opment context. Within it are constructive developments of the urban
environment: local municipal governments self-evidently subscribe to
this kind of starting position in their cooperation with developers. Yet
what are the social effects on the population of gentrification? Gentrifi-
cation as a process is an intensifier of changes in the spatial and built
environment. Housing costs (rents) rise as a result of an area’s devel-
opment, and the original aura that generated a (creative) community
lifestyle and inspired self-generated initiatives and developments disap-
pears with the replacement of the area’s residents. The role of architec-
ture and spatial values is often ignored in the course of contemporary
pragmatic (interior) architectural project design and the functional
re-purposing of space or, in other words, spatial intelligence has been
forgotten in a site-specific sense. I argue that in the transformation of
historical buildings, only the building’s physical substance is protected
by the Heritage Conservation Act, and the non-material intangible values
of buildings are not protected.
Fig 14: Williamsburg, the cradle of gentrification, New York 2017.
Gentrification is a process of urban renewal or re-urbanisation, in the
course of which an abandoned district with presumed potential is
invested in to launch its development through the combined effect
of economic and cultural impulses. Gentrification occurs when there
is a substantial replacement of a neighbourhood’s residents with
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 58
newcomers who have higher incomes and who, having acquired homes
cheaply, renovate them and upgrade the neighbourhood. Revitalisation,
vitalisation, aristocratisation and elitisation are synonyms for gentrifi-
cation, which is also known as middle-classisation because the mid-
dle class has replaced the working class due to the displacement of
industry. There are several theoretical approaches to researching gen-
trification: demographic-ecological, socio-cultural, politico-economic,
environmental network-centred, and social movement-centred.81 Two
primary approaches are in use: economic/production-centred and
cultural/consumer- and lifestyle-centred.82 The effects on gentrification
arising from age, gender, sexual preference, nationality and race have
also been studied.
Needless to say, the investment of capital brings changes in both
buildings and landscape, yet the social renewal of the area by
groups of people with greater economic capital is accompanied
by the displacement of the group of residents with lower income. 83
Rent-gap theory dominates here, meaning that the run-down dis-
tricts of the city centre have potential, which when developed
brings higher capital value or, in other words, this expresses the
difference between the existing and the potential cost of rent and
land. 84 Gentrification has become a global phenomenon that spread
in the 1950s from the north-eastern USA to the cities of Western
Europe and Australia. The sociologist Ruth Glass adopted the term
‘gentrification’ on the basis of the example of the Islington workers’
district in London, 85 which has gone through great changes both in
reality and in research, summed up as ‘waves’. Nowadays, the period
of economic downturn in the early 1970s is known as the first wave
or pioneer gentrification, when districts in the city centre with low
levels of investment became the target of investments. The gentrifi-
ers were creative people attracted by advantageous prices. The sec-
ond wave, or corporate / professional gentrification, followed with
the economic upturn at the end of the 1970s, where the gentrifiers
were the ‘new middle class’. The third wave, or supergentrification,
or financification, emerged in the 1990s, in the course of which
finance capital investment took place repeatedly, the gentrifiers
were the elite, and local governments started participating in the
81 J. Palen, B. London, Gentrification, Displacement and Neighborhood Revitalization. Albany:
SUNY Press, 1984, p. 1.
82 N. Smith, Toward a Theory of Gentrification: A Back to the City Movement by Capital, not
People. – Journal of the American Planning Association 1979, vol. 45(4), pp. 538–548.
83 M. Davidson, L. Lees, New-Build ‘Gentrification’ and London’s Riverside Renaissance. –
Environment and Planning 2005, vol. 37, pp. 1165–1190.
84 N. Smith, Toward a Theory of Gentrification, pp. 538–548.
85 R. Glass, London: Aspects of Change.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND CREATIVE METHODS 59
 process. 86 Fourth wave gentrification is spoken of in reference to
the hurricane destruction in New Orleans and the HOPE IV housing
programme in the USA, for instance. 87
Gentrification can be called part of re-urbanisation in association
with certain social groups and economic processes. According to the
anthropologist Neil Smith, two main theories from the approaches to
theoretical research are in use: the approach focusing on economic
profit, and the approach focusing on culture/consumerism, which is
tied in with specific social groups. 88 In turn, diverse subcategories
can be discerned in the gentrification process, such as studentifi-
cation, where a large number of students change the appearance
of an area and this, generally speaking, also brings an increase in
socio-cultural capital; similar to this is rent gentrification, tourism
gentrification, where a poorer residential district becomes a centre
of tourism and entertainment, super-gentrification, which takes place
in an already gentrified environment, and new-built gentrification,
in the course of which the overall appearance of an area changes
due to new construction.89 Rural gentrification, with its subcategory
cottage-isation, is the result of the degeneration of agriculture, where
people lead an alternative lifestyle and invest in rural dwellings. 90
Throughout the world, gentrifiers categorised by race, age, gender
and sexual orientation are also topics of research. From the Marxist
viewpoint, gentrification is contemporary social violence moderated
by its approach focusing on culture. I have followed changes in this
process with interest on the basis of new publications from gentri-
fication theoreticians, 91 where changes in the demographic profile
of the residents are observed in a process in which the alternative
design projects of artists, designers and architects are involved in
the regeneration of residential districts. Newly completed documen-
tary films also confirm the continuing topicality of the theme of
gentrification. They are presented to the public at film festivals, for
instance the Amsterdam Architectural Film Festival Architektur. Film.
Sommer 2015 – Shelter, Housing and the Formation of Cities, where
86 J. Hackworth, N. Smith, The Changing State of Gentrification. – Tijdschrift voor Economische en
Sociale Geografie 2001, 92(4), pp. 464–477.
87 L. Lees, T. Slater, E. Wyly, Gentrification. Routledge: New York, 2008, pp. 185–187.
88 N. Smith, Toward a Theory of Gentrification, pp. 538–548.
89 L. Lees, T. Slater, E. Wyly, The Gentrification Reader, Routledge: London, 2010, p. 391.
90 M. Phillips, Other Geographies of Gentrification. – Progress in Human Geography 2004, vol.
28(1), pp. 5–30.
91 J. Brown-Saracino, A Neighborhood That Never Changes: Gentrification, Social Preservation,
and the Search for Authenticity. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 2009;
Houses in Transformation: Interventions in European Gentrification. Eds. T. Kaminer, M.
Schoonderbeek, J. J. Berg, J. Zonneveld. Rotterdam: Nai Publishers, 2008.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE
films examined community problems in the gentrification process
in the high-rent district of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which has been
settled by yuppies. 92
What are manifestations of gentrification like in Estonia? It is impor-
tant to examine the reasons and to create associations with the
mutual effects of economic/production-centred processes and gen-
trification’s cultural/consumer-centred aspects. The Estonian essay-
ist Hasso Krull claimed that, in the temporal dimension, Estonian
culture is founded on the motif of interruption, where the first posi-
tive interruption was breaking free from the Baltic German cultural
association, and generally from the German variant altogether, by
manifesting independence. The first negative interruption was the
historical myth of the loss of ancient independence. All subsequent
interruptions have to a greater or lesser extent been variations of
these main interruptions. This fundamental motif once again very
prominently came to the fore in the 1990s. Positive interruption was
marked by the restoration of political independence, together with
breaking free of what went before, while negative interruption was
being subjugated under Russian rule in the course of the Second
World War. 93 The entire current cultural discourse is based on empha-
sising these interruptions, whereas a certain period (longer than five
years) is directly perceived as a time of interruption.
The emergence of private property, the reorganisation of the economy,
the restructuring of the labour force, and the rapid stratification of the
population accompanied the restoration of independence in Estonia.
Housing construction policy and that of real estate developers in the
post-industrial era, however, depend on economic factors, the invest-
ment climate in the region, and on Estonia’s small size, which ampli-
fies several processes. Here it is important to understand the nature
of transitional society over the last decade of the 20 th century and
its influence on the form of the opening of the borders of a closed
society, including the proliferation of the desire to consume con-
nected with the disappearance of deficits. At the same time, global
examples and the tendency to dissolve into them must be taken into
account. For instance, there is Americanisation in urban space in
the form of auto-mobilisation and large shopping centres, which has
led to the emptying of city centres of pedestrians and small shops.
In the context of interiors, gentrification can be viewed as preva-
lence characteristic of a certain era where the residents’ economic
92 For example the films The Domino Effect (2015) by M. Sperry, D. Phelps, B. Paul and Tonita´s
(2015) by B. Boyacioglu & S. Diaz.
93 H. Krull, Katkestuse kultuur. Tallinn: Vagabund, 1996, p. 7.
60 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND CREATIVE METHODS 61
 opportunities, social background and cultural stratum are reflected.
In the case of our Finnish neighbours, gentrification began in the
1980s. Gentrification as a process has been acknowledged in Estonia
since the 1990s, but so far no theory has been worked out regarding
the period after the restoration of independence. A few bachelor’s
and master’s theses have been completed in this century on local
manifestations of gentrification. 94 Studies have appeared focused on
the city districts of Kalamaja, Kadriorg and Supilinn. 95 Socio-cultural
changes conveyed through interviews and questionnaires are at the
centre of attention. Economic reasons require studies based on sta-
tistics in places such as Viljandi’s city centre and Kantreküla, Pärnu’s
city centre, Rääma and Ülejõe, Tartu’s Karlova district, and Tallinn’s
Old Town, Uus-Maailm, Kopli, Kassisaba and Pelgulinn, in addition to
the above-mentioned studies. 96
In the 1990s, the gentrification process as an already globalised phe-
nomenon spread in the real estate market from the city centre to the
suburbs as well. Opposition to gentrification has abated and national
or local government supports developers. Processes resembling gen-
trification have started to proceed region by region, as well as in indi-
vidual buildings. Primarily two theoretical approaches with different
orientations emerge in the research of gentrification: cultural and
economic. The first is based on enthusiasm: cultural consumption
of post-industrial urban space as a lifestyle. The other approach is
based on the financial calculation that renovating an old building is
more economical than building a new one, whereas the favourable
location of a building that is to be vitalised, the surrounding historical
environment and distinctive architecture turn out to be advantages
in their own right.
Similarly to the rest of the world, post-industrial society affects urban
space in Estonia as well: industry has died out and cities are shrinking.
Due to the economic crisis, manufacturing has shut down or moved
to Asia due to cheap labour, as is the case elsewhere in the world. The
94 A. Aksiim, Gentrifikatsiooni uurimine Eestis. Master’s thesis. Tartu: Tartu Ülikool, 2013; M.
Feldmann, Gentrification and Social Stratification in Tallinn: Strategies for Local Governance.
Vienna: Institite für die Wissenschaften vom Menchen, 2000; K. Männik, Gentrifikatsiooniprot-
sess. Tartu Supilinna näitel, aastatel 2003–2007. Master’s thesis. Tallinn: Eesti Kunstiakadeemia,
2008; E. Vollmer, Maade aadeldumine Lahemaa Rahvuspargis. Master’s thesis. Tartu: Eesti
Maaülikool, 2007;
95 M. Hiob, N. Nutt, S. Nurme, F de Luca, Risen from the Dead. Slumming to Gentrification. –
Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences 2012, no. 36, pp. 92–105; N. Nutt, S. Nurme,
S. Salmistu, M. Hiob, Gentrification in a Post-Socialist Town: The Case of the Supilinn District,
Tartu, Estonia. – Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences 2013, pp. 109–123.
96 A. Aksiim, Gentrifikatsiooni uurimine Eestis.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 62
part that continues to function effectively has been moved out of old
buildings to the edge of the city in modern-day hangars. As a result of
this phenomenon, impressive old industrial architecture can be found
in the centres of cities that nobody seems to need any more. What can
be done with these vacant buildings? There are many different factors
impacting how these decisions are made. In today’s post-industrial soci-
ety, the enthusiastic redesign of historical industrial buildings into con-
temporary dwellings, and the transformation in general of all manner of
buildings to serve new functions have developed as a result of gentrifi-
cation. The question arises: how do an old building and a contemporary
lifestyle fit together?
In Estonia there has been a tradition of organising cultural events
in abandoned buildings since the restoration of independence. An
eye-opener is the old Noblessner foundry, reused as a concert hall
with some of the best acoustics in Tallinn, or the Tapa railway station
re-purposed as a theatre performance pop-up site due to its great
location. A popular engaging discussion popped up as 57. Välkloeng:
Architecture and Rebirth in the Tallinn Polymer Culture factory. 97 Sev-
eral master’s theses in the Estonian Academy of Arts deal with con-
ceptualising the possibilities of the potential, the temporary activa-
tion and continuous change issues of the living environment. 98 There
are professional practitioners dealing with re-purposed commercial
building projects according to the needs of contemporary clients. 99
Estonia’s distinction in this process can be observed in the context
of recent history characterised by demographic changes and the
absence of the regulatory role of the socialist era market. The birth
of private property, the reorganisation of the economy, the restructur-
ing of the labour force, and the rapid stratification of the population
97 Moderated by the young urbanists Grete Veskiväli and Maria Alnek [Ruumiringlus] on 13 April
2017.
98 E. Komp, Urban Pauses. Five Spatial Etydes in Central Tallinn. Master’s thesis. Tallinn: Estonian
Academy of Arts. Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architecture and Urban Design, 2014.
The author maps and analyses possibilities and strategies to revitalize urban pauses, and their
impact, with the aid of theories of temporary urbanism and urban planning.
L.-L. Pihu, Demolish or not to Demolish? Master thesis. Tallinn: Estonian Academy of Arts.
Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architecture and Urban Design, 2016.The Master thesis
is focusing on vacant buildings and investigating the possibility of reusing building materials,
analysing the potential of material reuse of vacant buildings in Estonia.
J. Rannula, Station Buildings On The Baltic Railway. Master thesis. Tallinn: Estonian Academy
of Arts. Faculty of Architecture, Department of Urban Studies, 2016. The thesis analyses the
transformation of railway station buildings in Estonia as a process that involves spatial as well
as social dimensions.
99 Great examples: Margit Aule, Margit Argus (Kaos Architects); Koit Ojaliiv, Joel Kopli, Juhan
Rohtla (Kuu Architects), Andrus Kõresaar, Raivo Kotov (Koko Architects).
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND CREATIVE METHODS 63
 accompanied the restoration of independence in Estonia. Housing
construction policy and that of real estate developers in the post-
industrial era, however, depend on economic factors, the investment
climate in the region, and Estonia’s small size.

Manifestations of gentrification emerged in Estonia as a result of owner-

ship reform, where tenants of properties returned to their former owners
were forced to vacate their living spaces in favour of the new owners
(and their construction activity). In Estonia, gentrification has been
researched primarily on the basis of culture-oriented and consumer-
centred theory.100 The approach to this issue based on economic and
manufacturing-centred theory is marginal by comparison. Recently a
valuable doctoral research was published on the shifting paradigm of
spatial planning: the role of neighbourhood participation and the con-
servation of built-up areas based on the case study of Supilinn, a historic
suburb of Tartu, by Mart Hiob. The thesis analyses the secret planning
process, from the Stalin era in the 1950s up to the 2000s, when it turned
into active participation by the local community. The thesis highlights
the differences between historic and built environments, while the
transformation of a poor housing estate has turned it into one of the
wealthiest living areas of the city, through the prismatic view of gentrifi-
cation. The author has considered the built environment according to
Lefebvre’s theory of perceived, conceived and lived space, where lived
space represents the most valuable living environment. In the conclu-
sion of this thesis, the author evaluates the protection and development
of existing values.101

100 A. Aksiim, Gentrifikatsiooni uurimine Eestis; M. Feldmann, Gentrification and Social Stratifica-
tion…; K. Männik, Gentrifikatsiooniprotsess; E. Vollmer, Maade aadeldumine Lahemaa
Rahvuspargis.
101 M. Hiob, The Shifting Paradigm of Spatial Planning in Estonia: the Rise of Neighbourhood
Participation and Conservation of Built-up Areas through the Detailed Case Study of Supilinn,
a Historic Suburb of Tartu City, Estonia. Tallinn: TUT Press, 2016, https://digi.lib.ttu.ee/i/file.
php?DLID=5979&t=1 (accessed 20 April 2017).

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 64 65
3.

M ETA M O R P H O S E S
O F S PAC E

Like a living organism, architecture continuously transforms

as the result of the efforts of architects and builders, reflecting
the development of society and culture. A building outlives
its original purpose and it is used for something else. Yet
changes in the spatial environment are not limited to building
construction processes alone. People are similarly affected by
installation spatial art that breaks out of the white cube: into
urban space, and into nature.

 Fig 15: Big Bambú installation in Testaccio, Rome 2014. 67

3.1 S PAT I A L M ETA M O R P HO S E S, T H E T R A N S F O R M AT I O N
OF BUILDINGS
The word transformation is synonymous with metamorphosis, of
Greek origin – deformation, reshaping – and refers to a process
that can be forced but can also be autonomous and independent.
According to Paolo Portoghesi (an Italian theoretician on archi-
tecture and the curator of the first Venice Architecture Biennale in
1980), ‘transformation describes a transitive action performed by
a subject, and metamorphosis seems to allude to a process that
is autonomous or even endogenous. Architecture is continuously
transformed by the efforts of those who design it and build it [---]
in its constant changing, it seems similar to a living organism that
undergoes continuous metamorphoses’. 102
The original identity of a building changes over the course of recon-
struction in the search for a new use for the space. This change
can range from extreme replacements to delicate restoration; it can
be temporary or permanent, superficial or profound, broadening or
constricting. According to Portoghesi, the intervention of the archi-
tect determines the identity of the building. The transformation of a
building or a part of a city by an architect may pertain to intended
use and its form. It may be radical, like replacements, or limited, as
in remodelling and restorations. It may be superficial or deep. It may
be lasting or fleeting, temporary or permanent. It may improve or
worsen, it may raise or lower, expand or contract, and so on. Without
question, it alters, and sometimes cancels out or changes the build-
ing’s very identity. 103
The sustainability of materials has become the focus of the re-
purposing process. According to Brooker and Stone, sustainability
in architecture and design refers to ‘the sensible use of natural
resources and materials that does not deplete them in an unneces-
sary or wasted way. It also refers to the sourcing and use of methods
of construction and certain materials that do not contribute to cli-
mate change through the exhaustion of natural resources or their
transport across the world.’ 104 In autumn 2012 the brutalist Barbi-
can Centre (1982) in London was transformed by an exhibition
on OMA, one of the most influential current architecture practices.
The exhibition was curated and designed by the Belgium-based
102 P. Portoghesi, Transformation and Metamorphosis. – Materia 2011, vol. 71, p. 34.
103 P. Portoghesi, Transformation and Metamorphosis, pp. 34–43.
104 G. Brooker, S. Stone, Basics Interior Architecture, p.174.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE
architectural team Rotor, who also exhibited interior elements from
the modernist past at the Venice Architecture Biennale (the Belgium
pavilion, 2012). On a practical level, Rotor handles the conception
and realisation of design and architectural projects. On a theoretical
level, Rotor develops critical positions on material resources and
waste through research.
Fig 16: High Line – an elevated freight rail line transformed into a public park on
Manhattan’s West Side, New York 2017.
The architecture critic Peter Buchanan established ten rules for the
sustainability of buildings in his study Ten Shades of Green: Architec-
ture and the Natural World (2007), which incorporates a broad scale
of sustainability practice, for instance building according to the long
life/loose fit anti-ergonomic principle. 105 Frampton points out that a
large number of remarkably easily adaptable buildings with load-
bearing walls survive from the 18 th and 19 th centuries, many of which
have found new uses, yet nowadays it is more difficult to achieve
this principle due to the standards of minimum space and inflex-
ible contemporary construction technologies that are currently in
effect. 106 Spatial metamorphoses and the transformation of build-
ings give vitality to contemporary society, and cause people to move
about, to rediscover what already exists, and to take an interest in
new places. Knowing how to notice and use the potential concealed
in buildings and places is an opportunity for both the (interior)
architect and the artist.
105 P. Buchanan, Ten Shades of Green: Architecture and the Natural World. New York: Architectural
League of NY, 2006.
106 K. Frampton, Moodne arhitektuur, p. 379.
68 METAMORPHOSES OF SPACE 69
 Developments in urban construction in the direction of contem-
porary energy efficiency standardsand the out-dating of existing
buildings cause changes in the spatial environment. The contem-
porary lifestyle inevitably brings with it changes in the functions
of buildings. I have experienced extremely interesting examples of
the re-purposing of old buildings and spatial metamorphoses in the
world in very different ways, all of which have found new functions
in surprisingly inspirational forms. Ample positive examples can be
found of the new uses of historical buildings as theatres, libraries,
university buildings and other such uses, reflecting, first and foremost,
sensitive reconstruction and the understanding that preserving the
atmosphere of an old building can also be economically profitable.
The desire for total changes, however, implies the design and con-
struction of a new building. As is well known, cinemas and shops are
commonly concentrated nowadays into clusters in new buildings,
forming gigantic shopping centres and cineplexes. What should be
done with buildings that have been left vacant? In New York City, for
instance in Harlem, many abandoned cinemas and theatres have
been transformed into churches, where local alternative Christian
congregations have settled in.
Fig 17: Former cinema and theatre buildings transformed into churches in Harlem, NYC 2017.
Opposite trends, however, can be found in Europe and Australia,
where historical church buildings become splendid apartment build-
ings, private houses, night clubs, office buildings, athletic facilities and
kindergartens.
Re-readings (2004), by Brooker and Stone, provides a relevant over-
view in the international academic context that addresses this spe-
cific issue of transformation and hence a community of practice. In
Re-readings, the research is covered in the chapters Analyses, Strategy
and Tactics. In the authors’ words, Re-readings is based not upon the
proposed or consequential function of a remodelling building, but
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 70
upon an understanding of the theoretical method of the interpre-
tation and adaptation employed by the architect or designer [---]
each chapter discusses a particular aspect of the process and the
argument is reinforced by illustrated case studies. 107 The chapters
are subdivided to provide greater clarity of argument. For example
Analyses deals with form and structure, history and functions, con-
text and environment. Strategy deals with layers, such as intervention,
insertion and installation. Tactics is based on the plane, object, light,
surface, opening and movement. The publication introduces series of
new remodelling projects from the described aspects but it does not
approach the re-purposing process from the viewpoint of the user.
This is an important and sensitive topic which has been the focus of
architecture biennials and symposiums in this research field.
Edward Hollis in his The Secret Lives of Buildings (2010) tells thir-
teen unknown stories of well known buildings from different times
and places which have become landmarks in our time: from the
Greek Pantheon to the Berlin Wall. According to Hollis, a building
comes into being with the expectation that it will stand forever, but
it is inhabited and changed, and its existence is a tale of continuous
transformation.
In the following section, I describe experiences of metamorphoses
that I have encountered in recent years that have created a back-
ground system for my practice and have also generated questions
that I deal with in my case studies. 108
The communication of history is an intense field of activity in Berlin’s
museums, in cooperation with renowned architects. David Chipper-
field, the architect of the re-building of the Berlin Neues Museum
(2009) who formed a harmonious whole out of the old building
and the new museum, was awarded the 2011 Mies van der Rohe
contemporary architecture prize for the long-term reconstruction of
that museum and for creating an excellent symbiosis between old
and new there. David Libeskind has created a haunting spatial effect
through the symbiosis between the old and the new complex of Ber-
lin’s Jewish Museum (2001), where a dead end at the abstract Holo-
caust Tower is etched in the mind as an overwhelmingly powerful yet
oppressive spatial experience. Together with the installation Garden
of Exile and Emigration, this has created a uniquely appalling result.
107 G. Brooker, S. Stone, Rereadings. p. 13.
108 At the Sint-Lucas Architecture School international workshop Abandoned Sacred Places and
on the Research Training Session journey to Brussels and Gent, and at the Mazzano Romano
residency in the vicinity of Rome.
METAMORPHOSES OF SPACE 71
 In Portugal, the Pousada hotel chain (1941) was founded on the initia- bank’s magnificent service counter. This kind of treatment of restora-
tive of the minister and poet António Ferro in order to use Portugal’s tion and space makes it possible to see the building’s brutally exposed
rustic architecture as genuinely as possible, where modern commu- constructive skeleton, presenting the current experienced observer
nications have been added by way of additions to the old authentic with considerably more interesting historical and unique cultural strata.
corpus, and changes necessary for modernising the interior have been
made. This phenomenon is unique as a government-funded systematic
reconstruction of historical buildings, which by now number nearly
fifty in Portugal, where the symbiosis of old and new has been used
in an intensive yet dignified way. An enchanting example is the recon-
struction of the Pousada Mosteiro Amares, Santa Maria do Buoro abbey
building from the 12th century in southern Portugal (architect Eduardo
Souto de Moura). Another such example is the Pousada Citadela de
Cascais Historic Hotel (architects Goncalo Byrne, David Góis and David
Sinclair, 2012). An elegant example of symbiosis between lovely con-
served ruins, an opulent historical building and a minimalist new annex
is the Pousada do Palácio de Estoi (architect Goncalo Byrne, 2003).

Fig 19: Former BNU Bank building transformed into the Design Museum MUDE, Lisbon 2014.

A typical example of this trend in conservation is the rejuvenation of

Fig 18: The reconstruction of the Pousada Mosteiro Amares by Eduardo Souto de Moura,
Portugal 2014.
An inspiring example is on Lisbon’s crowded pedestrian shopping street
Rua Augusta, where between the street musicians and child beggars, the
MUDE museum of contemporary design (architects Ricardo Carvalho
and Joana Vilhena, 2009), housed in the historical BNU bank building
(1866), offers free entrance to visitors. At first glance, time stands still
in the building as the result of unobtrusive conservation, or in other
words, alternative aesthetics have been applied where rooms are used
in their unadorned form just as they have been exposed as the result of
their initial conservation. This bank building, with its impressive history,
went through several reconstruction phases in the 1920s and later in
1951–1972. The Portuguese Institute of Architectural Heritage halted the
current modernisation project launched in 2004 at the phase of interior
demolition and the building stood vacant for five years. As a result of
the contemporary restoration concept, everything in the interior that
had been spared from demolition has been preserved, including the
the famous Palais de Tokyo in Paris by the architects Anne Lacaton
and Jean-Philippe Vassal, which has generated contradictory opin-
ions over time. For instance, it can be compared to the Tate Mod-
ern in London, where the architect’s role (Herzog & de Meuron) in
renewing this cathedral of industry is more noticeable than usual
through the combined effect of light ceilings and modern functional
furnishings. Perhaps even more important is the intervention of the
curators Nicolas Bourriaud and Jerome Sans, who initiated the spa-
tial transformation Site de creation contemporaine in the west wing
of the Palais de Tokyo.
A building’s typology also channels certain types of developments.
An example of this is the EX Mattatoio, an enormous former slaugh-
terhouse complex in the Testaccio quarter in Rome, where several
of its buildings nowadays house the MACRO museum of modern art,
along with the architecture department of Rome’s TRE University
and its recently opened library, as well as a fine arts university, a
pop music school, an alternative ecological centre and a bio-market.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 72 METAMORPHOSES OF SPACE 73

Fig 20: EX Mattatoio, a former slaughterhouse complex in the Testaccio quarter, Rome 2014.
An anti-(nuclear) war exhibition and ar t happening has just
opened in the spatial environment of the slaughterhouse’s fac-
tory corpus – incorporating massive blood basins and metal bus-
bars with hooks in both the interior and exterior perimeters of
the building. The surrounding environment is a decisive factor in
this kind of change in function, where a former industrial facility
has become a centre for art, culture and education. Testaccio is
a typical 20 th century workers’ district beside the Aurelian Wall in
south Rome, consisting of low houses with little courtyards and
vegetable plots. This district was particularly popular in the 1970s
and 1980s and is currently moving in the same direction: squares
and children’s parks have been created between the dwellings in
Testaccio, around which the local community bustles daily in the
bakery, butcher’s shop and greengrocery. Creative, artistic people
also play a key role in breathing new life into the area. The end
walls of the buildings in this residential district are covered with
enormous, professional graffiti, which is publicised via the loca-
tion map in the museum and is a unique magnet for the district.
The MACRO Contemporary Art Museum, located in the Testaccio
complex, has spilled out of its rooms in the slaughterhouse pavil-
ion with the XI edizione di Fotografia Festival Internazionale di
Roma site-specific photography exhibition into a new modernist
market building (architect Marco Rietti). The exhibition uses pho-
tographic and video portraits to bring to life stories of merchants
who protested against the demolition of the old traditional Testac-
cio market building.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE
Fig 21: The new market has replaced the old one in the Testaccio quarter, Rome 2014.
The former slaughterhouse area was an inspirational and functioning
scene in previous times as well. For instance, the artistic group Stalker
Osservatorio Nomade dealt with communes of ethnic minorities in
their socially critical projects, inviting refugees from Kurdistan to join
their practical action in the abandoned slaughterhouse in 1999. In 2007,
Stalker/ON continued its journey with small communes, walking 50
km along the banks of the Tiber River in order to gain an overview of
the different living conditions, typologies of houses and construction
techniques that are in use in the Rome area. Over the course of the art
happening, firm contact was established with the multicultural inhabit-
ants of the area. Later on, the right-wing government started registering
immigrants with the obvious objective of later extraditing them from
Italy. Stalker/ON operates with the idea of developing continuous dia-
logue to help serve as a connecting bridge under the conditions of the
fear of gentrification, eviction and expulsion.109 The flag of Kurdistan
continues to fly from the roof of one of the squatted buildings of Testac-
cio’s former slaughterhouse.110 Nowadays the topic of immigration is the
focus of attention. In Italy, the mafia help to organise the illegal smug-
gling of refugees. This has replaced narcotics as the mafia’s primary
source of income. How can the area’s atmosphere be preserved today?
Needless to say, the idea of displaying such authentic brutal elements
of the former slaughterhouse as blood basins, metal bus-bars and hooks
is characteristically specific to the Factory’s project site. This sort of
approach would be impossible in terms of spatial atmosphere in the
corpuses of the former slaughterhouse being used by Rome’s TRE Uni-
versity because a creative working atmosphere is needed as a learning
109 Stalker/ON, Dialogue in the Informal Roma Settlement. – Houses in Transformations: Interven-
tions in European Gentrification. Eds. T. Kaminer, M. Schoonderbeek, J. Jan Berg, J. Zonneveld.
Rotterdam: NAi Publishers, 2008, pp. 95–98.
110 My data dates from 7 April 2015.
74 METAMORPHOSES OF SPACE 75
 environment, where a clean slate, so to speak, prevails that has been
successfully created only by removing the specific details and elements
that recall the past. Nevertheless, as creative people enter the complex,
the livestock pens with their iron structures serve as reminders of the
massive production activity of living animals and their processing into
meat products. The enormous playful installation Big Bambú (authors
Mike + Doug Starn) right at the entrance to the complex functions
as an effectively innovative dominant welcoming feature, alleviating
the melancholy and businesslike atmosphere. The fact that the spatial
environment is constantly changing was confirmed a week later, when Fig 23: E.U.R. Quarter, Rome 2014.
the process of demolishing the gigantic installation began. Hopefully a
new installation will fill the void left by the removal of the previous one, An example of the effective functioning of the contemporary world in
which would supplement the businesslike atmosphere of the former a historical context is Rome’s impressive E.U.R. (Esposizione Universale
slaughterhouse with a creative approach. Roma) quarter, which was originally designed during the rule of Benito
Mussolini for EXPO 1942 in Rome, yet functions nowadays as an inde-
pendent business quarter, together with several museums, and is charm-
ing as a masterful architectural historical reference to the past. Mus-
solini’s ideology aspired to continue the spectacular plays on form of
antique Rome. Nowadays, the Palazzo della Civilta del Lavoro111 (archi-
tects Giovanni Guerrini, Ernesto Bruno La Padula and Mario Romano,
1938–43) – an icon of fascist architecture – is being restored as the
head office of the renowned Fendi fashion house, which is influenced
by the effect of the Colosseum. The pragmatic re-adaptation of a pearl
of architecture from the Mussolini era into a contemporary fashion
house is a vivid example of the fact that Italians do not allow them-
selves to be disturbed by the evidence of fascist policy from their past.
Fig 22: Big Bambú installation in Testaccio, Rome 2014.

An excellent analogous example of recycling is the Matadero slaugh-

terhouse complex in Madrid, where a cineplex with a fascinating
interior packaged in wickerwork (ch+qs Arquitectos), theatres, com-
munity centres, exhibition and work spaces, eateries and clubs are all
housed together. The other complex of Rome’s MARCO Contemporary
Art Museum has been created in a former brewery (annex and resto-
ration design project by Odile Decq, 2004), which looks grate as an
impressive play on form. The question arises: what explains the nearly
deserted museum on a Saturday afternoon? The reason may lie in its
architectural language – the building appears to be a little too spa-
cious – since the exhibition halls are partially unused, apparently for
financial reasons. The building’s location also plays an important role
Fig 24: MARCO Contemporary Art Museumby Odile Decq,
as the museum is surrounded by a traditional Roman middle-class Rome 2014.
residential district that lacks the completeness of a functioning centre
of attraction for the museum complex described above. 111 Also known as the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana or the Colosseo Quadrato.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 76 METAMORPHOSES OF SPACE 77

Fig 25: Testaccio Centrale Montemartini thermal power station, the present-day Capitoline
Hill Museum, Rome 2015.
Another distinctive example is the Testaccio Centrale Montemartini
thermal power station (1912), which Romans use as one part of
the present-day Capitoline Hill Museum to display their abundant
heritage of antique sculpture. The potent aesthetics of machinery
is associated with the exquisite refined materiality of marble from
ancient times. Why not use similar opportunities here in Estonia in
an analogous fashion for presenting large-scale installations and
sculptures that currently gather dust in museum depositories: for
instance in the interior of the abandoned Kärdla electric power
station (1954–1979), the turbines of which are practically perfectly
preserved? Actually, pop-up exhibitions of jewellery and glass art
have indeed been held there, where the aesthetics of the machinery
of that time is brought to the fore in the context of the exhibition.
These examples serve to affirm the claim made by Portoghesi
described above that old buildings that have found new uses func-
tion in their altered uses significantly better than do contemporary
buildings that serve only their intended functions. The story of the
building and the frugal mentality of recycling have a contributory
effect. It is nice to observe the reorientation of the Estonian Acad-
emy of Arts toward a similar positive sensibility, from the glass high-
rise winning entry of the international architectural competition
for its new main building (2008) to the Rauaniidi factory building
designed in its day (1928) by Eugen Habermann.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 78
Fig 26: Kärdla electric power station, light installation Red Chimney, Kärdla 2016.
The architect Andres Ojari, as a member of the jury of the compe-
tition for the restoration and annex of the Estonian Academy of
Arts (2014), characterises the winning entry by Kuu Architects as
integrating the perimeter of the otherwise detached industrial city
block into the surrounding urban space using little intervention,
which is precisely interpreted. 112 This sort of honest and fiscally
responsible approach evidently proved to be decisive in being
selected as the winning entry, very precisely reflecting present-day
priorities and opportunities for finding a new synergy in a recon-
structed factory building, at a time when Estonian Academy of Arts
students are spread throughout the city in very different condi-
tions. The TASE exhibitions of Estonian Academy of Arts diploma
works, however, are already being held in that poetic interior, since
reconstruction work has not yet begun. The nominees for the Esto-
nian architectural prize for 2014–2015 were also displayed there,
which proved a successful spatial experience.
I also encountered an analogous graduation exhibition in an
abandoned former industrial building in Melbourne at the RMIT
architecture school INDEX 2013 exhibition of the bachelor works
of interior designers. Thus, abandoned space as an environment
has an interesting and inspiring effect in a general state of order,
facilitating self-generated spatial solutions.
112 A. Ojari, Uus vaatus: EKA uue õppehoone arhitektuurivõistlus. – Maja 2014 (84), no. 4, p. 64.
METAMORPHOSES OF SPACE 79
Fig 27: TASE 2015 exhibition of Estonian Academy of Arts diploma works, Tallinn 2015.
Throughout history, the question has been posed regarding how to
approach conservation, restoration and reconstruction, and regard-
ing how to consider the restoration of ruined buildings: are there any
certain rules here, any repetitive patterns? In the 21st century, making
copies is not respected (yet they continue to be made). The approach
where the new and the old should differ clearly from one another is
gaining ground. The opposition of the new and the old on the principle
of contrast in sensitive, innovative terms is, in turn, encoded, and this
distinguishes the contemporary University of Tartu Narva College build-
ing (architects Siiri Vallner and Indrek Peil, interior architect Hannes
Praks, 2012). Its façade marks, through its negative form, the historical
stock exchange building destroyed in the war, simultaneously bearing
within itself the idea of both the absence and the restoration of a his-
torical building.
Fig 28: The contemporary building of Tartu University Narva College,
Narva 2016.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 80
Fig 29: INDEX exhibition of RMIT Architecture School diploma works, Melbourne 2013.
A splendid hall in the historical Knighthood Building on Toompea
Hill in Tallinn was adapted in the 1990s for the Estonian Museum
of Art. Its interior was renovated using resourceful laconic means
as part of the ‘box-in-a-box’ method, where the walls of the richly
ornamented hall with chandeliers were covered with simple particle
board, hiding the necessary electrical wiring and other communica-
tions (this building was at the disposal of the Estonian Academy
of Arts for many years). The same kind of approach could be seen
during a Palm Sunday walk in the spatial labyrinth partially under
construction in Rome’s Vatican Museum. This is obviously a tempo-
rary approach, yet nowadays phenomena of a temporary nature also
have easy and natural effects (and last for a long time). The key ele-
ment of this kind of approach is its temporariness. It would be easy
to claim that this approach always works. The (interior) architect has
to persistently continue sensitive journeys of discovery in order to
manage to provide a site-specific solution that is clearly recognisably
new but nevertheless bears the value characteristic of that place as
expressed in its material, form and approach. This may, for instance,
even be a tiny yet inevitable detail: the modern steel boundary of the
Siena city wall that conforms to contemporary standards harmonises
with its environment as if through the clamp principle, ruling out the
first customary idea of modern material such as glass and stainless
steel, which would in this case have a standardising effect.
The Lodz Manufaktura in the heart of Poland is a surprisingly sen-
sational example of the contemporary use of industrial buildings.
Here a comprehensive shopping and cultural centre has been built
in the vast former textile factory complex that employed Polish-
Jewish workers, together with a cineplex operating using the newest
technology, eateries, a modern dance studio, an art bookshop and
other establishments. An interesting example of reconstruction in
METAMORPHOSES OF SPACE 81
 both the architectural and the interior architectural sense is Andel’s
Hotel, with its rooftop pool projecting as a glass console. At the
same time, this place rules out self-generated initiatives through the
finality of its completeness.
Fresh examples in both Estonia and Finland exist in the metamor-
phoses of large former cattle barns into contemporary conference
centres. The layout of the cattle barn building is suitable for teach-
ing rooms primarily due to its spaciousness. The formerly wide-
spread cattle raising on large farms is dying out and the recycling of
such buildings in the countryside for teaching and learning activi-
ties is a profitable use that is in demand. In Tuusula, a summer vaca-
tion destination for cultural figures located near Helsinki, the cattle
barn furnishings have been partially preserved in the new function
as a cafeteria, with the drinking troughs poured into the floor for
the animals still visible. The furnishings of the room are a symbiosis
of new and old.
The conference room is situated on the windowless upper sto-
rey. The terrazzo staircase between the storeys and the forced air
ventilation show the high quality of construction characteristic of
Finland, which reflects the luxury of a previous time. In the Kallio-
Kuninkala seminar room, only the projection on the wall of the
work of art by the Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan – a horse instal-
lation – that fits in with the presentation Animal Studies and Ethics
refers to the building’s original function. 113
A similar treatment of space has recently taken place in central
Estonia, in Vana-Võidu, where the Soviet era schoolhouse annex of
a splendid manor house has recently been demolished, as it was
an appendage proven to be superfluous, and the main building has
once again been restored as a manor for cultural events. The school-
house has moved into the renovated old cattle barn, the tall granite
foundation of which gives it a dignified appearance.
---
113 Estonian Academy of Arts and Aalto University summer school Posthumanism and New
Materialism, in Kallio-Kuninkala, Finland, 15–19 June 2015.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 82
Factories changed hands in Estonia after it regained its independ-
ence, and the owners became mostly foreign investors. An impres-
sive example of eclecticist English industrial architecture is the
Narva Kreenholm factory ensemble, which includes the houses of
the master craftsmen, all of which have been left vacant. In this bor-
der town of Europe, a new use has been sought for this complex in
the form of an exclusive residential district, a concert hall and com-
mercial galleries. This kind of grandiose project could be launched
if economic interest in Narva could be found in St. Petersburg, but
the process has now come to a standstill for political reasons. The
situation of other textile factories is analogous: for instance, a vision
was sought for the impressive dilapidated ruins of the Sindi factory
at a Sindi workshop held jointly by the Estonian Academy of Arts
and the Tallinn University of Technology (2014–2015). Kärdla’s simi-
lar former Kalevivabrik broadcloth factory, however, was completely
destroyed in the war. Many other former industrial buildings share
the same fate.
The Rotermann Quarter in Tallinn is an excellent example of re-
urbanisation in terms of both economic production and architec-
ture, where new additional architecture has been erected in the form
of apartment buildings, office buildings, restaurants and commercial
space in a defunct industrial area as the result of skilful comprehen-
sive development. There are also interesting reconstructions of old
buildings, such as the Laudsepa workshop, which was nominated
for the Mies van der Rohe Prize in 2009 (architects Andrus Kõresaar
and Raivo Kotov). Nevertheless, the vitalisation that the renovated
built environment was hoped would bring has been slow to material-
ise. One objective reason was the economic downturn, and another
is the absence of a smooth passage for pedestrians between the
city and the passenger harbour. The fact that construction is tak-
ing place in stages makes this district more interesting. The interior
architectural reconstruction project of the Rotermann grain eleva-
tor has been one of the most interesting themes on my work desk:
how to design living space through three storeys, where daylight
can be brought into the rooms by way of shafts of light in the form
of roof windows. The Rotermann Quarter is admittedly primarily
the domain of developers and planners, where creative events and
exhibitions developed through self-initiative have occurred only to
a small extent.
On the basis of the examples described above, it can be pointed
out that every case of the transformation of buildings and spatial
metamorphoses is different and that modernisations are unique.
METAMORPHOSES OF SPACE 83
 Generalisations are possible but the transfer of functional ideas
from one place to another is of a more fundamental nature. At the
same time, uniform rules do not apply in the re-purposing of spatial
function. Conclusions can be reached by seeking internal natural
laws (see the conclusions section in Summar y and Conclusions ).
The context – the surrounding building environment closely related
to the local community – plays an important role in activating a
transformed building. It is important to get valuable knowledge
about the target group, i.e. the neighbourhood. Or, focusing on new
visitors or foreigners, it is important to keep in mind the commu-
nication of the past narration in order to produce an interaction
between the old and new functions and the surrounding neigh-
bourhood. It’s clear that a building’s typology also channels certain
types of developments in the re-purposing process, as most prob-
ably there is no point or opportunity to make enormous changes
in interior space. Nowadays the need for an extension which could
solve the problem of small spaces or the possible integration of
modern technology often comes up. So re-using spaces is obviously
closely connected with city planning, as well as determining the pri-
orities of development locations. Providing and designing architec-
tural solutions, however, is an activity that anticipates real situations Fig 30: Transformation of the Michigan Theatre in Detroit into a parking garage, Detroit 2017.
and relies on imaginative vision. An interesting point is changing Fig 31: Luther Block parking garage (by Arsprojekt), the former plywood and furniture Luther Factory,
Tallinn 2017.
the existing atmosphere. Actual experimentation is needed to find
the optimal re-purposing solutions in existing buildings (see the
case studies in Chapters 4 to 6). In devoting enough attention to the
renewal process, spatial artists and designers are new participants
in the re-purposing process.

According to Brooker and Stone, ‘intervention’ is a procedure that

activates the potential or repressed meaning of a specific place. It
truly works when the architectural responses to modifications draw
all of their cues from the existing building. ‘Insertion’ is the place-
ment of a complete object within the confines of an existing build-
ing. It is a practice that establishes an intense relationship between
the original building and the inserted element, and yet allows the
character of each to exist in a strong and independent manner. 114

114 G. Brooker, S. Stone, Basics Interior Architecture, p. 172.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 84 METAMORPHOSES OF SPACE 85

3.2 S PAT I A L I N T E RV E N T I O N S
The use of public space is a constant source of potential spatial
conflict. In Henri Lefebvre’s socially critical treatment, both the pub-
lic and the private sectors are interested in marketing urban space,
while the desire of the local population, as its everyday users, is
to use it freely as common property. 115 Alongside architecture as a
lasting phenomenon, creative approaches of a temporary nature
connected to the re-purposing of space exist as contacts between
spatial interventions and design activism. Contemporary installa-
tions as socially critical artistic interventions have an appealing
spatial effect, perhaps precisely due to their temporariness.
In his Everyday Practices, de Certeau briefly characterises space as
a place that is practised: pedestrians transform a street into space
that urban planning defines geometrically. Similarly, when reading,
a space is created out of a system of signs – of writing – in the use
of the place that is being formed. 116 In its predetermined nature, de
Certeau’s place resembles the concept of space just as it is under-
stood in human geography and location philosophy: for him, a place
is static, while space is living, dynamic. As discussed previously, de
Certeau defines his treatment of space using strategy and tactics 117
as a pair of concepts that rely primarily on creative public activity
in urban space. De Certeau contrasts the spatial strategies of institu-
tional planners and architects with open social activity, or in other
words the tactical devices of users, where personal motives are
important. He stresses in his writings the opportunities for everyday
resistance and local initiative. Searches for compromise in this field
are the central aspect of making contemporary cities more people-
friendly, to which the Danish architect and urbanist Jan Gehl has
devoted himself. Gehl focuses on the senses and human dimensions
that have been lost in contemporary urban environments, without
which it is impossible to imagine the development of something
living: social and secure, conservationist and healthy. 118 The artist
Margus Tamm points out in his analysis of happenings in urban
space that critical interventions mark the line of impact between
the administrators and users of space, acquiring possibilities on a
115 H. Lefebvre, The Production of Space, p. 359.
116 M. de Certeau, Igapäevased praktikad, p. 179.
117 M. de Certeau, Igapäevased praktikad, pp. 89–90. Here he refers to the theoretician on military
affairs Adam Heinrich Dietrich von Bülow, according to whom strategy is the science of military
movement beyond the enemy’s field of view, while tactics is the science of movement in the
enemy’s field of view.
118 J. Gehl, Cities for People. Washington DC: Island Press, 2010.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 86
Lefebvre-like utopian scale for evoking changes in the system of gov-
ernment as well. 119 In short, he proposes the thesis of the combined
effect of public art and the site of intervention. The requirement
is the existence of the necessary spatial conflict. The requirement
for social discussion is that intervention remains ambivalent. ‘The
prerequisite of a public discussion is that the artistic intervention
stays at the center of the collision line, while remaining ambivalent,
not expressing concrete viewpoints or trespassing the boundaries
stated by law.’ 120 The expressiveness of intervention depends on how
sharp the spatial conflict is and on the opportunities for interpret-
ing intervention. A burst of creation of meaning accompanies inter-
vention that creates discussion, adding new meanings.
The following is an overview that provides a point of departure
and an anchor point for spatial investigations, in order to attempt
to understand aspects of spaces that have been abandoned by way
of the recollections of people, and to expand potential in the inter-
est of future use. In this practice, I refer to site-specific and social
art, including examples of design activism that involve spatial art
installations.
3.2.1 SITE-SPECIFIC ART
Site-specific art as a practice emerged at the end of the 1960s in the
wake of minimalism. In site-specific art, the sphere of interest is nar-
rowed down to a single site, and the place with which the object of
art relates comes to the fore. Site-specific art – as a reaction against
the universality and marketing of contemporary art – strives to be
conceptual, to relate to the site and to the community, to appreciate
process, and to be open. 121
According to Miwon Kwon, site-specific art was physically con-
nected to the ground and to gravity:
‘... site-specific works used to be obstinate about “presence”, even
if they were materially ephemeral, and adamant about immobility,
even in the face of disappearance or destruction. Whether inside
the white cube or out in the Nevada desert, whether architectural
or landscape-oriented, site-specific art initially took the ‘site’ as
119 M. Tamm, Koht ja sekkuv kunst. – Kunstiteaduslikke Uurimusi 2014, vol. 23 (1–2), p. 91.
120 M. Tamm, Koht ja sekkuv kunst, p. 118.
121 M. Kwon, One Place after Another: Notes on Site-Specificity. – October 1997, vol. 80 (Spring),
pp. 85–110.
METAMORPHOSES OF SPACE 87
an actual location, a tangible reality, its identity composed of a
unique combination of constitutive physical elements: length,
depth, height, texture, and shape of walls and rooms; scale and
proportion of plazas, buildings, or parks; existing conditions of
lighting, ventilation, traffic patterns; distinctive topographical
features.’ 122
white cub at the Ghent Art Museum S.M.A.K. The French conceptu-
alist Daniel Buren’s solo exhibition of striped rooms was also held
in the same place (2010). In 2016–2017 he made a series of striped
door installations in the streets of Havana, which were sensitively
related to the immediate surroundings.

Significance comes about as a result of the combined effect of artis-

tic practice and the site. Fields of meaning have an effect only if a
user exists as someone who actively relates to a work. The site, how-
ever, should be viewed as a multi-layered association. It is customary
to hold art exhibitions at such institutions as galleries and museums,
where it is possible to display a work of art in neutral white cube
conditions so artists can create their ‘own space’ for artworks. But
this is a very highly controlled context closed off from the outside,
which can totally influence the perception of the artwork untouched
by time. Thomas McEvilley introduces Brian O’Doherty’s well-known
Inside the White Cube: ‘O’Doherty’s essays are defences of the real
life of the world against the sterilized operating room of the white
cube – defences of time and change against the myth of the eternal-
ity and the transcendence of pure form.’ 123 A parallel can be drawn
here with theatre buildings, where for each stage production, its
‘own space’ is created in a black box, using scenography. Generally Fig 32: Nedko Solokov activating the space very physically in the Ghent Art
Museum S.M.A.K., Ghent 2010. Fig 33: Anish Kapoor at the Venice Art Biennale
speaking, the relation to a specific place forms the basis for the crea-
(2011), Venice 2011.
tion of sculptures and installations. Over time, valuable historical
sculptures (and paintings as well) have been sheltered in museums,
replacing the originals with copies on site. This, however, will not
necessarily always ‘work’ in another environment. The quote from
the disappointed minimalist sculptor Richard Serra after the reloca-
tion of his work Titled Arc (1981) has become well-known: ‘To move
the work is to destroy the work.’ 124 The Estonian artist Anu Vahtra is
experimenting with her site-specific projects by moving them from
one space to another.

Site-specific exhibition art and happenings have also been dis-

played in galleries and museums, using a characteristic room as a
white cube as their point of departure and provoking inspirational
changes in space. For instance, the Bulgarian artist Nedko Solokov
interpreted gallery space as an alternating process of black box and

122 M. Kwon, One Place after Another, p. 85.

Fig 34: Daniel Buren activating the interior space in the Ghent Art Museum
123 T. McEvilley, Introduction. – B. O’Doherty, Inside the White Cube: The Ideology of the Gallery
S.M.A.K., Ghent 2010.
Space [1976]. San Francisco: The Lapis Press, 1986, p.12.
124 R. Serra, Letter to Donald Thalacker (1985). – The Destruction of Tilted Arc: Documents, Eds. C.
Weyergraf-Serra, M. Buskirk, Cambridge: MIT Press, 1991, p. 38.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 88 METAMORPHOSES OF SPACE 89


Fig 35: Daniel Buren activating urban space, Havana 2017.
The Bombay-born British artist Anish Kapoor visualised the ascent
of the soul to heaven very physically inside an old basilica and
activated the urban space outside with the enormous figure at the
Venice Art Biennale (2011).
At the Beaufort Quadrennial on the Oostende coastal strip in Bel-
gium, Arne Quinze’s bright red glowing landscape objects were dis-
played for a short time, and then disappeared (2011).
Fig 36: Activated space at the seashore by Arne Quinze, Oostende 2011.
The opening exhibition of the light installations of the Icelandic
artist Olafur Eliasson activated the interior space at the Frank Gehry
Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris (2015) and provided visitors with
the opportunity to participate physically with their own bodies in
the installation, where each human figure was enlarged and doubled
directly as it moved, activating the room in a constantly renewed way.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 90
Fig 37: Interactive light installation by Olafur Eliasson at the Frank Gehry Louis Vuitton Foundation in
Paris, 2015. Fig 38: Marco Casagrande’s Sandworm lies on the border between architecture and visual
art, Oostende 2014. 
An impressive visual object was created as the central scenography
at the Kanal Festival in Brussels, when the interior architect Gijs Van
Vaerenbergh put together a poetic and practical symbiosis in the form
of a temporary pedestrian bridge built out of the parts of a crane.
This urban construction installation was temporary but referred to
the important human need and social aspect to connect the resi-
dential districts along the banks of the canal.125 The installation was
also presented at the Venice Architecture Biennale (2016), where a
floating pontoon bridge over the Grand Canal was similarly created
as a functional object of art for the period of the Biennale several
years before (2010). The installation The Floating Piers by Christo and
Jeanne-Claude was created in Italy on Lake Iseo (2016). The three-
kilometre long bridge – ‘walking on the water’ – was the follow-up to
their large-scale installations in which new forms were created using
textiles, utilising their strength and fragility, where the material had
both concealing and revealing functions. The visual change in colour
had a surprising effect.
To sum up, the above examples are site-specific in different ways,
and they could exist and activate space both in the exterior and
interior. Artists have used unexpected creative devicesto activate
space. These could be conceptual, yet primarily masterfully visual,
approaches to relating to space, where architectural form, movement
and transformation play important roles. It is obvious that in the con-
temporary world the context of artwork is more important for people
125 E. Vervloesem, M. Dehaene, M. Goethals, H. Yegenoglu, Social Poetics. The Architecture of
Use and Appropriation. – OASE 2016, no. 96, p. 4.
METAMORPHOSES OF SPACE 91
 than ever before. According to O’Doherty: ‘to investigate things in
relation to their context, to come to see the context as formative on
the thing, and, finally to see the context as a thing itself.’ 126
3.2.2 SOCIAL WORKS OF ART
The London curator Hans Ulrich Obrist asks how architecture should
be made so that it is intrinsically participative. And he admits that
bureaucracy makes participation formal and stupid: ‘We are much
more into the proposition that practitioners of different backgrounds
participate in alien fields of knowledge production.’ 127 Based on
the discussion about re-purposing existing buildings, the curatorial
approach of the Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena for the 15th Venice
Architectural Biennale (2016) focused on the role of people and local
communities in the process of improving the contemporary living envi-
ronment. His key word was ‘involvement’ or ‘participation’ in the crea-
tion of the spatial environment, which should be capable of filling the
gap between architecture and society. According to him, the Biennale
would deal with architectural examples of how to intelligently and
intuitively escape one’s status quo, and present cases that create new
perspectives through difficulties, regardless of setbacks.128 In a remark-
able decision, the Assemble group of young architects won the prestig-
ious Turner Prize for art in 2015, defying the art market and the typical
pattern characteristic of the development of careers in art. Together
with the local community, Assemble created a life-size wooden model
in southern Liverpool and furnished it completely, from bathroom
ceramics to all of the fittings: all for sale! The idea of the exhibition was
to fashion furnishing elements in community workshops, reflecting the
artist Theaster Gates’s attempts to vitalise a location in the urban space
of south Chicago with the help of the community.129
The field of social art uses visual means motivated by phenomena
that are critical of society. ‘Involvement’ has become one of the key-
words of contemporary art, where the artist’s role and field of activity
are also transferred to the public or, in other words, participation has
become important. According to Kwon, in the case of contemporary
art, the focus has shifted from the artist to the public. 130 For years
126 B. O’Doherty, Inside the White Cube, p.12.
127 H. U. Obrist, R. Koolhaas, London Dialogues: Serpentine Gallery 24-hour Interview Marathon.
Milan: Skira, 2012, pp. 210–211.
128 Alejandro Aravena Appointed Director of the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale.
129 Turner Prize: Assemble Win for Liverpool Housing Scheme. – BBC News, 7 December 2015,
http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35031707/ (accessed 8 November 2016).
130 M. Kwon, One Place after Another, p. 106.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 92
socially critical site-specific projects with similar approaches, regard-
less of their different fields of activity, have come to the fore and been
awarded prizes at the more important exhibitions of contemporary
art and architecture: the documenta at Kassel and the Venice Archi-
tecture Biennale. For instance, Theaster Gates in Kassel (2012) and
Urban Think Tank in Venice (2012) approached architecture at their
exhibitions with the help of participating users or inhabitants. The
fact that both exhibition sites were activated as meeting places and
intercommunication sites is also important. Urban Think Tank was
awarded the Golden Lion at the Common Ground Venice Architecture
Biennale for creating a restaurant as a living site for interaction. The
topic of the exhibition project was an unfinished office building in
Caracas – the 45-storey Torre David skyscraper – the construction
of which was brought to a standstill by the economic crisis in Ven-
ezuela in the 1990s. Later the tallest vertical slum evolved in this half-
completed building as a functioning commune of about 800 families
with spontaneously generated shops and improvised eateries. Torre
David symbolises the failure of the self-establishment of neo-liberal
power. 131 Gates re-vitalised the abandoned Huguenot House (1826)
– a former bourgeois dwelling and hotel – by paying unemployed
people and using building materials from abandoned houses in both
Chicago and Kassel. ‘The aim is to push the boundaries of labour
and production to create space for others [---] the reconstruction
has resulted in a lived-in laboratory for objects, performances, talks,
dinners and installations [---] that aims to transform the run-down
neighbourhood into a cultural epicentre, an informal lab for social
community experiment [---] to set up a new model of progressive
investment that works against the usual stream of gentrification,
instead making a significant impact on a local level through col-
laboration and the sharing of skills, resources and ideas.’ 132
3.2.3 DESIGN ACTIVISM
The posing of questions, including critical ones, is one way to
understand uncomfortable situations. Seeking and posing the
‘right’ questions is the task of an exhibition project. Answers (at
least complete ones) cannot be given within the framework of
one exhibition project. The presentation of a set of problems, the
131 ‘Here the Torre David stands as symbol of neoliberal failure and of the poor self-empowerment’
(Common Ground: la Biennale di Venezia: 13. Mostra internatzionale di architettura. Venezia:
Marsilio, 2012. p. 154.)
132 dOCUMENTA (13): Das Begleitbuch / The Guidebook, Katalog / Catalog 3/3, Ostfildern: Hatje
Cantz, 2012, p. 430.
METAMORPHOSES OF SPACE 93
 selection and presentation of some phenomenon from ordinary
circumstances – communication with the public – can be the aim
of an exhibition.

Design activism is related to social art in connecting art and design

as creative processes, although design activism is not necessar-
ily an exhibition mode. According to Sue Anne Ware, ‘the design
work proposes physical catalysts for social change.’ 133 Every art-
ist/designer has his/her own functioning means of communica-
tion. 134 Here design is the equivalent of creative activity that can
be used from the viewpoint of the creation of form and systems,
while activism is like active intervention or coordinated action.
Thus, this is a process of design thinking, creating events. The well-
known contemporary Chinese art activist Ai Weiwei is one of the
most influential artists in the international world of art, and fights
against China’s political regime. This artist’s entire life is affected
by the collision between his creative work and the regime. This is
characterised by a constant balancing on the edge of freedom,
imprisonment and dangerous risk. Ai Weiwei uses artistic tools on
an international level to express his critical attitude to the regime
and to share the trapped situation he is caught in.
Another characteristic example of design activism is the above-
mentioned artistic group Stalker–Osservatorio Nomade, which
boasts professors from Rome’s Tre School of Architecture and
independent theoreticians as its members: activists and artists who
experiment with creatively involving people in the spatial environ-
ment in their urban projects. The method of the ON activists in relat-
ing architecture to living is collective walking ‘to actuate territories’,
where the focus is on boundaries and points of contact, questions
related to the problems of living among the local community and
immigrants – Roma gypsies and others – in other words, experience
on the path of nomadism. 135
133 S. A. Ware, Design Activism and the Contested Terrains of Memorials. Open lecture, Estonian
Academy of Arts, Tallinn, 15 September 2015 (author’s notes).
134 Here I consider artist and designer as concepts with a similar meaning because both of them
use creative (visual) means of expression to communicate with the public – and being an artist
or designer is more a question of what one feels himself to be.
135 Stalker/ON, Walking in Circles. Open lecture. Estonian Academy of Arts, Tallinn, 29 October
2015 (author’s notes).
Fig 39: Art Installation by Alfredo Jaar, Kiasma, Helsinki 2014.
The art projects of the New York artist and architect of Chilean origin
Alfredo Jaar are extremely critical interventions at the social and/
or political levels. This artist reacts directly to sore points that have
emerged in the world, such as the Rwanda genocide, for which Bill
Clinton apologised for his inactivity. Or he has related to the reclu-
sion of Finnish society with his project 1 000 000 Blue Passports,
which has also been presented on two occasions at the Kiasma
Museum. His work completed on the occasion of the opening of a
new art museum in a small Central American town is a vivid exam-
ple of involving the local community. After having become familiar
with the conditions in the little town, Jaar realised that the new art
museum was not what the local people were actually expecting. The
people had altogether different hopes for the site – beside the prison
– that had been selected for the museum, namely that it would be
turned into a football pitch. Jaar handed disposable cameras out to
the inhabitants, asking them to photograph the surrounding daily
life and then to bring the cameras back. The official institution did
not believe that anything would come of the idea. Nevertheless, half
of the cameras were returned with a great deal of interesting pho-
tographs, of which the artist enlarged a selection and framed the
pictures for the exhibition. Needless to say, a large number of local
people came to the opening to see their own photographs. The com-
munity had been activated and communication with the institution
was generated. I used a similar method in curating the Ruumilised
sekkumised / Spatial Interventions exhibition in conjunction with
the SISU symposium Ruumimõju / The Impact of Space (2015), where

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 94 METAMORPHOSES OF SPACE 95

 with reference to Jaar, 30 disposable cameras were handed out at cut their way into plastered surfaces, and intentional decorations
the opening of the symposium to participants and speakers, ask- (a heart on the wall of the Church of the Holy Spirit). There were
ing them to roam about the city space and to record the spatial events and movement, reflections and patterns of light in an under-
interventions of the city’s inhabitants, in order to find out which ground tunnel, etc. The idea of this happening was to notice spatial
creative means people had used to try to affect their surroundings. manifestations through documentation. The spectator, on the other
Thirty-six hours were given for taking pictures. Seventeen cameras hand, gained an overview of tendencies: what existed and what was
were returned with fascinating pictures taken from various angles. A noticed. In conclusion, social art is questioning, participatory and
selection of photographic material on the city’s space was projected critical, while the authorship of creative artwork or intervention is
on the white silicate wall at the Kultuurikatel garden party for SISU not important.
participants. The photographs formed a distinctive whole, where the
spatial intervention of the residents was clearly discernible and the
presence of the recorder as a curious observer was perceptible. Both
greater and lesser interventions were recorded. For instance, there
were more large-scale changes in the spatial environment in the
Noblessner quarter in the transformation of the Culture Kilometre,
a pedestrian walkway, into a motorway. Yet there were also small
human motifs that marked the everyday activities of the inhabitants,
affecting a given place subconsciously (a plastic bag with adver-
tising on it hanging from a clothesline) or intentionally (a potted
pelargonium in a trash bin). Graffiti, which there is a great deal of in
the city space, appeared in many of the pictures. It has an influential
role in the city space as an ‘alternative intervention’.

The original approach of one photographer was to take pictures

through the graffiti-covered window of a moving bus. Within this Fig 40: Spatial Intervention at SISU, Tallinn 2015.

frame, a new shot was created of the constantly changing view of

the city due to the movement of the bus. Another enchanting photo-
graph depicts a person relating to architectural form and materiality
through body language. In addition to urbanistic information, the
pictures also reflect the current season and weather, the light and
shadow characteristic of that moment in time. Photographs of some
spatial interventions show interventions which are motivated by the
wish to direct people somewhere (the Estonian Academy of Arts and
a car-wash) to stop them (a burger joint with a Coca Cola sunshade),
to observe (a security camera), to fix something (a ventilation port),
to tidy up (raking), or to secure and protect (police tape). Archi-
tectural interventions using imposing means were also recorded,
reflecting purposeful planning and the construction of urban space
and architectural thought (Nordea Bank), attractive entrances, chim-
neys stretching up into the sky, buildings obscured by scaffolding
and plastic sheeting (in the Rotermann Quarter), dynamic stairwells
(the Rauaniidi building), professional small forms (railings), and
design (a plywood bicycle cart). There were massive self-generated
walls of posters, random advertisements, trickles of water that had

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 96 METAMORPHOSES OF SPACE 97

4.

C AS E I – P ä r n u
Mud Baths

The former Pärnu Bathing Facility/Mud Baths building is

now known as Hedon Spa. As a result of an architectural
competition, a new plan allowed for an extension of
the historic building by adding a three-storey hotel, and
reconstruction of the Mud Baths building. After that, a
competition for ideas was held with regard to the interior
architecture. Vaikla Studio’s idea won (authors Tüüne-Kristin
Vaikla and Urmo Vaikla) and I started to work with the project
team of interior architecture. During the interior architectural
planning, the architecture of the neoclassical Pärnu Mud Baths
building and its modern extension had to be consolidated
into a coherent interior within the traditional resort town of
Pärnu. I count myself lucky to have been able to combine my
practice as an interior architect with academic work in a way
that could be called academic freedom.

 Fig 41: The entrance of Pärnu Mud Bath’s, Pärnu 2011. 99

 My research question deals with the tangible and intangible spa-
tial values of an abandoned historic building and how to create
dynamic interaction between contemporary users’ expectations and
needs with the historic building. I would hereby like to provide an
analysis of my critical spatial practice. My first site-specific exhibi-
tion project created in the course of research – in order to describe
this first-hand experience as it developed. The site-specific exhibi-
tion project Spatial Snapshot, held at the Pärnu Mud Baths 10–13
November 2011, examined the value of this former architectural
landmark – a building abandoned many years ago – prior to its
impending restoration and extension.

4.1 P Ä R N U M U D B A T H S A N D S U M M E R R E S O R T: T H E
STORY OF THE BUILDING AND CONTEXT

The sea and the beach belong to everyone and no one; it is a public
space with a timeless aura. If conditions are favourable, a beach is
accompanied by a summer resort unique in economic, geographical,
conceptual and philosophical senses. 136 There are two general types
of resort dwellers: visitors and permanent residents. Beach structures
mostly stand out due to their more or less pretentious architecture.
The landscape architecture, environmental design, exterior and inte-
rior architecture, and art express the many facets of resort life. The
beach has its own role to play in the spatial environment; this role
entails spas and mud baths, casinos, beach pavilions, changing cubi-
cles, promenades and parks, swimming piers etc.

Manifestations of traditional beach culture in modern Europe seem

to act as a bridge connecting the past and the present: in Oostende,
Belgium; Cascais, Portugal; Santa Marinella near Rome; Venice Lido
by the Adriatic sea, etc. Looking for the diversities from different
reagions I met more similarities than expected.

136 Beachlife: Architecture and Interior Design at the Seaside. Eds. C. Lowther, S. Schultz.
Fig 42: The location of the Pärnu Mud Baths. Amsterdam: Frame Publishers, 2008, p. 7.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 100 CASE I – Pärnu Mud Baths 101

 In Estonia, resort life in Pärnu truly started to develop in 1834, which
is when the city was removed from the Russian Empire’s list of for-
tress towns. The spas and mud baths of Dubulti (near Riga), Haap-
salu and Kuressaare were used as prototypes during the develop-
ment of the resort. It was decided to develop a health resort, and
confirmation of the natural radioactivity of the mud was obtained
from the chemical labs of Saint Petersburg University (1896). The
city government started to lease plots of land for the construction
of villas at bargain rates, with the attached condition that at least
four rooms would be rented out to holidaymakers. A regular ship
connection with Riga was established in 1880. Forty beach huts for
both men and women were set up on the shoreline and bathing
machines or drays were used to reach the bathing spots. Separate
beaches for ladies, gentlemen, families and dog owners – partitioned
by sand embankments – were still to be seen in the 1920s. 137 The
ladies’ beach remains to this day.

Fig 47: Historical Pärnu Beach Chairs designed by the architect Olev Siinmaa (source: Museum of
Estonian Architecture).

Typical summer resort in Europe. Fig 43: Oostende, 2011. Fig 44: Cascais, 2014. Fig 45: Lido, Venice 2012.
Fig 46: Santa Marinella 2014.

137 A. Vunk, Pärnu kuurordi kujunemise eellugu. – Päikesereis: Alvar Aalto ja Pärnu supelasutuse
arhitektuurikonkursid. Näituse kataloog / Aurinkomatka: Alvar Aalto ja Pärnun kylpylän
arkkitektuurikilpailut. Näyttelyluettelo. Eds. I. Laurik, K. Martsik. Pärnu: Pärnu Muuseum,
Jyväskylä: Alvar Aalto museo, 2004, pp. 8–10.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 102 CASE I – Pärnu Mud Baths 103

4 . 1. 1 T H E S T O R Y O F T H E M U D B A T H S

The long straight road through the pastures, later to become Supe-
luse street, led to a fortification structure by the sea. In 1830, the
construction was re-purposed as an inn, and as early as 1838 it was
adapted into a bathing facility for the local population. Warm sea
water baths were offered in the summer, while in the winter the
building functioned as a sauna. In 1889, the city bought the bathing
facility and increased the number of bathtub-equipped chambers
from six to sixteen. There, customers could enjoy water, bog water,
pine needle, carbonic acid, and mud baths. The construction of both
resort housing and industry increased, the latter having a limiting
effect on resort life. One example was the Waldhof cellulose factory,
detonated in 1915, along with a power plant and an oil mill, due
Fig 48: Plan of the Mud Baths, construction phase in 1927, 1929 and 1936.
to fears of a German landing operation. The entire resort area on
the beach-front was damaged in a fire during World War I and the
wooden building of the bathing facility was destroyed. 138 As no first prize was awarded, plans for the new bathing facility were
eventually commissioned from the City Architect Olev Siinmaa, the
During Estonia’s first era of independence (1918–1940), housing third prize winner of the competition, and Wolffeldt and Nürnberg,
construction picked up again, grandiose villas were commissioned the winners of the previous competition. They based their work on
by merchants, and discussions on the restoration of the resort area the T-shaped floor plan of the second prize winning plan, Seestern
began again. In 1922 and 1924 architectural competitions were held. (by the Riga architects Arnold Maydell and Kurt Baetge), which had
Competition rules included an extensive inventory of rooms, with the advantage of being suitable for the distribution of mud. 140 The
one of the guiding ideas being that there should be separate sec- interior design, decor and furniture were planned by Siinmaa and
tions of the bathing facility for ladies and gentlemen, which steered the sculptural decorations by the sculptor Voldemar Mellik: a nude
the competing architects towards symmetrical solutions. 139 to be placed in the reception area, and a fountain for the island in
the centre of the circular driveway by the entrance of the facility.
This driveway still maintains its monumental position in today’s city
traffic. The main building – a brick edifice with a neoclassical stucco
facade facing the city – together with the beginnings of its adjoining
wings, a mud unit extending towards the sea at a right angle, and
138 A. Vunk, Pärnu kuurordi kujunemise eellugu, pp. 8–9.
a stand-alone mud cellar were completed in 1927. Two years later,
139 One of the competitors was Alvar Aalto, whose plan La Tour de Soleil was inspired by the
Italian patio. Aalto’s plan carried the idea of a ‘cultural sauna’ and exuded the dignity of Roman the eastern wing was extended in order to make room for carbonic
baths. For Aalto, this would not be simply a treatment facility or a resort building, but an acid baths, and in 1936 the western wing was extended to house a
edifice intended to heal society as a whole. Its cortile would be a place where monumental spa unit. 141
exterior architecture transformed into amiable human-sized interior architecture – Aalto consid-
ered this contrast to be the main concept of his plan, characterized by ‘the peace of a cloister
and the coziness of an Italian garden’. Because Aalto had assigned a location for the mud
bath rooms on the basement floor of the building, his plan was not included in the preferred
selection. This layout would not have worked, as the sea level in Pärnu often rises above the
critical zero line on the Kronstadt sea-gauge. Additionally, the jury found this ‘solution involving
a completely shut-off medieval monastery around a square-shaped cortile’to be impractical and
not up to expectations. (K. Hallas-Murula, 1920. aastate Eesti-Soome arhitektuurisuhetest ja
Soome arhitektide töödest Pärnu supelasutuste konkursil. – Päikesereis, pp. 39–40). See also:
I. Laurik, Pärnu supelasutuse arhitektuurivõistlused aastatel 1922 ja 1955. – Päikesereis, pp.
18–33; K. Pakoma, La Tour de Soil Alvar Aalto võistlusprojekt Pärnu supelasutuse ehituseks. – 140 I. Laurik, Pärnu supelasutuse arhitektuurivõistlused aastatel 1922 ja 1955, p. 24.
Päikesereis, pp. 54–57. 141 M. Kalm, Sõdadevaheline Pärnu kuurort. – Päikesereis, p. 69.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 104 CASE I – Pärnu Mud Baths 105

Fig 49: Old postcards from the Mud Baths (private archive: Jaan Moik).

In the 1920s, as people recovered from the shock of war, gradually

holidaymakers started to return. Railway connections became faster
and Finnish tourists were outnumbered by Swedes, who could take
advantage of a steamboat connection between Pärnu and Stockholm.
After the economic crisis of the 1930s, beach attractions became
even more prominent than medical procedures. Pärnu was taking
steps to become a summer resort for the whole of Europe.142 When
the war came, resort facilities were collectivized by the Soviet powers
Fig 51: Independence-era postcards with people in front of the Mud Baths (source: private archive
(1940–1941). The subsequent German occupation (1941–1944) resur-
of Jaan Moik).
rected resort life, making the resort available to civilians, as well as
front line soldiers in need of recuperation.
The Soviet regime again collectivized the resort at the end of the war.
According to official plans, the former bathing facility – now called the
Mud Baths – would offer an average of 200 mud baths per day, 120 of
which were reserved for military personnel and 80 for civilians.143 The
Mud Baths facility was equipped with central heating and the medi-
cal institution continued to flourish as a model of the Soviet lifestyle,
as attested by the replacement of the fountain with a statue of Stalin,
erected in this very central location of the city. Privileged workers from
all over the Soviet Union were awarded health packages and arrived for
mud treatments; the always overcrowded Pärnu was also a permanent
Fig 50: Independence-era (1918–1940) postcards with people in front of the Mud Baths (source: private holiday spot for the creative intelligentsia from Leningrad and Moscow.
archive of Jaan Moik).

143 T. Kask, Pärnu kuurort 1940–1955. – Reis [nõukogude] läände: kuurortlinn Pärnu 1940–88 /
Journey to the [Soviet] West: Resort Town of Pärnu During 1940–88. Eds. T. Kask, A. Vunk.
Pärnu: Pärnu Linnavalitsus 2009, pp. 41; See also: T. Kask, Pärnu kuurort 1956–1988. – Reis
142 M. Kalm, Sõdadevaheline Pärnu kuurort. – Päikesereis, p. 72. [nõukogude] läände, pp. 89–105.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 106 CASE I – Pärnu Mud Baths 107

Fig 52: Soviet-era postcards (source: private archive of Jaan Moik).

In the 1990s, after the re-establishment of Estonia’s independence,

no investments were made and the city-owned building began to
deteriorate. Unlike other spas, the Pärnu Mud Baths did not offer
accommodation, which meant that customers could not simply
walk from their bedrooms to the treatment rooms in their bathrobes.
The building started to fall into ruin and was finally abandoned in
2005. Occasionally, it was used as a venue for exhibitions and other
projects. In 2011, when I started to record my interviews for this
exhibition project during the architects’ and interior architects’ sum-
mer seminar, the lobby of the building was covered in black plastic
for the Pärnu film festival. The melancholy of this forgotten place
melded with the poetic fall landscape of the beach, inspiring me to
capture this moment in time.

Fig 53a: The abandoned Mud Baths (photos for the exhibition Spatial Snapshot by Ingel Vaikla, Fig 53b: The abandoned Mud Baths (photos for the exhibition Spatial Snapshot by Ingel Vaikla,
Pärnu 2011). Pärnu 2011).

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 108 CASE I – Pärnu Mud Baths 109

4.2 E X H I B IT I O N P RO J E C T S PAT I A L S N A P S HOT , P Ä R N U
M U D B AT H S , 10 – 1 3 N O V E M B E R 2 011
Fig 54: Photos from the opening of the exhibition Spatial Snapshot, Pärnu 2011.
With my exhibition, I reopened the doors of this deserted build-
ing to the locals, new users, architecture lovers and professionals,
so that they could take in the phenomenon of abandonment as it
existed at that moment. I myself was involved with the building as
both an interior architect and a researcher. It was equally impor-
tant to highlight the historic value of the edifice and to introduce
the varied perspectives of people involved with the building, both
historic and future-orientated. The exhibition prompted viewers to
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 110
exchange views on the valuable aspects of this old building, as well
as its functional and pragmatic new use. The deserted and soon-
to-be reconstructed building served as a venue for a spatial per-
formance, an act of design activism. This performance became a
point of convergence and an opportunity to develop a relationship
with this derelict building. The building was activated by means of
design: light and shadow, sound and silence, as well as humid smells
were used to focus viewers’ attention on the acoustics, materiality
and valuable elements of the space (symmetrical galleries, sculp-
tures and colonnades, decorations, doors and windows, bays, tiling,
etc.; see exhibition plans and Appendix 1). Among the exhibits were
interviews, projected photos, and nostalgic postcards with messages.
All of this was supplemented by viewers’ own interactions, music, etc.
3479.8
Fig 55: Section of the exhibition Spatial Snapshot at the Mud Baths.
The aim of the site-specific project was in the same spirit as that of
Kazuyo Sejima, the curator of the 2010 Architecture Biennial People
Meet in Architecture: ‘The idea is to help people relate to architecture,
help architecture relate to people, and to help people relate to them-
selves’.144 Architecture is where people’s needs meet local possibilities;
it’s not only about a playful concept. A building only works as long as
its function corresponds to current needs, and it starts to deteriorate as
soon as it doesn’t. In today’s post-industrial world, including modern-
day Estonia, historic buildings are brought up to date and adapted
for current needs using modification and extension. The users of the
building have varied greatly over the course of this resort town’s evolu-
tion: from foreign and local gentlefolk to German front line soldiers
to privileged Soviet workers. Meanwhile, the building also carries sig-
nificance for people who have never gone beyond its opulent facade.
144 R. Etherington, Venice Architecture Theme Announced. - Dezeen, 20 January 2010, https://
www.dezeen.com/2010/01/28/venice-architecture-biennale-theme-announced/ (accessed 27
March 2017).
CASE I – Pärnu Mud Baths 111
 PÄRNU MUDARAVILA / PÕHIPLAAN

süvist. hal.
dushinurga kohal
kipsripplaes

A.1.050
ÜHENDUSRUUM
112,8

B .1.007

UUS JUURDEEHITUS: HOTELL

B .1.006 B .1.005
KONTOR ABIRUUM PA G AS
1 9,2 m2 6, 5 m2 9, 8 m2

B .1.003
KAMINARUUM
5 4,1 m2

B .1.004
RETSEPTSIOON
1 7,6 m2

B .1.001
TUULEKODA
1 6,5 m2

B .1.082 B .1.084 B .1.041

DUSH PERSONALI SÖÖGIRUUM KOKK
6, 9 m2 1 1,8 m2 5, 4 m2

B .1.048 B .1.049
J. LADU J. LADU
3, 2 m2 3, 2 m2
B .1.002
LOBBY

B .1.081
N.RIIETUS
1 6,7 m2
236, 1 m2

aknaluuk aknaluuk
B .1.040
B .1.083 B .1.043 KÖÖK
WC K .V. 8 7,8 m2
1, 2 2, 4 m2 B .1.020
NÕUPIDAMISRUUM
3 2,3 m2

B.1.044 B .1.009
KUIVLADU RESTORAN
B .1.008

EKRAAN
B .1.080 6,1 m2 300, 1 m2
HALL
WC 7 1,6 m2
1, 2
B .1.079 B .1.078
DUSH
5, 9 m2
M .RIIETUS
1 0,1 m2
laius 2,4m
B.1.045
KÜLMKAMBER
6,8 m2
4,4m EKRAAN
laius 2,4m
PUHKERUUM
B .1.061 B .1.062 B .1.077 B .1.076
TURVA/TEHN. SERVER SUITSURUUM KORIDOR
6, 1 m2 4, 9 m2 5, 9 m2 1 5,2 m2

B .1.018 B .1.019
K .V. TREPIKODA

vooluvõtt peegel
B.1.046 B .1.017 4, 2 m2 6, 2 m2
KÜLMKAMBER
PIKENDUSJUHE 20m 2tk
B .1.014 ELEKTRIKILP
6,8 m2 INVA WC 1 1,3 m2
3, 6 m2

B .1.016

PIKENDUSJUHE 15m 2tk

1 6 tõusu
1 6 8 x 3 0 0 mm LASTE MÄNGURUUM
B .1.060 3 7,0 m2
TUULEKODA
5, 7 m2
B.1.047

PIKENDUSJUHE 10m 2tk

NÕUD

SA-J09
4,7 m2 B .1.013
M . WC
1 1,7 m2

B .1.063
HALL B .1.064
B .1.021
LIFTI EESRUUM
2 5,3 m2
B .1.015
N. WC
1 5,2 m2
B .1.023
SOOJASÕLM
1 1,0 m2
B .1.024
JÕUSAAL
5 1,6 m2 PIKENDUSJUHE 5m 2tk 4,4m
1 8,8 m2 KORIDOR
1 4,6 m2

B .1.074

PROJEKTOR
B .1.073 B .1.022
B .1.065 K .LADU KORIDOR
KONTOR P.PESU B .1.075
B .1.072 1 1,1 m2 4, 5 m2 4 3,1 m2
7, 7 m2 LADU
TEHN.LADU 6, 0 m2
4, 7 m2

kinnitub lakke
B .1.066
KAUBA V.
8, 1 m2
B .1.070
M .PESU

B .1.067
5, 3 m2
1 4,0 m2

2,2m

arvutid PROJEKTOR
B .1.068
LAADIMINE
B .1.069
PRÜGI
2 0,2 m2
B .1.071
K .V. ühendatud projektoriga kinnitub lakke
1 7,0 m2 4, 2 m2

2m
B .1.025
KORIDOR
1 8,0

seinal suured must-valged fotod

B .1.010

TV-EKRAAN
ÜRITUSRUUM
6 8,1 m2
A. 1.039 A. 1.042
N . RIIETUS M. RIIETUS
1 4,0 1 3,0
DVD-MÄNGIJA
B .1.012
LADU
KÕRVAKLAPID 2tk
8, 5 m2
A. 1.037
DUSH A. 1.040
B .1.026 7,0 DUSH
PUHKERUUM 6,4

TV-EKRAAN
7 5,2 (täpsustub) m2

DVD-MÄNGIJA
B .1.011
VEESÕLM
1 2,1 m2

A. 1.038
WC
A. 1.041
WC
1,8
KÕRVAKLAPID 2tk
2,6
lum.valgustus
tala taga (pos3) A. 1.036
W C EESRUUM
A. 1.074 2,2
A. 1.062 LED-riba LADU
LADU põrandaserva 1 2,8 m2
taga (pos49)
1 3,2 m2

A. 1.035 A. 1.034
BASSEINITEHNIKARUUM ÜHENDUSRUUM
1 1,9 2 0,5 m2
eksponeeritud
peegel vanad vannid peegel
A. 1.061 A. 1.073 A. 1.033
HOOLITSUS HOOLITSUS BASSEINITEHNIKARUUM
1 2,6 1 2,5 3 1,9
A. 1.031
prozhektor ÜHENDUSRUUM
tala taga 7,8 m2
(pos39)

A. 1.072
TV-EKRAAN TV-EKRAAN
DVD-MÄNGIJA
A. 1.060
A. 1.111 HOOLITSUS HOOLITSUS

DVD-MÄNGIJA
WC 1 2,2 A. 1.032
1 2,1 peegel
LÕÕGASTUSRUUM
3,1
A. 1.106
TUULEKODA
4,9
peegel
3 8,3 m2
KÕRVAKLAPID 2tk KÕRVAKLAPID 2tk
A. 1.110 A. 1.112
ARHIIV LÜÜS
6,5 2,9
LED-riba LED-riba
leti ääre all
leti ääre all
A. 1.059
HOOLITSUS A. 1.071
1 2,2 HOOLITSUS
1 2,2
A. 1.109
NÕUPIDAMINE
1 1,5 A. 1.105 A. 1.030
A. 1.028
RAAM. & PERS. AURUSAUN ATRAKTSIOONIBASSEIN
1 9,5 6 6,5
1 5,2 m2
A. 1.058 A. 1.070 A. 1.029
HOOLITSUS HOOLITSUS ÜHENDUSRUUM
1 2,2 peegel 1 2,2 1 1,7 m2

peegel
A. 1.027 - 1.450
TUULEKODA
A. 1.108 4,4 m2
HOTELLIJUHT peegel

TV-EKRAAN
1 8,3
A. 1.104 A. 1.057 A. 1.069
MÜÜGIJUHT
1 2,9
HOOLITSUS HOOLITSUS
TV-EKRAAN
DVD-MÄNGIJA
1 2,2 peegel
1 2,2

DVD-MÄNGIJA
KÕRVAKLAPID 2tk KÕRVAKLAPID 2tk
A. 1.068 A. 1.024 A. 1.025
A. 1.056 A. 1.026

RENN 1200
HOOLITSUS LASTEBASSEIN PUHKERUUM
HOOLITSUS 1 2,2 2 8,0 SOOLABASSEIN
A. 1.107 1 2,2
peegel 3 6,5 3 6,3
TOITL.- JA SPA JUHT peegel
1 8,5
A. 1.103
KABINET

AJALOOLINE HOONE
1 2,0
RGB LED-riba - 1.000
karniisitagusena peegel
seinaorvas (pos50)
6 6,5
A. 1.055 A. 1.067
A. 1.102 HOOLITSUS HOOLITSUS
peegel
P . RIIETUSRUUM 1 2,2 1 2,2
1 0,7
A. 1.023
A. 1.052 A. 1.064 SANAARIUMI ABIRUUM
KORIDOR KORIDOR 2,0 m2
5 5,3 m2 LED-riba
5 5,4 m2
A. 1.100 peegel põrandasrva taga A. 1.066 A. 1.022
ÜHENDUSRUUM A. 1.054 (pos49)
HOOLITSUS SANAARIUM
A. 1.101 5 0,5 HOOLITSUS 1 2,0 9,6 m2
P . PUHKERUUM 1 2,0
1 1,3
seinavalgusti
üleval kahe
akna vahel peegel
(pos34)

süvist. hal.
dushinurga kohal
RENN 1200

kipsripplaes
A. 1.043
DUSHIRUUM
A. 1.019 6,3
A. 1.091 ÜHENDUSRUUM
WC A. 1.050 4 4,1
2,7 m2 ÜHENDUSRUUM
112, 8 A. 1.021
AROOMISAUN
8,3 m2

A. 1.020
A. 1.090 A. 1.084 AROOMISAUNA ABIRUUM
MED. JUHATAJA WC 1,4 m2
1 6,4 2,9

keris
950x550mm

RENN 1200
A. 1.089 A. 1.018
LADU EKRAAN
LEILIRUUM
laius 2,4m
3,1 m2 9,9
A. 1.081 4, 4 m EKRAAN A. 1.011
A. 1.085 PUHKERUUM
laius 2,4m
N . RIIETUSRUUM
KORIDOR A. 1.092 A. 1.082 4 1,4 m2
3 2,0 LABOR 4 1,4 m2 vooluvõtt PIKENDUSJUHE 20m 2tk A. 1.012
AUDIOMEETRI RUUM
A. 1.088 7,8 1 1,0
PIKENDUSJUHE 15m 2tk DUSHIRUUM
AMBUL. VASTUVÕTT
PIKENDUSJUHE 10m 2tk 2 5,7
PIKENDUSJUHE 5m 2tk 4, 4 m
1 5,2

A. 1.093 PROJEKTOR A. 1.013

kinnitub lakke
LÜÜS A. 1.094 2, 2 m
LEILIRUUM
1,3 KORIDOR 7,3
4,6 A. 1.083 arvutid PROJEKTOR
A. 1.087 A. 1.095 ARHIIV ühendatud projektoriga kinnitub lakke A. 1.014
K.V. ABIRUUM 7,6 WC
2,1 1,1 2m
1,6

A. 1.086 TV-EKRAAN A. 1.010

KARDIOLOOG DVD-MÄNGIJA GALERII A. 1.044
1 8,4 A. 1.080
KÕRVAKLAPID 2tk 4 0,2 m2 A. 1.007
MEESTE RIIETUSRUUM LÜÜS
OOTERUUM 1 1,5
5 5,7 m2
TV-EKRAAN 9,2
DVD-MÄNGIJA
KÕRVAKLAPID 2tk
A. 1.016 A. 1.017
WC DUSHIRUUM
1,7 2 7,0 LED-riba istme all (pos49)

TV-EKRAAN
TV-EKRAAN
DVD-MÄNGIJA DVD-MÄNGIJA
KÕRVAKLAPID 2tk
KÕRVAKLAPID 2tk

TV-EKRAAN
TV-EKRAAN
DVD-MÄNGIJA DVD-MÄNGIJA
KÕRVAKLAPID 2tk
KÕRVAKLAPID 2tk

Fig 56: Plan of the exhibition Spatial Snapshot at the Mud Baths – valuable details of the interior. Fig 57: Plan of the exhibition Spatial Snapshot at the Mud Baths – position of the nobless oblige 1:100
näitusel välja valgustatud väärtuslikud interjööridetailide asukohad
screens for the interviews.

The exhibition used narratives to examine the transformation of

this space: people talking about their memories, experiences and As I arrived to explore the deserted building on a very sunny and
expectations with regard to the old Mud Baths building. Among the snowy March day, the frozen edifice revealed to me all of its vari-
interviewees were former and current citizens of Pärnu, officials ous strata: the Siinmaa-era glory, Soviet-era ‘complete renovation’,
of the National Heritage Board, historians, architects, developers, haphazard ‘decorations’ of the early post-Soviet years, vague signs
designers, former employees and patients. Although the context has of flood damage, and scraps left behind from an exhibition by the
changed many times over the lifetime of the current neoclassical Academia Non Grata group. I found that this building, with its neo-
bathing facility, its facade has always prompted people to have a classical facade completed in 1927, did not speak to me. So I started
decorous photo taken of themselves, as witnessed by copious post- to look for possible markers to guide me toward a new approach.
cards and pictures in family albums. There were several leads to follow: the Mud Baths building is

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 112 CASE I – Pärnu Mud Baths 113

 considered a monument, and therefore special conditions of the
National Heritage Board apply: the logistical floor plan of the build-
ing – the original symmetrical room distribution of space along
with the galleries and valuable elements of the interior – must be
preserved. 145
In order to help me reach an interior architectural understanding
of the typology and nature of the historic building’s architecture,
and to find some leads and connections for the restoration and
modern extension of the building, Spatial Snapshot was a crea-
tive part of my otherwise practical research. The time and place
of the exhibition were very fitting, as Pärnu was at the time host-
ing a conference marking the 130th birthday of the architect Olev
Siinmaa, and demolition and construction work on the Mud Baths
building was about to begin. The reason for this exhibition was
primarily emotional: driven by a long-time wish to hold an event
in a deserted building. I wished to bring the building back to life
for a few days and nights by opening it up to the citizens of Pärnu
and allowing visitors – who likely owned many family photographs
taken in front of the opulent facade of the building, and yet had
never set foot inside – to develop a personal relationship to the
building.
I interpret this building as an emotional and mental space that
mainly has to do with people’s individual ideas and mental images.
Lefebvre calls this imagined or mental space; it is emotional and
mental and has connections to intellect, ideals and concepts, as
well as the place, plans and developments that we use to practice
human spatiality in an abstract way.146 Lefebvre puts the focus on the
user and creator (i.e. designer) of a space. An interior architectural
project naturally presumes interpreting the physical space.
According to Pallasmaa, the sensory properties of a space, such
as its smells, scents and memories, are as valuable as the proper-
ties visible to the eye. 147 Böhme sees atmosphere as a symbiosis of
the objective properties and subjective personal experiences that
a space carries. 148 If atmosphere has to do with the physical experi-
ence of a space, then rooms and buildings speak of time, and the
tangible qualities of architecture can be experienced through the
145 L. Välja, Pärnu Mudaravila. Muinsuskaitse eritingimused hoone restaureerimiseks. Tallinn, 2011
(Archive of Muinsuskaitseamet [National Heritage Board], ERA.5025.2.12140).
146 H. Lefebvre, The Production of Space, p. 11.
147 J. Pallasmaa, The Eyes of the Skin, p. 7.
148 G. Böhme, Atmosphere as Mindful Physical Presence in Space, pp. 21–31.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE
physicality and materiality of the architecture. Atmospheric themes,
such as hiding and revealing, rhythm and sound, transparency and
opacity, manifest themselves in materiality. 149
We tried out some modern lighting solutions in the old build-
ing, using halogen spotlights with adjustable brightness (as well
as some fluorescent and incandescent lamps) in order to entice
visitors to move around and explore the complicated floor plan. I
used lighting to highlight historically valuable elements and help
generate a positive atmosphere. I called attention to the peeling
paint and chunks of plaster on the floor, seeing them as creating
a poetic and fleeting moment that would be impossible to recre-
ate in the future. It only took sensitive lighting and reflections to
bring the various elements and surfaces of the space to life and
to start interaction with the modern visitor. The natural daylight
was mutable, as usual for Estonia in November: either a yellow
sunlight casting extremely crisp shadows or a short-lived and con-
sistently dim glow. The post-echoes carried by the construction
materials emphasised the immensity of the building, creating a
somewhat eerie contrast with the blissful holiday mood. All in
all, the aim of my intervention was to amplify the frozen state of
the building in order to demonstrate that there can be dignity in
dilapidation. Architecture is all about contrast: new and old, light
and dark, vacancy and density, coarseness and delicacy. Contrast
offers one way to solve a spatial puzzle. The idea of the exhibition
was to guide the viewer towards noticing opposites, e.g. the good
old days vs. modern-day desolation. Large projections of old pho-
tos and postcards depicting people standing in front of the Mud
Baths, together with the accompanying notes in Estonian, German
and Latvian (which I’d given a new graphic presentation using a
typewriter font) were juxtaposed with modern views of the grim-
looking beach during the off-season, and the derelict building.
Zooming into old photos of people’s faces is a useful technique
for resurrecting time and place; this is something that viewers
might recognise from Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1966 film Blow Up.
Antonioni, who had also studied architecture, used spatial tech-
niques and situations to tell his stories and impact viewers’ sense
of the atmosphere of a room. 150
149 K. Havik, G. Tielens, Material and Atmosphere, p. 97.
150 L. van Schaik, Spatial Intelligence, p. 49.
114 CASE I – Pärnu Mud Baths 115
 Fig 59: Old texts of the postcards at the exhibition Spatial Snapshot at the Mud Baths, Pärnu 2011.

The process of resurrecting the building for the exhibition was also
an important one for the local residents, creating an opportunity for
them to access the closed-off building, walk around in it, ask ques-
tions, and talk about their experiences: to interact with the build-
ing as well as each other. For myself, being there for three days to
observe and interact acted as a sort of test: an attempt to present
and record collective memories, discover and introduce new mean-
ing, and gain a sense of this space, as well as the local people. All
this is normally impossible for an interior architect to do by simply
communicating at the work site in the course of the work process.
The contemplation that was evident when talking to people at the
exhibition was an important experience for me: I gained an under-
standing of the many small and personal relationships that people
have with this building, basically unseen by the public.

Fig 58: Old postcards (source: private archive of Jaan Moik) and the zoomed fragments of the exhibition
Spatial Snapshot at the Mud Baths, Pärnu 2011.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 116 CASE I – Pärnu Mud Baths 117

Fig 60a: Illuminated valuable details at the exhibition Spatial Snapshot at the Mud Baths, Pärnu 2011. Fig 60b: Illuminated valuable details at the exhibition Spatial Snapshot at the Mud Baths, Pärnu 2011.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 118 CASE I – Pärnu Mud Baths 119

 4.3 R E STO R AT I O N O F T H E H I STO R I C M U D BAT H S
B U I L D I N G : M O D E R N I SAT I O N A N D E X T E N S I O N

The former Pärnu Bathing Facility/Mud Baths building is now known

as Hedon Spa, and remains an architectural landmark of Pärnu. As
a result of an architectural competition, a plan had been drawn up
based on the existing detailed plan. This new plan allowed for an
extension of the historic building by adding a three-storey hotel,
and reconstruction of the Mud Baths building (architects Tarmo
Teedumäe, Inga Raukas and Paco Ulman). After that, a competition
for ideas was held with regard to the interior architecture, and our
idea won. 151 We started working on the interior architectural plan-
ning of the Mud Baths – the spa centre and hotel – with the main
focus on the physical space.

The plan needed to comply with special conditions set by the

Fig 60c: Illuminated valuable details at the exhibition Spatial Snapshot at the Mud Baths, Pärnu 2011.
National Heritage Board, dictating that the original symmetrical
room distribution and the galleries be preserved. The list of valu-
able elements of the interior encompassed about 50% of all doors
and windows; among those preserved were the decorated glass
doors separating the lobby and the reception area, as well as the
doors and door frames of recreation rooms. In addition to the origi-
nal windows, there was a still-operational interior window with a
wooden Roman shades mechanism. Some other remarkable ele-
ments that have been preserved are the striking ceiling decorations
and cavetto vaults of the lobby, a dome ceiling with an ornate glass
window and a coffered tunnel vault supported by four Doric col-
umns, and the reception area pool with its nude sculpture. Although
a little cracked, the original Mettlach tile floor of the reception area
is still there, as well as the original white tile walls of the east wing
of the building, etc. The unique wall niches in the east wing gallery
and former circular shower room of the west wing also remain,
as well as the integrated wall cabinets of the east wing galler y,
designed by Olev Siinmaa, and faience mud baths. The floor plan
of the building has been preserved in its entirety. All of these assets
provided an essential anchor for our work process, and as a result
we were able to preserve the unique features of this space to an
even larger degree than expected. The former mud corridor con-
necting the old and new buildings has become an important feature
of the complex, and the adjacent former mud bath rooms, with
four-meter high ceilings, are currently still used for administering

151 Vaikla Studio, competition entry by T.-K. Vaikla and U. Vaikla.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 120 CASE I – Pärnu Mud Baths 121

 spa treatments. All in all, the old Mud Baths building has retained
its original function, housing spa facilities: massage and recreation
rooms, pools, saunas and a hair salon.
Fig 61: The floor plan – periods of doors and windows, paint analysis, details (source: archive of
Muinsuskaitseamet [National Heritage Board]).
In the course of the modernisation, it occurred to us that the two
architecturally ver y different buildings – old and new – should
form a coherent entity. Coming up with an idea to manage this
was a significant part of the work process. Guests entering from
Supeluse street on the city side of the building first step into a
grand lobby with an opulent dome ceiling and symmetrical side
galleries spreading out to each side. The new building that lies
between the old Mud Baths and the sea houses a hotel complex:
hotel rooms, a lobby, a restaurant and conference rooms. Guests
entering from the side of the new hotel can access the old spa via
the monumental old corridor that was formerly used for transport-
ing sea mud to the Mud Baths. This is the most unique feature of
the finished project: what used to be a long service corridor is now
open to the public as fascinatingly atmospheric, dimly lit space,
with the layers of its history removed from the now-exposed con-
structive walls, on display together with the once functional mud
RE-PURPOSING SPACE
openings and historic baths. Instead of being restored impeccably,
the dome ceilings of the main lobby and the room with the nude
sculpture were only coated with a slightly translucent glaze that
lets the wear and tear of time show through. Old floors and tiled
walls, crumbling frieze: all of this remains visible and palpable in
a natural way. The walls were partly painted by hand, using a paint-
brush. We managed to steer clear of only creating new value and
avoided extreme restoration.
As the interior architect, I focused on creating an integrated space
across the two buildings with two very different, yet beautiful uses
of architectural form. The new building, constructed by the sea,
was elegant and its form fit in well in the resort, but still it was
too isolated and independent to be perceived as only a secondary
extension. The key to finding the right interior architectural con-
cept turned out to be interpreting the atmosphere of the erstwhile
European summer resort in a modern way that would embrace
the interior design of both the old and the new buildings. The two
converged in the monochrome black and white scheme of the
interior. In the course of the long work process (2010–2014), the
initial sketch submitted for the competition was developed into
constructional work drawings, and then into the exhibition and
research project held in the abandoned Mud Baths building (2011).
The exhibition was followed by a year-long pause. Within a few
years, we reworked the interior architectural plan, construction and
restoration work began, and the renewed building complex with
the historic spa building and new hotel building was completed
and opened for use. The Estonian Association of Interior Architects
awarded the development its 2014–2015 annual award for the best
public interior. 152 From the perspective of gentrification, the resur-
rection of the former Mud Baths as a modern spa and hotel com-
plex is an example of both new-building and tourism gentrification
in this area, as the complex is currently primarily used by local and
international tourists. 153
152 Ruumipilt 2014–2015: Eesti parimad interjöörid ja disain / Estonian Best Interiors and Design.
Ed. Piret Lindpere. Tallinn: Eesti Sisearhitektide Liit, 2015, p. 108.
153 Hedon Spa has received several awards for being an effective space.
122 CASE I – Pärnu Mud Baths 123
Fig 62a: Completed interior of the old Mud Baths and the new extension, Hedon Spa, Pärnu 2014. Fig 62b: Completed interior of the old Mud Baths and the new extension, Hedon Spa, Pärnu 2014.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 124 CASE I – Pärnu Mud Baths 125

 4.4 CONCLUSIONS

The research question deals with the tangible and intangible spa-
tial values of an abandoned historic building and how to create
dynamic interaction between contemporary users’ expectations
and needs and a historic building. Working on the restoration and
extension project plan for the Mud Baths, I relied on the personal
and phenomenological spatial experience I had gained from my
Spatial Snapshot exhibition project. Completing the social/mental
side – interviewing the different people involved – convinced me
to preserve the traditional values even in a modern creative design
approach. Some following key things/thoughts are listed which came
from the site-specific project that then informed the commercial
interior architecture project. This manifested itself in the use of more
atmospheric spotlights instead of common general lighting, among
other things. Such a specific choice helped us develop the lighting
configuration used in the lobby of the old building and on the Mellik
nude: the warm and emotive lighting is the same that we first tested
at the exhibition. Because of the changed function of the space, it
also became necessary to select acoustically absorbent materials for
the furnishings. Modern principles of design were applied delicately
to achieve a certain harmonious balance between the old space and
the new intervention. For example, contrasting was used in the col-
our schemes, lighting and furnishings to accentuate the old building.
Modern systems were only applied to a reasonable degree: no cool-
ing systems were installed, saunas were built as box-in-box construc-
tions, etc. Overall, it was important that the result should be sensitive:
the atmosphere should blend in with that of Pärnu, and the materials
and shapes should be kept simple, as befits a summer resort. Reason-
able compromise solutions also manifested themselves in the fact
that modern spa conditions were not strictly adhered to, but were
instead accommodated within reason, by accepting that the tem-
perature would be a couple of degrees below the customary +30°C
in the pool area, as well as making an allowance for old doors, and
cracks in the historical floor tiles.
Fig 62c: Completed interior of the old Mud Baths and the new extension, Hedon Spa, Pärnu 2014.
It is possible for a modern-day architect to facilitate the interac-
tion of the old and the new, thus creating a suspenseful, systematic,
open, safe and inviting space that liberates and equalizes. According
to Appelbaum, a building does not belong to its creators or con-
structors, but starts instead to live an autonomous life of its own,
reflecting a range of different values that change over time: artis-
tic value, aesthetic value, historic value, use value and sentimental

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 126 CASE I – Pärnu Mud Baths 127

 value, research value, educational value, age value, newness value,
monetary value, associative value, commemorative value and rarity.154
All of the above can be observed in the Mud Baths. These values
often present themselves together, being indivisible and self-evident.
In addition to the more obvious aspects, I would also like to empha-
size the educational value of this building, as evidenced by features
reflecting the historical eras of this health facility and resort culture
as a whole (mud baths, mud openings, etc.). The associative value, on
the other hand, lies in the fact that the building is representative of
other similar mud baths characteristic of their time. When it comes
to restoration, however, my preference is to move beyond simple
conservation and preservation (which carries the risk of bringing
about a museum-like suspension in time), discovering instead the
hidden potential of a building and making it relevant for modern
purposes. I agree with Paolo Portoghesi’s recommendation that the
archetypal shape and structure of a building should be preserved
and consolidated with its interior and exterior, just as frames of a
film disappear and merge together, only to re-emerge in an altered
state, but still bearing a connection to what went before. 155 From
the old building to the new, the same motifs, colour schemes and
materials were echoed in a slightly varied manner, with unexpected
allusions to each building, both historical and modern.

In conclusion, the activation of a building – which is nowadays the

intention of architecture by Sejima – succeeded in the Pärnu Mud
Baths case study. The interaction between the historic building and
contemporary user has been realized in an intensive mode, with
the help of synergy by all people involved in the process. Critically,
I would say that there could have been more integration of the
local community, which would have involved opening the building
to citizens, providing a small welcome tea bar in the old lobby, a
welcoming exhibition in the historic mud corridor, etc. I had a great
opportunity to relate to the neighbourhood, the historic building
and its broader developmental context.

154 B. Appelbaum, Conservation Treatment Methodology, pp. 89–114.

155 P. Portoghesi, Transformation and Metamorphosis, pp. 42.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 128 129

5.

C AS E I I – Ta l l i n n
Linnahall Concert Hall

The Linnahall concert and sports hall has been a landmark of

Tallinn since 1980, and has stood vacant next to the harbour
for years. While the Mud Baths building had a positive image
and development was already under way at the time of my
spatial intervention, people’s attitudes toward the Linnahall
were unclear. One of the aims of this creative project was to
determine the position of this building in the public opinion
and to find ways to make that opinion more positive. In spite
of its Soviet history, the Linnahall required both attention and
a positive image that would promote its restoration, as the
danger of the building collapsing was becoming more and
more real. Unlike the first case study, the derelict building
was presented in a different context. The second exhibition
project, How Long is the life of a Building?, was held in Venice
as the Estonian exhibition for the 13th Architecture Biennale
in 2012, which was curated by David Chipperfield and entitled
Common Ground. The exhibition focused on the abandonment
of valuable modernist architecture in Estonia, using Tallinn’s
Linnahall as an example. The aim was to provoke the
audience to discuss and form an opinion on the functional
usage and temporal durability of buildings. According to my
research questions, the project also touched on the way a
building’s material (tangible) and non-material (intangible)
values change over time, and examined people’s behavioural
patterns, in an attempt to identify their actual hopes and
needs, using this one specific building to illustrate the case.

 Fig 63: Linnahall – Ice arena, Tallinn 2017 (photo: Tõnu Tunnel). 131
 5.1 D E C L I N I N G M O D E R N I T Y. D E M O L I S H ? F O R G E T ?
‘ H I B E R N AT E ’ ? R E C O N ST RU C T ?

There are a remarkably large number of useless, abandoned build-

ings all around the globe, and that includes Estonian cities and
countryside. In my treatment of this case, I considered the possible
futures of Estonia’s modernist Soviet-era buildings from the 1960s
and 1970s that are currently vacant, and not just the Linnahall. The
topic also includes the kolkhoz (collective farm) buildings that are
scattered all over Estonia, symbolic architecture that has attracted a
great deal of attention in professional circles and is often discussed.
What kind of life they have witnessed, how they could be used
today and who they could be useful for tomorrow: what is their
value and in what way should they be preserved for the future?
A great number of buildings in Estonia have been placed under
heritage protection, but this does not in and of itself guarantee that
they will be preserved. Principles for the preservation and restora-
tion of buildings from all historical periods were outlined in the
Venice Charter (1964). The most important principles of conserva-
tion laid out in the Charter are still adhered to today: to prevent
history from being distorted, imitation should be avoided and the
work of the original master preserved in as authentic a way as pos-
sible, while any new additions should be clearly visible as such. The
later Nara Document on Authenticity (1994) expands the idea of
heritage conservation to encompass both tangible and intangible
heritage, broadening the notion of authenticity and highlighting
the importance of research and new developments with the aim of
understanding the essence of different cultures in the context of
authenticity (see Chapter 2.4).

What can be done to give a new purpose to an abandoned building?

In the aftermath of the worldwide economic crisis (2008), it is not
very rational to abandon architecturally symbolic buildings that have
sufficient potential for current use. To preserve a building, it needs to
be assigned a new purpose, because buildings age both physically
and morally. This naturally clashes with the modernist principle of
form follows function, setting an even greater challenge for architects.
Mies van der Rohe’s conviction that because buildings outlast their
initial purposes and must therefore be able to adapt to various cir-
cumstances led him to conclude that when it comes to functionality,
the only buildings that make any sense are those with no function at

Fig 64: The location of the Tallinn Linnahall.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 132 CASE II – Tallinn Linnahall Concert Hall 133

 all. 156 The mutability of society and day-to-day life, and the resulting
necessity of universally adaptable spaces in which the user acts as a
co-author was already recognized by the modernists. This principle
is still relevant today, as there is no permanence in constant change,
and resources are mostly scarce. Architecture is a living organism that
is perpetually transformed by the efforts of both new users, architects
and builders, yet it doesn’t belong to its creators: it is independent and
leads a life of its own, reflecting a range of different values changing
over time. 157 This information mostly affects people, ourselves. What
roles do different groups play in the preservation and continued func-
tioning of valuable buildings? The reconstruction of existing buildings
assumes the arrival of a new user, as well as appreciation of historical
architecture. Public opinion can be shaped by architects, the state and
media. History has shown that the political system of a time period
becomes especially obvious in the visual language of architecture. In
the long-term perspective, the prevalence of new buildings is on the
decline and new solutions are being sought to adapt existing buildings
in a practical way, such as the transformation of old factory build-
ings into contemporary creative hubs or residences. Inspiration can
be drawn from the type and form of a building, especially when the
floor plans and cross-sections are regarded as a clean slate, open to
the reinterpretation of life in that building. For architects setting out
to plan a new building starting with large volumes and moving on to
partitioning details, from the outside in, the public expectation is that
they should consider the context, the surrounding environment and
what is realistically viable. An interior architect, conversely, works from
the inside of a building out, from the perspective of the user. The same
principle applies when reinterpreting existing buildings based on their
potential, i.e. the possibilities hidden in the architecture.
The exhibition catalogue and the exhibition project at the Venice
Biennale of Architecture addressed the abandonment of the Lin-
nahall, as well as the deterioration of Estonia’s architecturally dis-
tinguished modernist heritage from the Soviet era, aggravated by
the sociopolitical situation and politically motivated back-and-forth
games regarding plans. Why would an acclaimed building such as
the Linnahall be abandoned after only a few decades of use? Unfor-
tunately anything that cannot be marketed fades away. Degenerating
infrastructure causes the local network of people to disintegrate.
As well as poorly constructed Soviet buildings, mass-produced
based on lousy standard plans, architecturally outstanding former
156 P. Blake, The Master Builders, p. 222.
157 P. Portoghesi, Transformation and Metamorphosis, p. 34.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 134
kolkhoz centres also lie abandoned. The same goes for community
cultural centres, holiday houses and schools, the best examples of
Estonian architects’ oeuvre, both in their former glory and current
abandoned state.
In the 1960s, more and more well-to-do farms constructed buildings,
and the quality of life in the countryside surpassed that in the cities.
The Kolkhoz architecture of the Estonian SSR was one of the most
original cultural phenomena of the Eastern Bloc, most often mani-
festing itself in the form of administrative centre buildings: symbols
of farms’ vitality. The architecture was inspired by Finnish modernism
(Alvar Aalto’s expressive forms), as well as monumental minimalism,
which was fond of right angles (in the style of Raine Karp). Although
contrasting white with pure colour can be traced back to Le Corbusier,
in the 1970s it was associated with the fashionable pop art that intro-
duced the aesthetics of the Yellow Submarine to interior design in
Estonia. 158 I included some of the more interesting examples of this
in the Biennale exhibition catalogue: the Cafe Tuljak, now rebuilt and
in use, on Pirita Road in Tallinn (architect Valve Pormeister, interior
architects Väino Tamm and Vello Asi, 1964); the administrative centre
and sauna / holiday house of the Linda kolkhoz in Kobela (architect
Toomas Rein, interior architect Aulo Padar, 1973); the administrative
building of the Sverdlov kolkhoz in Tsooru (architect Toomas Rein,
interior architect Helle Gans, 1969–1977); the administrative build-
ing of the Kolkhoz Construction Office in Rapla (architect Toomas
Rein, interior architect Aulo Padar, 1971–77); the office / club of the
Põdrangu sovkhoz in Tamsalu (architect Maara Metsal, sgraffiti by Eva
Jänes, interior architect Maia Laul, 1977); the administrative centre of
the Laeva sovkhoz (architect Toomas Rein, 1978); the administrative
centre of the Peetri kolkhoz (architect Vilen Künnapu, interior architect
Mari Kurismaa, 1979); the game-house of the Council of Ministers holi-
day village in Valgeranna (architect Meeli Truu, interior architect Taevo
Gans, 1979); and the production and administrative centre of the Kirov
fishing kolkhoz in Omedu (architect Ado Eigi, 1980–82). The high effi-
ciency and relative prosperity of kolkhozy in the 1970s was unique to
Estonia. Here revenue was reinvested in the buildings, which provided
an opportunity to create distinguished architecture; this was truer in
the countryside than in the cities. The pure geometrical plans reflect
the function of the buildings and represent the innovative attitude of
modern machine aesthetics.
158 M. Kalm, Eesti 20. sajandi arhitektuur. Tallinn: Prisma Prindi Kirjastus, 2001, pp. 375–376.
CASE II – Tallinn Linnahall Concert Hall 135
A B C

B
C
D
G
D

H
F

A
E

Fig 66: Locations of examples of Estonian modernism.

G H

Fig 65: Ground plans of examples of Estonian modernism (source: Museum of Estonian Architecture).
A – The administrative centre and sauna / holiday house of the Linda kolkhoz in Kobela. B – The office
/ club of the Põdrangu sovkhoz in Tamsalu. C – The administrative building of the Kolkhoz Construction
Office in Rapla. D – The administrative centre of the Peetri kolkhoz. E – The administrative building
of the Sverdlov kolkhoz in Tsooru. F – The game-house of the Council of Ministers holiday village in
Valgeranna. G – The production and administrative centre of the Kirov fishing kolkhoz in Omedu. H – The
administrative centre of the Laeva sovkhoz.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 136 CASE II – Tallinn Linnahall Concert Hall 137

 I invited experts of architecture to convene for a round-table discus-
sion on the stage of the Linnahall to address this issue and gather
a broad range of opinions for the Venice Biennale How Long is the
Life of a Building? exhibition catalogue. I asked Andres Kurg, an art
historian and expert on the Linnahall, to moderate the discussion,
having previously outlined a number of questions for the panelists
to address and seek answers to:
• What should be done with currently vacant, but architecturally
valuable modernist buildings from the 1960s and 1970s? Should they
be demolished, reconstructed or forgotten?
• In his book Form Follows Fiasco, the architecture historian Peter
Blake says that historic buildings (e.g. railway stations, breweries
and courthouses) are often better suited for new functions – re-
purposed as modern libraries, universities, museums, concert halls
and theatres – and that their atmosphere makes them even more
suitable than contemporary buildings designed for this specific pur-
pose, as the rational pragmatism of the latter may fail to connect
with people. In the context of Estonia, a parallel can be drawn with
the re-purposing of manor houses. Can this argument be extended
to the modernist heritage of the Soviet era?
• The modernist heritage of the Soviet era here applies to the admin-
istrative buildings of grandiose kolkhoz centres in currently rather
quiet communities. Would a type analysis of the buildings be help-
ful in finding new functions for them? Would there be enough users
locally for such buildings or does the solution lie in developing
internal tourism?
• The typical construction materials used for kolkhoz buildings were
red bricks, silicate bricks and concrete. The buildings were mostly
abandoned around the beginning of the 21st century and have been
vacant for approximately 10 years. Would it be profitable to restore
or alter these buildings?
• Whose responsibility is it to look for solutions and coordinate activ-
ity: local governments, the state, developers, voluntary citizens’ asso-
ciations or local communities?
• Because of its central location in Tallinn, the Linnahall meets
every conceivable requirement to be put to use, and yet it is still
vacant. There have been grandiose plans to remodel it into an
opera house, conference centre or entertainment centre, which
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 138
would require significant architectural alterations. Where does
preservation end and reconstruction begin?
The following overview of the expert panel discussion (1 June
2012) 159 forms the basis of my critical analysis and opinions on what
could be done about this deteriorating modernist heritage. 160
As a starting point, it is good to know that the recently completed
programme initiated by the Ministry of Culture and the National
Heritage Board for valuable Estonian 20th century architecture
(1870–1991) makes it possible to chart and document valuable
architecture from the past century within Estonian counties and
larger cities; the National Heritage Board can use expert opinions
to determine the prospects for these buildings. The temporal focus
of the programme is defined as follows: the insufficiently conserved
end of the 19th century, then the bright first republic, then the Soviet
Stalinist era, followed by contemporary architecture up until 1991. 161
The buildings charted within this programme are valuable not
only because of their architectural or physical properties, but also
because of the different semantic fields that they have absorbed
over time, i.e. cultural strata in a broader sense, containing crucial
cultural cross-sections. 162 In order for these buildings to survive, they
need to be assigned functions and investments need to be made.
Spending a minimum amount of money to temporarily ‘hibernate’
and conserve such prominent buildings would send a signal to
local self-governments that these valuable buildings should not be
demolished. In this way, they would survive for much longer and any
decisions would not be dependent on the current financial situa-
tion of the state. It would also send a signal to future generations:
these are valuable and enjoyable environments. 163 Administrative
divisions have repeatedly shifted over the past centur y: if an
159 The experts: Yoko Alender (Advisor on Architecture at the Ministry of Culture), Jaak Huimerind
(expert for the program for charting and analyzing valuable 20th century architecture from
1870–1991), Krista Kodres (art historian), Peeter Pere (chairman of the Union of Estonian
Architects), Margit Mutso (editor of architecture for the cultural newspaper Sirp), Endrik
Mänd (City of Tallinn chief architect), Tiit Nurklik (civil engineer), Toomas Tammis (Dean of the
Faculty of Architecture at the Estonian Academy of Arts), Urmo Vaikla (interior architect and
team leader of the Estonian exhibition at the 13th Venice Biennale of Architecture) and Kalle
Vellevoog (Vice-President of the Union of Estonian Architects).
160 T.-K. Vaikla, Round-table Discussion: How Long is the Life of a Building? – Kui pikk on ühe maja
elu? / How Long is the Life of a Building? Ed. T.-K. Vaikla. Tallinn: Eesti Arhitektuurikeskus, 2012,
pp. 179–187.
161 XX sajandi arhitektuuri inventeerimine. Muinsuskaitseamet, http://muinas.ee/muinsuskaitsete-
gevus/projektid/arhitektuuri-inventeerimine (accessed 21 April 2017).
162 Krista Kodres at the round-table discussion. (T.-K. Vaikla, Round-table Discussion, pp. 179–180).
163 Margit Mutso at the round-table discussion. (T.-K. Vaikla, Round-table Discussion, p. 180).
CASE II – Tallinn Linnahall Concert Hall 139
 example of Soviet modernist architecture was erected in what is
now a peripheral area, the building is impossible to conserve. This
has to do with peripheralisation and uneven regional development.
In the Soviet times, the reduction of differences between life in the
city and in the countryside was part of the political programme
of the Communist Party. If, on the other hand, such a building is
located in an active area, nowadays there is usually a completely
new building put up right next to it using money from Enterprise
Estonia, even though the existing modernist heritage site could have
been restored instead. 164
One of the most important motivators of architecture is the need for
spatial organisation. Different time periods have their own reasons
and these reasons are constantly changing. The economic, cultural
and social reasons behind the construction of these buildings in the
1960s, 1970s and 1980s have ceased to exist. The fact that our cur-
rent era is relatively liberal means that there is also greater potential
for these buildings to be put back to use. 165 A complete change of
function is also a viable option, as currently seen in Europe and all
around the world: old churches are being re-purposed as private
residences on the condition that the exterior is conserved and only
the interior is adapted. In order for a building to be conserved,
there should be as few restrictions placed on its new function as
possible. Nationalised manor houses were utilised in the 1920s and
1930s, and even more so after the war, when they were turned into
retirement homes or schools, and these functions have preserved
the houses in one way or another. 166 This is a complete re-branding
and adjustment to modern requirements. In order for us to have any
kind of relationship with these buildings, image transformations and
total makeovers such as these should be undertaken constantly. This
is a matter of the social life of these buildings: they are only valu-
able if they have meanings that are considered significant in our
era; those causal relationships have to exist. 167
We cannot act freely, because from the perspective of heritage
conservation, examples of both typical architecture and valuable
highlights of each time period must be preserved in their entirety
in the hope that their new users will find their own connections,
some sort of participation in the building in an entirely different way
(as the state does not have enough resources). If we are protecting
164 Kalle Vellevoog at the round-table discussion. (T.-K. Vaikla, Round-table Discussion, p. 181).
165 Toomas Tammis at the round-table discussion. (T.-K. Vaikla, Round-table Discussion, p. 180).
166 Tiit Nurklik at the round-table discussion. (T.-K. Vaikla, Round-table Discussion, p. 181).
167 Andres Kurg at the round-table discussion. (T.-K. Vaikla, Round-table Discussion, p 182).
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 140
architecture and architecture is form, then it should be kept in mind
that this architecture will cease to exist once restrictions are eased.
Each individual case has its own inner logic and any action needs to
be very flexible. The essence of preservation is that this one specific
form has absorbed something over time that we value: the work of
the architect, as well as the culture and all other contexts that it
carries. 168 There are too many Soviet-era buildings still around for
us to value them in the way that we value classic cars, for example.
One of the Linnahall’s exceptional charms is what it has turned into:
an oasis, a time capsule that speaks to us of different principles of
logic, of how buildings used to be erected and space created, and
what this meant for people. The main principle of contemporary
conservation is to do as little as possible and as much as is abso-
lutely necessary, and to avoid over-investing. Soviet-era buildings
originate in a different country altogether, and the interruption that
happened between the two eras makes them museum pieces worth
conserving. 169 The negative aura of Soviet architecture is starting to
disappear, and for young people it is already history; it is foreign to
them and thus also interesting. 170
This issue is not so much a matter of heritage conservation as a ques-
tion of how these buildings could be brought to life, who should be
in charge of this, and where to find the synergy and will that would
lead to finding the means.
Concerning buildings, the problem lies in the way ownership relates
to function. Private property is practically impossible to demolish,
which means that heritage objects are best protected when they
are privately owned. Re-purposing a building and assigning it a new
function is a very complex modelling task, as each object is special.
Different approaches and solutions must be applied based on loca-
tion and other conditions that affect the entire process. 171
A building that is constantly in use is very rarely perceived as some-
thing of value. It was part of the futurist programme that every gen-
eration needed to build its own architecture and buildings should
be constructed to last 25 years. After that, new architects could
again demonstrate their creative abilities and the cycle would
continue. Modernism adopted that idea: the concrete panel dis-
tricts of Mustamäe and Lasnamäe were built with a relatively short
168 Kodres at the round-table discussion. (T.-K. Vaikla, Round-table Discussion, p. 182).
169 Kodres at the round-table discussion. (T.-K. Vaikla, Round-table Discussion, p. 183).
170 Yoko Alender at the round-table discussion. (T.-K. Vaikla, Round-table Discussion, p. 186).
171 Kodres at the round-table discussion. (T.-K. Vaikla, Round-table Discussion, p. 185).
CASE II – Tallinn Linnahall Concert Hall 141
 lifespan in mind. It would be very complicated, if not impossible,
to design a building intended to be altered endlessly. Buildings are
designed according to the specific needs of the time. Any attempts
at designing a building that could be altered in every way imagi-
nable and that could be used for very different purposes would be
futile, because there are no criteria to follow, no target to achieve.
Buildings are more likely to be re-purposed if one of their dimen-
sions – height, width, cubic measure or floor space – is larger than
normally required; this makes it possible to reuse them for some
other purpose. Old factories can be re-purposed as office build-
ings, but not vice versa. One of the few sustainable functions that
can prolong a building’s life is living space. If its use is not inter-
rupted, there’s no need for any massive reconstruction requiring
large investments. Surplus that has come about by accident can
be reused, but it is impossible to plan it out in advance, because
Fig 67: The Linnahall in the 1980s (source: Museum of Estonian Architecture).
nobody would pay for it. 172

Modernism, however, tends to be more of an elitist trend that the

public at large has yet to recognise. 173 Architecture always takes
place in the present. People cannot appreciate something if they
are not aware of what makes things valuable, and it will not occur
to them spontaneously. This cannot be done using only the written
word: it has to be shown to people. 174 One interesting, but economi-
cally non-feasible idea would be to create a modernist version of
an open-air museum. 175

Some fundamental insights were revealed in the course of the dis-

cussion: on the governmental level, the value of an existing built
environment is recognised and the cultural strata and semantic
fields manifested in the form of architecture are appreciated. Valu-
able architecture is charted and efforts are made to discover its
physical state. In order to find a modern use for a building, it needs
to be reinterpreted, leading to a new purpose and a new owner.
The process of reviving buildings also entails questions of limita-
tions and liberty.

172 Tammis, at the round-table discussion. (T.-K. Vaikla, Round-table Discussion, pp. 185–186).
173 Alender at the round-table discussion. (T.-K. Vaikla, Round-table Discussion, p. 186).
174 Kodres at the round-table discussion. (T.-K. Vaikla, Round-table Discussion, p. 186).
175 Nurklik at the round-table discussion. (T.-K. Vaikla, Round-table Discussion, p. 182).

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 142 CASE II – Tallinn Linnahall Concert Hall 143

5.2 THE LIFE OF THE LINNAHALL CONCERT HALL
In this section, I provide a brief overview of the colourful life of
the Linnahall, initially called the Tallinn V. I. Lenin Palace of Culture
and Sport, from its heyday up until its deterioration – all in the
course of 30 years – in order to illustrate the changes that have
taken place in political life. The Linnahall Concert Hall and Ice
Hall was designed by the state design bureau Eesti Tööstusprojekt
(Estonian Industrial Design) in 1975–1976 (architects Raine Karp
and Riina Altmäe, structural engineer Ado Kuddu, interior archi-
tects Ülo Sirp and Mari-Ann Hakk). The concert hall was completed
by 1980, in time for the Moscow Olympic Games Tallinn regatta,
with the ice hall opened a year later. The head architect, Raine
Karp, was interested in the use of limestone on facades and as a
finishing material; some of his other large projects using this same
material are the Tallinn Main Post Office (1980), the Sakala Centre
(1985), and the National Library of Estonia (1985–1993). The Lin-
nahall is described as a ‘modernist and individualist colossus’, 176
and is situated between the Old Town and the sea, on an axis with
the Viru hotel. The roof of the building can be walked across and
it acted as a railway overpass, reconnecting the city with the sea,
which had been monopolized by military and industrial facilities.
The shore area was cleared of temporary structures to make room
for the massive structure, based on orders from Moscow that each
Soviet republic should have a 6000-seat sports hall in its capital.
Construction and planning were carried out simultaneously, and
the result was a 5000-seat concert, exhibition, dance and bowling
hall in the shape of an amphitheatre. Later a 3000-seat ice hall
was added, featuring an ice rink open to the public. The building
was officially inaugurated at a ceremony marking the 40th anniver-
sary of the Estonian SSR. The Linnahall hosted a large number of
extremely varied events, from circus performances to evangelical
meetings. Besides the Moscow Ballet and Leningrad Philharmonic
Orchestra, audiences could enjoy Chinese opera, folk art ensem-
bles from Ghana and the Philippines, and Cuban variety shows.
Many legendar y world musicians (somewhat belatedly) found
their way to the Linnahall: Uriah Heep, Bonnie Tyler, Suzi Quatro,
Boney M, Demis Roussos, Duran Duran, Nazareth etc. Over half a
million people visited the concert hall each year. The Linnahall
was awarded the Grand Prix at the Interarch biennial of the Interna-
tional Union of Architects in 1983, and a Soviet Union state award
176 M. Kalm, Eesti 20. sajandi arhitektuur, p. 309.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 144
in 1984. The stage curtain of its concert hall (10m x 50m, weight 1.5
tons) was considered to be the world’s largest tapestry (designed
by the Estonian artist Enn Põldroos, 1985). 177
After Estonia regained its independence, the building was officially
renamed the Tallinna Linnahall / Linnahall Concert Hall (1991).
Immediately before this, the building hosted various gatherings of
the Singing Revolution, held under red (Soviet), as well as blue,
black and white (Estonian) flags. In the mid-1990s, new uses were
sought for the structure and the part of the building closest to the
sea became a hydrofoil terminal. In 1997, on the initiative of Doc-
omomo (the International Working Party for Documentation and
Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighborhoods of the Modern
Movement), the Linnahall was placed under heritage protection
as an object of architectural heritage. The building was in need of
renovation: the roof of the ice hall was leaking, lighting and electri-
cal equipment and the cooling devices of the ice hall, together with
120 km of piping, needed to be replaced, and roughly one half of
all rental space remained vacant. A helipad and helicopter terminal
(architect Peep Urb, 1999) were built on the roof of the Linnahall,
cutting off access to the sea via the stairs. The seaside cafe, which
had previously been used as a discotheque, was shut down. Efforts
were made to find ways to make the Linnahall economically via-
ble; ideas included putting tennis courts with windscreens on the
roof of the building, reconstructing the hall so that standing tickets
could be sold for concerts, adapting the stage for ball games, and
turning the structure into a conference centre and science park in
cooperation with the European Union. An engineering inspection
carried out in 1999 confirmed that the core structures of the Lin-
nahall were strong and that reconstruction was possible. At that
time, the building was home to a number of tenants: a hydrofoil
terminal, a helipad, a music store, a children’s sports school, a judo
club, a bowling alley, storerooms of the city archives, a recording
studio, company offices, warehouses and workshops. In 2000, the
Linnahall only hosted 70 events. With support from the city govern-
ment, in 2001 a new 10,000-seat arena, Saku Suurhall, was built on
the outskirts of the city, next to a hypermarket. An expert opinion
obtained from its main contractor proclaimed the Linnahall to have
no future prospects. Once the new arena was completed in time for
the Eurovision Song Contest (2002), the Linnahall was closed down.
The city government had several ideas for its future: to sell it as it
177 P. Lindpere, Chronology of the Linnahall’s Biography. – Kui pikk on ühe maja elu /How Long is
the Life of a Building? Ed. T.-K. Vaikla. Tallinn: Eesti Arhitektuurikeskus, pp. 204–207.
CASE II – Tallinn Linnahall Concert Hall 145
 was, to spend tens of millions of kroons on its demolition and sell
the plot, or to start subsidizing its use. Docomomo’s 178 expert opin-
ion blocked the city government’s motion to remove the Linnahall
from the list of heritage objects: as a prominent example of Esto-
nia’s 20th century architecture, the Linnahall warranted being con-
served as a concept. According to an expert assessment carried out
by the Tallinn University of Technology (2003), the structure of the
building had no significant damage. The Linnahall’s management
attempted to find possible solutions and save the concert hall by
organising an architectural competition (2002). Plans submitted for
the competition involved turning the Linnahall into a conference
centre and complementing it with businesses, hotels or residen-
tial buildings, and stressed the feasibility of continuing to develop
the Linnahall rather than tearing it down. The city government per-
ceived the possible sale of the Linnahall as the greatest source of
revenue for its development budget (2003). In their minds, this was
an entertainment centre or an exclusive residential district with a
marina just waiting for an investor. Buyers only showed interest on
the condition that the Linnahall could be demolished, which the
Union of Estonian Architects opposed. It had also been established
by the special conditions of the National Heritage Board that the
functional and technological modernisation of the Linnahall was
possible without altering its most valuable elements: the unique
amphitheatre-shaped concert arena and bastion-style exterior. Con-
cessions could be made regarding the trestle, the stairs and the ice
hall. This was followed by discussions on the planning of adjoining
lots in case the Linnahall was preserved. An architectural competi-
tion was held and the winning entry called for breaking up the area
by constructing buildings with very diverse exteriors, as well as
building a marina with room for 100 yachts, complete with a yacht
club. Proceeding from the results of the competition, a detailed
plan was adopted for the adjacent immovable properties, making
it possible for a marina, a shoreline promenade, service and com-
mercial space, and residential buildings to be constructed next to
the Linnahall (2008). In 2009, the city government signed a prelimi-
nary agreement with a U.S. company to convert the Linnahall and
its immediate surroundings into a cultural and conference centre;
in the optimism of the moment, it was even promised that the Lin-
nahall would be renovated in time for Tallinn’s year as the cultural
capital of Europe (2011). In phase one, the concert hall would be
renovated, and a hotel, recreational centre and the first stage of
178 An international non-profit organisation for Documentation and Conservation of Building, Sites
and Neighbourhoods of the Modern Movement.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE
a fair and conference centre would be constructed, along with a
restaurant and approximately 3000 parking spots; city transport
lines would be added between the port terminals and the centres
under development. In phase two, a harbour (or a marina) would
be added and the fair and conference centre and hotel would be
expanded; all expenses would be borne by the private developer.
The completely depreciated ice hall was closed down. The final
official event held at the Linnahall was an annual exhibition of
nature photography (2009); the activities of the Linnahall were then
terminated. An audit determined that the assets of the Linnahall
consisted of the oversized tapestry of the concert hall and nothing
else. The financial plan did not come to fruition. 179
The Linnahall retained seven employees to handle the elementary
maintenance of the building (it is heated just enough to maintain a
temperature above zero) and rental issues. The city government also
discussed the possibility of a joint financing plan with the Minister
of Finance, suggesting that both the government and the city provide
surety for a major U.S. investor. Inquiries and background checks led
the Ministry of Finance to state that the entire plan was a dubious
financial scheme on the part of the Tallinn city government, aimed at
using the state as a guarantor and taking out another loan for the city.
In 2011, the head of the Estonian National Opera suggested that the
Linnahall could be reconstructed into an opera house and that this
project could be completed by the 100th anniversary of the Republic
of Estonia in 2018. In 2012, simultaneously with the Estonian exhibi-
tion in Venice, the giant monolith of the Linnahall was cleaned of
graffiti, as the city was expecting the arrival of U.S. investors.
Over the years, the head architect of the Linnahall, Raine Karp, has
maintained cooperation with possible developers and has worked
on the draft plans of heritage reconstruction. He is, naturally, inter-
ested in bringing the building back to life and finding a compromise
solution for its modernisation. Various events have taken place in the
Linnahall: the curator of the Manifesta art biennial has expressed
interest in it and the Tallinn Architecture Biennial has used it as an
exhibition space (2013): people are constantly trying to visit the
closed down building. Ingel Vaikla featured the Linnahall’s security
guard Peeter in her documentary The House Guard. In her master’s
thesis, Sema Aksu suggests that a lightweight amphitheatre should be
constructed on top of the existing structure; this positive form would
179 P. Lindpere, Chronology of the Linnahall’s Biography, pp. 204–207.
146 CASE II – Tallinn Linnahall Concert Hall 147
 serve as a seasonal solution. 180 The anthropologist Francisco Mar-
tínez analyzes the nature of Linnahall as a piece of utopian architec-
ture from the perspective of modern-day users. 181 The anthropologist
Francisco Martínez has analysed the nature of the Linnahall as a
piece of utopian architecture from the perspective of modern-day
users. In recent news, the city government announced that according
to an engineering inspection, the load bearing structures of the Lin-
nahall are in good enough shape for the building to be restored in
its original form. In order to create natural-sounding acoustics in this
soon-to-be largest concert hall in all of northern and eastern Europe,
all stage equipment will be replaced with world-class products. A
number of smaller conference halls will be added as well. Financ-
ing for the project is supposed to come from selling the ice hall and
the part of the plot closest to the sea. 182 The website created for the
Venice exhibition continues to follow and report current develop-
ments and news articles concerning the Linnahall. 183

180 S. Aksu, Sotsiaalne sekkumine: Linnahalli tagasinõudmine / Reclaiming Linnahall: a Social

Intervention, 2016. Master thesis. Tallinn University of Technology/Estonian Academy of Arts.
Design and Engineering, department of Machinery, 2016, http://design-engineering.ee/PDF/
Thesis_Sema_Aksu.pdf/ (accessed 28 March 2017). Fig 68a: Photos of the abandoned Linnahall for the exhibition catalogue How Long is the Life of a
181 F. Martinez, Wasted Legacies? Youth, Repair and Obsolescence after Socialism. London: UCL Building? for the Venice Biennale, 2012 by Ingel Vaikla.
Press, 2017. (Forthcoming), p. 93–112.
182 Delfi videod ja fotod: Linnahalli tuleb plaani järgi tõeliselt moodsa tehnikaga saal ja konverent-
sikeskus, rõhku pannakse ka nostalgiale. Delfi news, 19 June 2016, http://www.delfi.ee/news/
paevauudised/eesti/delfi-videod-ja-fotod-linnahalli-tuleb-plaani-jargi-toeliselt-moodsa-tehnikaga-
saal-ja-konverentsikeskus-rohku-pannakse-ka-nostalgiale?id=74845261 (accessed 19 June
2016).
183 How Long is the LIfe of a Building? facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/HowLongIs-
TheLifeOfABuilding/? (accessed 8 November 2016).

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 148 CASE II – Tallinn Linnahall Concert Hall 149

Fig 68a: Photos of the abandoned Linnahall for the exhibition catalogue How Long is the Life of a Fig 68a: Photos of the abandoned Linnahall for the exhibition catalogue How Long is the Life of a
Building? for the Venice Biennale, 2012 by Ingel Vaikla. Building? for the Venice Biennale, 2012 by Ingel Vaikla.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 150 CASE II – Tallinn Linnahall Concert Hall 151

5.3 EXHIBITION PROJECT HOW LONG IS THE LIFE OF A
BUILDING? 13 TH
VENICE ARCHITECTURE BIENNALE,
2 9 AU G U ST   –   2 5 N OV E M B E R 2 012
People are taking more and more interest in city space and their spa-
tial environment as a whole, seeing it as an active, living and breath-
ing communicative environment. Trends can be observed in people’s
choice of living environment: rather than the physical aesthetics of a
building, their choice is now determined by the urban space between
the buildings, its potential being something that they can relate to. The
subject of shared space was also the topic of the interactive architec-
tural exhibition at the Venice Biennale of Architecture (2012).‘Architec-
ture nowadays is not necessarily based upon architectural drawings or
models, architecture studios can be much more diverse. A conventional
awareness of architectural work will inevitably bring about a limited
understanding of the education and practice taken by an architect. The
spectrum of architectural work should include all built environments
related to our everyday life; that is, architecture should be understood
as the labour of those focused on human surroundings. The interpreta-
tion and questions exhibited in Venice, resulting from the notion of
“common ground”, did indeed focus on the human.’184
The curator of the 13th Venice Architecture Biennale, the British architect
David Chipperfield encouraged participants to relate to other authors
and their works in the usual way, as well as provocatively, as reflected
by the exhibition title Common Ground. The Venice Biennale was an
excellent opportunity for Estonia to have its say on currently influential
topics in the world of architecture. Together with my co-authors,185 and
also in connection with the topic of my dissertation, I explored the issue
of re-purposing buildings in the sense of expanding modernist herit-
age objects, using the Linnahall as an example. The prior experience of
organising a site-specific exhibition project in the abandoned Pärnu Mud
Baths inspired me to reflect on this building’s current life as well as its for-
mer users.We also sought to reach out to people: the city architect at that
time (Dmitri Bruns) and the head architect (Raine Karp) and interior
architect (Ülo Sirp) of the Linnahall, who told us about how the Linna-
hall came to be and helped us to understand the zeitgeist of the Moscow
Olympics era (1980). Their personal stories, hopes and memories made
it to the exhibition in Venice in the form of a documentary chronicling
the sad state that the abandoned building is in today. The exhibition
184 Han, Eun Ju, The Fundamental Questions of Architecture. – Space 2012, no. 539 (October), p. 7.
185 Co-authors: Urmo Vaikla, Ingel Vaikla, Veronika Valk, Ivar Lubjak, Maria Pukk.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 152
catalogue186 was based on essays and articles written by reputable think-
ers from a variety of fields: the lecturer in Japanese Studies Alari Allik,
the author Tõnu Õnnepalu, the architectural conservationist Maris Suits,
the architecture and art theorists Andres Kurg, Triin Ojari, Eero Epner
and Harry Liivrand and others. It included new visual material, as well
as archive materials, the results of a workshop held by current students,
and an overview of the colourful history of the Linnahall. The Estonian
exhibition in Venice addressed the topic of time and space, the fact that
both significant and insignificant locations have been abandoned, but
also the changes and opportunities that the future may bring, posing the
question: How long is the life of a building? This is still a relevant ques-
tion that concerns architectural heritage all over the world, manifesting
itself in more and less conspicuous phenomena. The exhibition project
housed in the Venetian Arsenale set out to analyse whether the primary
cause of the Linnahall’s abandonment was the ageing of its materials and
equipment, or whether it is possible that people never really loved Soviet-
era modernist architecture, preferring more romantic historical buildings
or the more emotive and organic features of contemporary architecture
with more of a focus on human, ecological and cultural aspects.
Fig 69: Venice Architecture Biennale Common Ground, 2012.
During the preparation for the exhibition, I contacted as many differ-
ent people as possible to act as narrators who would talk and write
about architecture; to do this, I focused on the context surrounding this
building. This approach is similar to the one I used in my previous case
analysis. The result was a plurality of opinions from local people, whom
I view as the future users of the Linnahall to a greater or lesser degree,
reflecting their personal and individual attitudes towards the many
ways that the process of reviving the building manifests itself. To gain
a broad perspective, interviews with both young and old people rep-
resenting various professions were recorded; the topics of discussion
186 Kui pikk on ühe maja elu? / How Long is the Life of a Building? Ed. T.-K. Vaikla. Tallinn: Eesti
Arhitektuurikeskus, 2012.
CASE II – Tallinn Linnahall Concert Hall 153
 included the lifespan of architecture, its abandonment, potential and
identity. Because the fate of symbolic architecture is one of the pain-
ful issues of our time, I prepared the exhibition catalogue in two lan-
guages, seeking to advance the discussion and documentation of this
issue not only in Venice, but also in Estonia. The exhibition focused on
the Linnahall as an example of massive (post)modernist architecture
in the capital of Estonia, providing a chronological overview of its
legendary past and, for context, its analogues. The results of a student
workshop to discuss the possible futures of the Linnahall (supervisors
V. Valk, I. Lubjak and M. Pukk) were also included in the exhibition
Fig 71: Estonian exhibition for the 13th Architecture Biennale How Long is the Life of a Building?
catalogue. 187 One of the more appealing ideas that emerged in the
modelling process was the proposal to ‘hibernate’ and conserve the
building, thus ensuring its preservation until it was put back into use.
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Fig 72: Estonian exhibition for the 13th Architecture Biennale How Long is the Life of a Building?
Plan and front view.
Fig 70: Floor plans of the Linnahall (source: private archive of architect Raine Karp).
Estonian Exhibition for La Biennale di Venezia 13th International Architecture Exhibition • frontview M1:50 / A3

187 M. Pukk, I. Lubjak, V. Valk. Dream. Sense. Adapt. Feed. 5 Visions for Linnahall. – Kui pikk on
ühe maja elu? pp. 208–217.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 154 CASE II – Tallinn Linnahall Concert Hall 155


Fig 73: Estonian exhibition for the 13th Architecture Biennale How Long is the Life of a Building?
Venice 2012.
The Linnahall as a Memory Container: for the Biennale, we translated
this drastic state of abandonment into a poetic visual language by
contrasting its initially official and monumental range of uses with the
recent spontaneous uses, thereby helping viewers to recognise and
relate to similar phenomena in their own urban and cultural spaces.
People also use it as public space, to enjoy the seaview, sunrise or
fireworks, or simply to have a good time; the building is well suited
for this because of its architecture, as well as its location in the city.
Fig 74: Preparing the exhibition, Venice, Arsenale, 2012.
The exhibition design helped to focus on how one can convey
memories that have accumulated over several generations. The
aim of the exhibition was to discover and emphasise the attitude
towards the historical essence of the building using people’s real-
life stories, and to create a narrative for the viewer, giving the space
a personality. The abandoned space was presented as a source of
inspiration, building a connection between the real and illusory
to elicit a personal emotional effect. The exhibition was a test site,
used to present a selection of documentation concerning the mem-
ory of place. The building was presented in a slow-paced film docu-
menting the space (Urmo Vaikla,), as well as in short films telling
RE-PURPOSING SPACE
people’s personal stories (Jaan Tootsen) 188 (see Appendix, Exhibition
Review 2). Some authentic pieces of interior details from the Lin-
nahall also made their way to Venice: a flashing digital wall clock,
soft leather couches and a wall of mirrors. This helped us to recre-
ate the physical reality, allowing the audience to sense and smell
the long-gone 1980s. The films were projected onto the end wall of
a dark room, and reflecting mirrors were placed on the opposite
wall to create an optically larger, slightly poetic space. This allowed
the visitors to feel as though they were present at the abandoned
building, sitting on the old leather couch, following the camera
through the dilapidated rooms of the deserted Linnahall and lis-
tening to people’s personal stories. In his analysis of the exhibition,
the architectural theorist David Crowley emotionally declared that
anyone was likely to experience a frisson at the Venice exhibition,
recognising that this structure represented the decline of what was
once a large utopian system. 189 A structure that could so easily have
been presented as a symbol of the failure of Soviet socialism was
instead presented as a series of snapshots from the rich history of
Estonia, Crowley noted in his article juxtaposing the German and
Estonian exhibitions at the Biennale, both addressing the decline
of modernist heritage objects. 190
Fig 75: Arsenale, Venice 2012.
Working on the exhibition, I became especially aware of two ways that
the Linnahall building is special: its reviving effect on the harbour area
and the entire city space of Tallinn upon its completion, and its signifi-
cance for the young city dwellers of this century, for whom the Linna-
hall and its roof that can be walked across are part of the fascinating
188 An interview with Linnahall’s head architect Raine Karp had also been recorded, but in line with
the theme of the biennale (Common Ground), only simple and personal stories told from the
perspective of users were presented, allowing the visitors to identify with the material.
189 D. Crowley, Surnuist üles äratamine – Linnahall Veneetsia Arhitektuuribiennaalil / Reviving the
Dead – the Linnahall at the Venice Architecture Biennale. – Maja 2012, no. 73 (3), pp. 60–63.
190 D. Crowley, Overview: Looking for the Common Ground. – Space 2012, No 539 (October), p.
68.
156 CASE II – Tallinn Linnahall Concert Hall 157
 urban landscape. I examined the Linnahall as a physical, mental and
social space. The idea of the Venice exhibition was to use a physical
experience of space in the immediate environment to depict the Lin-
nahall’s unique architecture and its emotional role; this technique has
rarely been used before at Estonian exhibitions in Venice. The ques-
tion at the centre of the Estonian exhibition – How long is the life of a
building? – was also addressed by another similarly themed exhibition:
a re-creation of community life in the world’s tallest squat, a 45-storey
skyscraper in Caracas, Venezuela, called Torre David, a building aban-
doned before its completion and turned into a vertical slum. This exhi-
bition was awarded the Grand Prix of the Biennale. It is my position and
also a common practice in the modern world of art that an exhibition
should pose a problem, but to present a solution to this problem within
the context of the very same exhibition would be too simple (instead,
an ambivalent reaction is expected). The student workshop, however,
came up with many innovative solutions for the Linnahall’s revival, also
reflecting on unanswered questions, uncomfortable generalisations and
ghosts of similar phenomena. As is customary for workshops, the stu-
dents’ concepts were treated as playful visions, one-time ideas with
absolutely no chance of constituting real solutions.

Fig 76a: Estonian exhibition for the 13th Architecture Biennale How Long is the Life of a Building? Fig 76b: Estonian exhibition for the 13th Architecture Biennale How Long is the Life of a Building?
Venice 2012. Venice 2012.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 158 CASE II – Tallinn Linnahall Concert Hall 159

5.4 CONCLUSIONS
Potential, opportunity, solutions: how should modernist heritage of
the Soviet era be treated today? Abandoned modernist landmarks
provide an identity for small Estonian communities. These landmarks
are forgotten, but they are not invisible. The once innovative and
timeless buildings are still standing as empty shells, exuding a cer-
tain negative aura and signalling a waste of spatial potential. While
Riegl prefers the constant change of an ageing heritage object to its
immaculate conservation, 191 the charming effect of a sweetly nostal-
gic modernist ruin is only momentary: it is not romantic, as ruins usu-
ally are. Heritage too has its ebb and flow. In the contemporary sense,
heritage is at once a part of our physical reality, as well as a mental
phenomenon. Heritage connects people to each other as well as to
their environment, in a material sense but also with regard to natu-
ral aspects; heritage acts as the groundwork for re-creating heritage
again and again, instilling it with important layers of meaning: this is
how the functioning of society is shaped. 192 There is a shift towards
the inclusion of people that surround these heritage objects. Still,
people have their own personal associations and mental images in
connection with these buildings; these associations act as a bridge
between the past and the future. Buildings that symbolise the his-
tory of an occupying regime are also linked to personal stories that
constitute our micro-history, and therefore matter. Besides, it is likely
that today’s youth will continue to be interested in viewing these
buildings with curiosity, as a clean slate, and will be able to do so. This
is also an act of protest against modern high-technology solutions
rooted in anonymity (although it is true that Soviet-era modernism
was also perceived that way at the time). There is definitely a great
potential for the interaction between inside and outside to bring
contemporary people to meet here (referring to Sejima).
The possibility of placing modernist heritage objects under her-
itage protection as immovable monuments is seen as beneficial
not only by those who value architecture, but also by pragmatists.
The Heritage Conservation Act protects the authentic structural
substance of architectural objects and makes it possible to ignore
modern requirements of energy efficiency, thus simplifying their
restoration and reconstruction to a notable degree. The National
Heritage Board has also displayed flexibility and willingness to
191 A. Riegl, The Modern Culture of Monuments, 1996, pp. 69–83.
192 K. Konsa, Tänapäevane konserveerimine. Lecture.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 160
cooperate with the owners and architects of a building when it
comes to preparing their special conditions, and acting in the inter-
est of the building’s new intended function. Another question to
be asked is: how can we preserve the material and cognitive value
and emotional charge of a building?
What can we do? On a purely spatial level, it is possible to adapt for-
mer kolkhoz buildings to serve as modern multifunctional schools,
office buildings, libraries, spas or any other type of public buildings
that require division into separate offices, but only as a way of playing
with space or an exercise. Today, we need to address actual needs and
be able to expand our thinking, so as to intervene in ways that are
likely to put new trends into motion. As a result of socio-economic
changes, there are no production units left in small communities,
meaning that there are also no people to use the buildings. The birth
of local synergy depends on visions, visionaries and, of course, the
local populace. This is illustrated by examples of gentrification in Tal-
linn, Tartu, Pärnu and other cities of Estonia with larger populations,
i.e. larger numbers of possible users.
If a new function is not found, then what are the alternatives? In
the Western world, abandoned buildings are becoming an everyday
feature of the modern urban space, characterised by emptiness. This
makes me lean in favour of architects who come up with innovative
visions for the future, even if it means that parts of a historic building
have to be demolished. How much time do we have? We should stay
conservative while we wait for better times. Perhaps it is also possible
that too much of the modernist heritage is still there and the time is
not ripe for changes. While we wait for a better time, local communi-
ties should be in charge of protecting these buildings from falling
into ruin, even if this is done only by means of ‘hibernation’. Alter-
natively, we could simply come to terms with the inevitable, break
these buildings down into crushed stone, and use this stone to build
harbours and roads with brighter futures. There are certainly contra-
dictory choices possible, based on the local context of each building.
A dignified building deserves to end its existence in dignity; this is
also something to consider, as noted by Crowley in his analysis. 193
The aim of the exhibition project How Long is the Life of a Building?
was to analyse the possibilities of re-purposing abandoned modern-
ist buildings, with special consideration given to the human perspec-
tive: the way people interpret architecturally magnificent buildings
193 D. Crowley, Surnuist üles äratamine, p. 60.
CASE II – Tallinn Linnahall Concert Hall 161
 with Soviet-era identities. With this project, we took a look at the out-
lines of the physical preservation and public value of architecture,
leaving aside the fact that cultural heritage is in a perpetual state of
change. At the Venice Biennale of Architecture, the case of the Linna-
hall was presented by means of a film documenting the dilapidation
of this (post)modernist building, along with emotional stories told
by its users. Besides the abandoned Linnahall, the bilingual exhibi-
tion catalogue also focused on the crumbling modernist heritage of
kolkhoz buildings, observing the many facets of abandonment. By
raising this issue, we continued a public discussion on the preserva-
tion of Estonia’s modernist heritage as part of the Biennale’s shared
platform under the theme Common Ground. Public discussions were
held on the topics of reasonable design, planning, construction and
use of buildings: in brief, on how to reinterpret and revive a build-
ing, and prolong its lifespan. Both architectural specialists and the
public were involved in the discussion, as illustrated by media inter-
est in both the Venice exhibition and the Linnahall itself. Estonian
Television broadcast programmes on the Linnahall both before and
after the opening of the Biennale. After the opening, a flash lecture
and presentation of the exhibition catalogue How Long is the Life
of a Building? was held at the Center of Architecture in Tallinn. The
architects of the Linnahall and the authors who had written essays
for the catalogue gave talks in the auditorium of the then-vacant
modernist Kosmos cinema. All in all, the exhibition project at the
Estonian pavilion affirmed the understanding that the conservation
of the Linnahall is important not only objectively, but also accord-
ing to the subjective criteria of the residents of Tallinn as its users,
considering the cognitive aspects of the building and the connec-
tion of memory with the experience of space, not just being aware
of the space. The project also contributed to a positive shift in the
Linnahall’s image in the public eye.
When assigning the building a modern use, it is important that the
dominant part of the existing structure should be conserved, only
expanding the part housing the ice hall if necessary. Looking to the
future, it is essential that the owner (either the city government or
the developer) should cooperate with architects, engineers and the
National Heritage Board on a professional level, keeping in mind the
spatial integrity of the environment. It is important that, in addition
to the values listed in the special conditions of the National Herit-
age Board, the space should retain its cognitive and phenomenal
essence. Modern times have not seen the rise of a similar multifunc-
tional concert and event venue that could serve as an alternative
to the Linnahall. This is why the city government has set its course
towards creating a natural-sounding acoustic environment in the
Linnahall and turning it into the largest concert hall in Eastern
Europe; their current position is that the building should be restored
to its original condition, with the addition of modern integrated
equipment. A new solution will be developed for the structure of
the former ice hall and, for more functionality, a conference centre
will be added. 194

On reviving the Linnahall: the passage of time has created a suitable

temporal distance for people to relate to the monumental building
of the Linnahall regardless of their memories of the Soviet regime.
Nowadays, the Linnahall is seen more as a part of Tallinn’s identity
that offers a great opportunity for people to enjoy both the sea and
the city. This building is meaningful to people and they value its
place in the urban landscape, as well as its role in their personal life
experience. It offers a unique opportunity to ascend the limestone
stairs, walk across the roof of the building, and arrive at the sea,
where one is free to enjoy a sunset or sunrise. In this way, not only
people who have purchased a ticket for a cultural event can use the
194 On the developments concerning Linnahall 2012–2016 see the Facebook page https://www.
building, but anyone at all: residents of the city and visitors. facebook.com/HowLongIsTheLifeOfABuilding/?fref=ts/ (accessed 8 November 2016).

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 162 CASE II – Tallinn Linnahall Concert Hall 163

6.

C AS E I I I – H i i u m a a
Pa l u k ü l a C h u r ch

What captivated me about the Paluküla church on the small

island of Hiiumaa off the west coast of Estonia was the way
its pompous Gothic Revival architecture contrasted with the
dilapidated Soviet-era industrial landscape that surrounds it.
My personal interest was also inspired by my family story. My
research question is about the tangible and intangible spatial
values of an abandoned building and how to create dynamic
interaction between contemporary users’ expectations and
needs in historical buildings. The practice-based research
investigates, on the basis of the Paluküla church case study, the
activation of space and forms of spatial intervention tactics,
focusing on physical space parallel to the mental and social
strata of space, and on phenomenological knowledge of
techniques for rethinking derelict sacral buildings.

 Fig 77: Paluküla Church, Hiiumaa island 2013. 165

 6.1 R E - P U R P O S I N G T H E PAST

The slow but constant change of a spatial environment is a natural

process and one that is interesting to observe, relate to, or – where
possible – get involved in. Demographic processes—immigration
and emigration – induced by changes in politics can bring about the
revival of a place or cause it to become extinct. How are these phe-
nomena reflected in architecture and space? At the most recent inter-
national art exhibition, the 56th Venice Biennale (2015), the pavilion
of Iceland presented an interesting shift in cultural space with their
exhibition The Mosque: The First Mosque in the Historic City of Venice
(curator Nína Magnúsdóttir, artist Christoph Büchel). Since 1969, the
church had been used both as a sports hall and a warehouse. Here the
artist activated the derelict religious building with his controversial
project. A mosque was presented as an art project in an ancient 10th-
century Catholic church of the Cannaregio district. The artist initi-
ated a discussion on re-purposing the past by focusing on a religious
building, with his exhibition engaging thousands of Muslim residents,
as well as welcoming Muslim tourists of traditional Catholic Venice.
The artists’ project at the Venice Biennale got lots of attention for how
it reflected on the evolution of holy spaces and what effect that had
on people’s behaviour. The approach is closely related to my research
questions about the interaction of old buildings with contemporary
users in the re-purposing process and also about the architectural and
spatial values of buildings.

In Soviet Estonia, many churches were turned into barns for farm
animals, sports halls, workshops and warehouses. The regime cul-
tivated atheism, opposing religion and churches, which it saw as
strongholds of stagnation. Most of these buildings have now been
returned to their congregations and have been restored, yet the num-
ber of churchgoers remains low. In many countries congregations
are disappearing; abandoned churches are remodelled for other
purposes and used as elegant homes, restaurants, offices, kinder-
gartens, boutiques, nightclubs etc. Modern people have grown apart
from religion: their search for values is motivated by more pragmatic
considerations and their concept of sanctity has become vague.

The aim of this project was to use an abandoned church as a lab-

oratory, in which to create different experiences of space and to
analyse new meanings of space based on human perception and
senses. The sound installation conjured up mental images of the
Fig 78: The location of the Paluküla church, Hiiumaa island. church’s alternative uses (as a workshop, sports hall, restaurant and

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 166 CASE III – Hiiumaa Paluküla Church 167

 residential building) in the past, as well as the future. My spatial
intervention took the shape of a red bridge: an active visual symbol
used to encourage people to join in the discussion of whether or not
there were any taboos when it came to re-purposing former sacred
buildings, and what kinds of things modern people continue to hold
sacred. Does the unavoidable process of change only diminish value
or does it also create value? In the context of this dissertation, the
project serves as a study of social/spiritual space that is intertwined
with customs, communication and behaviour.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 168
6.2 FUNCTIONAL CHANGES IN SACRED BUILDINGS IN
EUROPE AND ESTONIA
Why are so many sacred buildings nowadays abandoned? The
historic urban landscape of most European cities is dominated
by medieval cathedrals. The churches are mostly also objects of
architectural monuments and subject to specific restoration guide-
lines if not possible demolition. They have maintained their origi-
nal functions for many centuries, but the modern generation is
becoming less and less connected to the ecclesiastical mindset
and congregational activities. Fewer and fewer people are making
use of churches. The churches themselves are owned by congrega-
tions who maintain the buildings, pay for any construction and
renovation work, and cover the day-to-day costs. Relatively high
church tax rates (e.g. 10% of one’s annual income in Germany and
Sweden) have forced people to leave congregations; congregations
merge or disappear and many sacred buildings are losing their
religious meaning. Disused churches stand completely empty in
city centres, despite the fact that a lot of people visit the city cen-
tres every day. In today’s Europe, social, nationalist and religious
changes have emerged and in some places they have also reached
critical levels. In Brussels, a traditionally Christian cultural space,
the number of mosques has surpassed that of Catholic churches:
there are currently about 125 Christian churches and about 160
mosques in Brussels. The acuteness of this transformation naturally
varies throughout Europe. It is not a concern in countries with
strong Catholic traditions, such as Italy and Poland, where more
churches are being built. In the heart of Europe, however – in the
Netherlands, Germany and England – hundreds of churches have
been abandoned and different solutions are being sought for their
purpose/occupation.
How can abandoned church buildings be revived? This is also a
divisive issue in Estonia. Public opinion largely tends to be that if a
sacred building had operated in this capacity for several centuries,
it could perhaps be revived in the next century, i.e. nothing should/
needs to be done about it for now. On the other hand, it is also a
fact that vacant buildings deteriorate at a faster rate. However, many
monumental sacred buildings are now also active as nightclubs and
dance halls, such as the Seven Candles Church (1865) Nightclub
in Denver, Colorado. The English have pragmatically created real
estate websites to buy and sell church buildings. In this way, sur-
plus sacred buildings can find new owners and purposes. Over the
CASE III – Hiiumaa Paluküla Church 169
 past 75 years, roughly 8,000 Methodist chapels have closed down in
England. Within the past five years, around 500 churches have been
remodelled into residential buildings in London.195 Adding a modern
interior to a historic building, such as a church, creates a contempo-
rary home and adds value to the real estate. A similar trend can be
observed in Australia and Tasmania; there it is quite common to see
‘for sale’ signs on the walls of churches: there is a desire for sacral
buildings to become homes.

The Netherlands also offers a number of interesting examples of

how church buildings can be re-purposed. For instance, in Maas-
tricht there are two famous sights that can be visited on a Sun-
day morning instead of going there to attend a mass. An imposing
book store has been opened in a former Dominican church; the
Dominicanen book store (architect Patrice Girod, interior architect
Fig 79: Selexyz book shop in the former Dominican church in Maastricht, 2012.
Evelyne Merkx) is part of the European book store chain Selexyz.
The building had long ago lost its function as a church and in the
meanwhile it had stood vacant and been used as a children’s cen- In the same neighbourhood in Maastricht, the elegant Kruisheren
tre, warehouse, bicycle rental shop etc. The magnificent interior of hotel (a joint project of the architect Henk Vos and the lighting engi-
the book store is respectful of the high three-naved Gothic church, neer Ingo Maurer) is located in a renovated monastery complex. The
maintaining both the integrity of its architectural structure and walls in the lobby of the stylish design hotel are covered in Bible-
its spatial value. An elegant metal construction containing book- themed cartoons by the comic artist Kamagurka.
shelves has been placed in the centre of the room, where it forms
an independent multi-level structure that allows visitors to climb
up to the vaulted ceiling. 196 In the course of reconstruction work,
as bathrooms and storerooms were being constructed, all of the
human remains that were still buried in the church were disin-
terred and reburied in the choir area. In the current interior, the
choir area houses a cafe; its cross-shaped bar made of modern
painted lightweight flakeboard has a provocative effect. According
to the authors, their goal was to create 1,200 square metres of com-
mercial space in a 750 square metre church. The black multi-level
steel construction offered a pragmatic solution that also enriches
people’s experience of the space. 197

Fig 80: Kruisheren design hotel in Maastricht, 2012. Fig 81: Kamagurka MMXII: XII Jesus Dies On The
Cross, IV Jesus meets his afflicted mother Mary, Maastricht 2012.

These are good examples of re-purposed church buildings: well-

195 A. Eadie, Buying a Church Conversion, http://www.ourproperty.co.uk/guides/buying_a_church
conversion/ (accessed 8 November 2016).
designed and functional buildings, where only attractively designed
196 Somewhat similarly, the mediaeval ruins of the Tartu Cathedral in Estonia were rebuilt into the ‘entrance gates’ have been added to the authentic exterior struc-
university’s library in the early 19th century. However, in this case the interior of the building tures. The authors of these metamorphoses have purposely avoided
was separated into lower levels by adding intermediate floors (architect Johann Wilhelm
adding intermediate floors which would interfere with the archi-
Krause).
197 P. Girod, E. Merkx, Ambitsioonikas ruum / Ambitious Space. – SISU—LINE 2016, no. 2, p. 95. tectural structure of the buildings and disrupt their interior space.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 170 CASE III – Hiiumaa Paluküla Church 171

 Rather, visitors are for the first time given a unique chance to reach
the vaults of a Gothic church by simply climbing the stairs. Neverthe-
less, the fact that the book store and hotel now serve contemporary
business interests are seen as in conflict with the original sacred
function of these buildings. This situation where one important cul-
tural stratum could be lost is intriguing, but only as long as it remains
rare and does not become a predominant type of metamorphosis.
Provocative concepts, attractive designs and occasionally kitschy
solutions draw attention and attract visitors. As people are becom-
ing harder and harder to surprise in the contemporary world, where
things quickly change and there is an abundance of information,
this is also one of the gauges of whether or not a building or space
really works.

Fig 83: AMUZ concert hall in the former Augustinian monastery –

the bar in the chapel, Antwerp 2010.

Fig 82: The activated entrance of the Kruisheren hotel, Maastricht 2013.

The church of the former Augustinian monastery in Antwerp now

houses the non-profit AMUZ concert hall. While the Rubens paint- Fig 84: Former Caermers monastery in Ghent transformed into the
ings in the restored early-Baroque basilica have been removed and Centre for Art and Culture of the province of East Flanders, Ghent 2011.

replaced with reproductions, there have also been some additions:

adjustable acoustic window coverings, modern lighting solutions
and ergonomically designed chairs by Vitra. The Our Dear Lady
Chapel, still decorated with authentic murals, now houses a foyer
and an elegant bar. A modern annex with lecture halls is primar-
ily used by musicians, providing comfortable dressing rooms that
most concert venues lack. The families of Antwerp can now enjoy
a delightful Sunday brunch in the former monastery chapel.
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart (1905–1971) in Brussels was com-
missioned by King Leopold II in celebration of the 75th anniversary
of the Kingdom of Belgium. The largest Art Deco building in Europe,
it still operates as a church, but has also gained a number of addi-
tional functions. During the week, the church can only be accessed
through the restaurant, while in the back rooms (such as the former
heating room) members of the local rock climbing club have set up
their safety lines. Climbers also have permission to use the exterior
of the church.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 172 CASE III – Hiiumaa Paluküla Church 173


Fig 85: The climbing scheme of the Basilica of the
Sacred Heart (1905–1971), Brussels 2010.
Near the Law Courts of Brussels, there is a small baroque Brigit-
tine chapel from the 17th century that has been expanded with
a modern minimalist structure with equal proportions. This new
extension functions as the Contemporary Dance and Music Centre,
with a black box auditorium, rehearsal rooms, dance studios, an
office, kitchen etc. The project area of the old sacred building has
been elegantly integrated with the modern conditions created in the
annex: ramps, heating, lighting etc.
Fig 86: Baroque Brigittine chapel and the modern extension
functioning as the Contemporary Dance and Music Centre,
Brussels 2015.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 174
In Germany, former sacred buildings are commonly used as restau-
rants, office buildings or museums, e.g. the restaurant Glück und
Seligkeit in St Martin’s Church in Bielefeld, an office block in the
St Alfons monastery church in Aachen, and the MACHmit! Museum
for Children in the Elias Church in Berlin. A new and original func-
tion has been found for the formerly vacant St Joseph’s Church in
the heart of Aachen. It now serves as a graves-church for hundreds
of cremation urns, with a stream of water flowing through the floor
to create atmosphere. The high-priced urns cover the cost of the
project.
Such transformations are at once intriguing and lead one to ask:
why? Elegant ways have been found for adapting these buildings to
their new uses, which is key to reviving abandoned structures. This
saves the buildings from inevitable ruin and also provides a spatial
experience for modern users. Nevertheless, commercial solutions
do not manage to convey the essential values of the former sacred
buildings that were once rooted in tradition.
In Estonia, a large number of churches underwent metamorphoses
quite a bit earlier than in the rest of Europe: after World War II, the
Soviet regime was in the forefront of re-purposing church buildings.
The conflict of form and function did not stop the regime from
assigning vacant sacred buildings new and ‘useful’ purposes, such
as sports halls, general stores, community cultural centres, barns for
sheep and chickens, manure storage areas and warehouses. Some
examples of churches re-purposed as sports halls are St Michael’s
Swedish Church (built 1752–55; re-purposed 1949) and the Church of
St. Simeon and the Prophetess Hanna (re-purposed 1970) in Tallinn,
both reconsecrated after the restoration of Estonia’s independence,
and Tartu’s St Mary’s Church (re-purposed 1961), currently under-
going restoration. The Jaani Seegi Church in Tallinn (re-purposed
early 1960s) and St. Nicholas’ Church in Paldiski, both now restored,
were used as warehouses. The Baptist House of Prayer in Kõpu, Hii-
umaa served as a general store and has now been re-purposed as a
residential building. Community centres were set up in the Külamäe
Orthodox church and school building in Kõpu, Hiiumaa (re-pur-
posed 1957), now restored as a community centre with the chapel
and teachers’ chambers yet to be renovated, as well as the House of
Prayer of Evangelical Christians in Tõrva (restored) and the House
of Prayer of the Moravian Brothers in Misso (restored). The House
of Prayer of Evangelical Christians in Aruküla, Virumaa was used
as a barn; the Peetrimõisa German Lutheran church in Võrumaa
and St Martin’s Church in Rasina, Põlvamaa (restored) served as
CASE III – Hiiumaa Paluküla Church 175
 a chicken barn and a manure storage area. Some churches were
subjected to somewhat more cultured metamorphoses, becoming
libraries, concert halls, theatres or cinemas. Some examples include
the ruins of St. Nicholas’ Church in Tallinn, reconstructed into a
museum space and concert hall in 1953–1984, and St Paul’s Church
in Tartu (architect Eliel Saarinen, 1919), reconstructed into a sports
museum in 1970 and also used as a repository for the Estonian
National Museum. The Bethel Lutheran Church in Pelgulinn (now
reconsecrated) was re-purposed in 1962 as a sound stage for Esto-
nian Television, and the House of Prayer of the Moravian Brothers
in Tallinn became a film studio in the late 1950s (demolished). The
Mustvee Baptist House of Prayer was reconstructed into a cultural
centre and cinema (now returned to the congregation and used as a
secular building). Tallinn’s Seventh-day Adventist Church, which had
previously housed a theological seminary, was transformed into the
Kalinin District Cultural Centre in 1948, and a branch of the Tallinn
Central Library in 1950 (transformed into the Pelgulinn Community
Centre in 1990). The Tartu University church was reconstructed into
a library in 1956 (currently, the university archive and spontaneously
established innovative Y Gallery, owned by the university). 198
Modern Estonian churches constructed in the 1920s and 1930s are
smaller and their designs less ambitious. Because of their modest
exteriors, they often bear little resemblance to sacred buildings and
were therefore much easier to transform into residential buildings,
workshops, kindergartens etc. Tallinn’s Seventh-day Adventist Church
was reconstructed into flats, and the Iru Baptist House of Prayer
and the House of Prayer of the Moravian Brothers in Jüri became
private residences. The Kärdla Baptist House of Prayer was used as
a print shop and woodworking shop (now reconsecrated). Tartu’s
Seventh-day Adventist Church was modified into a kindergarten
in 1963 (now reconsecrated). A typical example is the story of the
German Lutheran Church of the Redeemer (architect Robert Natus,
1932) in Nõmme. The Neo-Expressionist church lost its congrega-
tion after World War II and was handed over to the Estonian Artists’
Association for the creation of a shared atelier space, but was actu-
ally only used as a warehouse. In 1957–58, it was remodelled and
divided into work experience education classrooms for the local
Russian school: concrete intermediate floors and a hallway were
added, high and narrow window openings were closed and new
openings were added. The building later fell into disuse, but after
198 E. Tamm, Moodsad kirikud: Eesti 1920.–1930. aastate sakraalarhitektuur. Tallinn: Eesti
Arhitektuurimuuseum, 2001.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE
the re-establishment of Estonia’s independence it was returned to its
rightful owners, restored and, in 2008, reconsecrated. 199 Some other
church buildings remain vacant, were demolished or have simply
been destroyed.
Once Estonia regained its independence in 1991, the opposite
trend emerged: church buildings were returned to their congrega-
tions by the Ownership Reform Act passed in 1991, where unlaw-
fully expropriated land is to be returned to its former owners. With
the help of foreign congregations, a great number of churches that
had lost their initial sacred function were restored; one such exam-
ple is St Michael’s Swedish Church in Tallinn. A creditable but rare
example is St Paul’s Church in Rakvere (architect Alar Kotli, 1940),
which for many years served as a gymnasium. After the Estonian
University of Life Sciences moved out of St Mary’s Church in Tartu,
St Paul’s Church in Rakvere remained as the last ‘sports church’
in Estonia. As many as 136 concepts were submitted for the archi-
tectural competition. 200 An international architectural competition
was held to find a design transforming the building into the Arvo
Pärt Concert Hall. The idea of replacing this Soviet-era gymnasium
of the Estonian Sports Association Kalev with a concert hall was
tactful: sensitive regarding collective memory and ethically accept-
able. 201 In the end, it was decided not to go ahead with this project
in Rakvere. Instead, the Arvo Pärt Centre will be built in a pine
forest in Lohusalu. The sports church is home to a youth centre
and plays a central role in the Baltoscandal international theatre
festival. St Paul’s Church in Tartu, the only surviving example of the
Finnish-American architect Eliel Saarinen’s sacred architecture, has
recently been renovated with help from Finland, and a day care
centre now operates in the building.
199 E. Tamm, O. Liivik, Tallinna kirikud. Ajalugu ja restaureerimine. Tallinn: Tallinna Kultuuriväärtuste
Amet, 2009, pp. 79–80.
200 R. Järg, Rakvere Pauluse kirik – Kalevi hall – Pärdi muusikamaja. – Maja 2009, no. 62 (4), pp.
50–52.
201 T.-K. Vaikla, Muutuv ruum. – Maja 2010, no. 63, pp. 8–11.
176 CASE III – Hiiumaa Paluküla Church 177

Fig 87: St Michael’s Swedish Church in Tallinn, re-purposed as a sports
halls, 1949 (photo: archive of St Michael’s Swedish Church).
Compared to the number of churchgoers, Estonia has a dispropor-
tionately large number of churches. Since the re-establishment of
Estonia’s independence, the past few decades have seen a search
for identity and self-assertion, leading to the restoration of many
derelict churches to their traditional function. The beginning of this
period saw a boost in the number of churchgoers but, just as else-
where (mostly in the Protestant Western world), those numbers have
gone down again in the 21st century.
Similarly, the globally emerging topic of re-purposing buildings is
increasingly addressed in the curricula of architectural schools.
An interesting example of this search for new functions was a joint
workshop of European universities, Abandoned Sacred Places: Po-
ethical Reconversions, at the Belgian Sint-Lucas School of Architec-
ture in Brussels/Ghent (2010). There, participants sought to define
the meaning of sanctity in the modern world and tried to come
up with new functions for a church, based on their own cultural
backgrounds and identities. The workshop also included a variety
of spatial experiences in some of the re-purposed sacred buildings
described above. The emergence of religious clashes caused by
the participants’ different backgrounds provided a solid founda-
tion for addressing similar problems involving Catholic, Lutheran,
Anglican, Islamic and atheist world-views in the future: the list of
attendees included students and lecturers from Germany, Cyprus,
Italy, Estonia and Belgium. This experience also inspired my site-
specific exhibition project and interdisciplinary workshop in an
abandoned church building, as described below.

From the perspective of conserving our culture in Estonia, by restor-

ing these churches for future generations we have renewed their
value. With historic buildings and interiors, the question of what
should be done and how is of critical importance. A certain palpa-
ble tension remains between the old tradition and new functions.
Having visited the re-purposed churches listed above, it seems to
me that people’s sense and concept of sanctity is diminishing, either
consciously or unconsciously. Interior design appears to be oriented
towards the ‘wow factor’, mainly seeking to attract visitors/consum-
ers. Church buildings are indeed being used, but they are becoming
part of the entertainment industry of the business world, as seen in
Maastricht. It is clear that a global increase in the modernisation of
Fig 88: St Michael’s Swedish Church in Tallinn, re-purposed as a sports
churches has triggered a process of sales and purchases that could halls, 1949 (photo: archive of St Michael’s Swedish Church).
possibly destroy one of their cultural layers. As discussed earlier,
Riegl notes that a building’s use value is of paramount importance
and a valid grounds for intervention (see Chapter 2.5 ): it is bet-
ter to put a building to use than to let it fall into ruin. With that in
mind, I believe that a continued concentrated search for new solu-
tions is warranted, and constant dialogue with the public should
be promoted.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 178 CASE III – Hiiumaa Paluküla Church 179

6.3 E X H I B I T I O N P R O J E C T H O U S E W A R M I N G , H I I U M A A’ S 27.60

P A L U K Ü L A C H U R C H , 1 2 J U LY – 4 A U G U S T 2 0 1 3

Putting a target where the altarpiece used to stand, Soviet soldiers

set up a shooting range in the Paluküla church. At the same time,
the church’s thick limestone walls created a safe depository for a
16.50

gas company’s storage rooms (or was it the other way round?). Such
5
surprising changes in function were brought about by the pragmatic
11.40

re-purposing of churches after World War II. The immediate surround-

ings of the church reveal an abundance of information regarding the
various strata of its recent history: an auto repair shop, a woodwork-
9.50

ing shop and an abandoned gas station. 7.82

7.52
6.20 5

My third site-specific exhibition project took place in the Paluküla 5 5

church in Hiiumaa, and was entitled Housewarming. 202 For my sub- 2.55

ject, I chose a sacred building/space: the Paluküla church on the 2 1

3 3
0.00

island of Hiiumaa, off the west coast of Estonia. This is a deliberately

4a

-1.45

small and specific location where community boundaries can be -3.25

observed clearly. Paluküla is also where the roots of my Kokla family A B

branch are (I have permanent ties to Hiiumaa to this day).

18190

4530 13660

1020 3510 822 11848 990

700
5

1775
4a

5 1 3 5

7100

1800
13,2 m2 79,6 m2
A

4b

1775
2

700
5
PÕHIPLAAN

B
PALUKÜLA KIRIK M 1: 120/A3

Fig 90: The ground plan and a section of the Paluküla church.

6 . 3 . 1. S P A T I A L C H A N G E : C O N T E X T – A C T I O N – I D E A S

Both in the site-specific exhibition project and the interdisciplinary

workshop, I used this case to analyse the various possibilities of spatial
intervention in the re-purposing of a building. In modern practice, the
re-purposing of historic buildings is often characterised by aestheti-
cally impressive plays on form, as dictated by market rules. To counter
these trends, I look for possible alternative interior architectural and
Fig 89: The abandoned Paluküla church and nearby gas station, Hiiumaa 2013.
artistic approaches with a simultaneous focus on the needs of modern
users, as well as finding and highlighting the values of historic build-
ings, and interpreting them as unique phenomena. I use site-specific
exhibition projects as thinking and working models to create a labora-
202 The exhibition was created in collaboration with Külli Tüli, Sylvia Köster, Keity Pook, Siim Porila,
Ann Mirjam Vaikla, Urmo Vaikla and Ingel Vaikla. tory – a test site – to discover existing values present in the location

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 180 CASE III – Hiiumaa Paluküla Church 181

 and space, and to test new ideas. It has become evident in the course
of my research that a flexible and sensitive way of thinking leads to a
solution that can integrate the lifestyle of the local community, as well
as the needs of newcomers, tourists and other contemporary users.
Fig 91: The abandoned Paluküla church, Hiiumaa 2013.
On the rim of the Kärdla meteorite crater lies a miniature, beautifully
proportioned Gothic Revival church. It was built as a sepulchral chapel
(1815–1820) for Count Ungern-Sternberg’s family, but due to the high
level of groundwater in the area, no one is known to have been buried
there. The tunnel-vaulted crypt underneath the church hall explains the
unusually high above-grade foundation. What makes this building note-
worthy is that it was not occupied originally, so it lacks an initial func-
tion. During World War I, the unclaimed building was damaged by army
units passing through the area, as well as by local marauders. Seeking
to put the building to use, congregations from Pühalepa and Palade, and
later also the nearby Kärdla congregation held their holiday services in
this church. The building was revived again in 1935 by a volunteer organ-
isation of the workers of the Department of Waterways. The volunteers
restored the church tower as a navigation mark, repaired the shingle
roof, as well as the weather vane, the work of a local master. A new tile
roof was installed and both the interior and exterior of the building were
remodelled. In the fall of the same year, the church was consecrated and
incorporated as part of Kärdla’s St John’s congregation.203
At the beginning of World War II, the strategically notable naviga-
tion mark and church building was placed at the disposal of Soviet
military bases. In 1941, front line trenches were dug in the vicinity of
203 J. Viires, Paluküla kiriku restaureerimine. Ajalooline õiend. Volume II. Tallinn: KRPI, 1989.
(Archive of Muinsuskaitseamet, ERA.T-76.1.12567).
RE-PURPOSING SPACE
the building. The tower was used as a guard post, the vaulted cellar
was used to store military equipment, the organ and windows were
smashed, and the young pastor was deported to Russia. Under Sta-
lin’s regime, the building was re-purposed as a civil defence shelter
attached to the local kolkhoz. An industrial landscape was estab-
lished in the vicinity of the church and still exists in the form of an
auto repair shop, a woodworking shop and a plant nursery. Locals
recall that, during the Soviet era, gas canisters were stored within
the church’s thick limestone walls, as the local gas depot operated
nearby. Locals also used the crypt as an ice cellar.
For half a century, the church tower has also functioned as a navi-
gation mark; it is known as the Paluküla rear leading mark and,
together with the front leading mark of the Hiiessaare lighthouse, it
forms a leading line (distance between the marks: 2,580 m, azimuth
of the leading line: 229°). As an active navigation mark, it is regis-
tered at the maritime registration as an aid to navigation. Because
of this, the building was given a new roof in 1994 and a new tower
spire in 1996.
Empty cartridge casings can still be found lying on the floor, evi-
dence of the target that once occupied the place of the altarpiece.
Nowadays the lean church building with blind windows stands aban-
doned, torn plastic window covers flapping in the wind. According
to locals, migratory swans sometimes fly in through the tower win-
dows to die there.
To get a feel for the project and the space, we began by clearing the
layers of debris that had long accumulated on the floor and tower
stairs of the church. After this, we delved into the minds of local
people. I asked some local people of Hiiumaa 204 to join us for a
little picnic in the church. The aim was to film some interviews, let-
ting them share their memories and experiences, expectations and
dreams with regard to this location and space. The interviewees were
former and current officials, citizens, relatives and friends who had
some kind of direct or indirect connection to the church building.
I asked them just a couple of questions: What is your personal con-
nection to this abandoned building and how could it be used in
future? Rather provocatively, I also inquired: Could it be turned into
a public nightclub or a family residence? Their responses and sug-
gestions were quite accepting of many types of changes, partly due
204 Tiit Harjak, Tiiu Heldema, Karin Kokla, Katariin Kokla, Paul Kokla, Dan Lukas, Madis Markus,
Ants Orav, Hüllo-Kristjan Simson, Vilma Tikerpuu and Liia Viin.
182 CASE III – Hiiumaa Paluküla Church 183
 to the miserable state that this beautiful building is now in. What was
considered most important was that the church should be put to use,
with people most commonly envisioning it as a future concert hall.
The respondents were also receptive to the idea of using it as a gym-
nasium and were even willing to accept it as a nightclub, as it is an
isolated place where loud music would not disturb any neighbours;
nevertheless, the importance of proper maintenance was stressed in
connection with this function. Even re-purposing the church building
as a private residence was seen as an acceptable outcome. Personal
contact with these people gave me the chance to recognise and
analyse the attitudes of local people towards the idea of re-purposing
this abandoned building, and encouraged me to perform a spatial
intervention by means of a site-specific exhibition project.
The many pragmatic functions of churches in the Soviet era – as
barns (for pigs and other livestock), workshops (woodworking and
metal), sports facilities (for fitness and gymnastics) and warehouses
(storing potatoes and construction materials) – inspired me to cre-
ate a sound installation for the exhibition. The sounds would empha-
sise the contrast between the Gothic Revival church building and
the imaginary practical use of space. The project, entitled House-
warming, aimed to bring these past circumstances back to life. In the
interest of promoting discussion, I also contrasted these Soviet-era
metamorphoses (as barns, sports facility etc.) with the current trend
of re-purposing church buildings as luxury design hotels, boutiques,
restaurants, kindergartens, nightclubs and private residences.
As an event, Housewarming was, in essence, a markedly non-sacred
ritual, making references to the conflict inherent in either using or
not using the building. The grandiose chapel had clearly lost its pre-
vious functions of a place of burial, navigation mark and sacred
building. What reactions and ideas did Housewarming trigger in peo-
ple with its attempts at encouraging them to domesticate and use
this building? Preparing for the exhibition, I was mostly inspired by
the spatial environment: the ruins of this miniature, beautifully pro-
portioned church, the surrounding silicate-brick industrial buildings,
the melancholy erstwhile gas station, and the sounds of birds and
the sea, all merged to create a unique combination.
The main goal of the exhibition project was to create a spatial expe-
rience that would arouse people from a quietly ignorant frozen state
of familiarity to see the environment as it had become and to accept
it as a normal state of affairs. I mainly perceived this project as the
creation of a social space. It was also important for me to provide
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 184
visual representations of the prosaic functions assigned to churches
in the Soviet era and contrast them with the glamorous modern uses
from around the world, as referenced above. I used symbolic red
stairs to activate the entrance of the monochrome building, inviting
people to step inside the derelict building. A raised red path (instead
of the familiar red carpet) made its way through the room and up
the back wall. This dynamic bridge divided the interior of the church
into two parts, allowing visitors to move ‘above’ the dusty floor and
reach a red ‘altar’, where they could nail to the wall their personal
ideas about the possible future uses of this church space. I used the
help of a sound editor (Külli Tüli) to create a backdrop of sound
to support an imagined vision. The sounds marked the building as
a navigation marker (the sounds of wind and sea birds), a church
(bells), a gymnasium (rhythmic basketball sounds), a restaurant (the
hum of voices and the clinking of cutlery), a barn (sounds of farm
animals), a workshop (hammering), a nightclub (booming music)
and finally a home (distinct sounds of children’s laughter and radio
news). These contrasting sounds brought the abandoned building
back to life. Sacred music composed by Hildegard von Bingen in the
12th century revived the remote church even at night. White curtains
hung up high in the tower windows floated in the breeze, creating
an illusion of domesticated space. Interior as well as exterior spaces
were activated to conjure up and contrast visions of the past and
the imagined future. The colour red could also be interpreted as
an allusion to the red Soviet past, which took over the religious
building during the last war, re-used the place as a storage area and
changed the surrounding natural landscape into an industrial area.
The red stairs of the sacred building called to mind the holy feeling
of climbing towards the sky. Working on site-specificity in a cultural
and social way, I intended that the visitors notice several different
layers from the past which were hidden there in the controversial sit-
uation of an abandoned sacral building and half-abandoned Soviet
industrial environment: by doing so, focusing on the re-purposing
possibilities from their own viewpoints.
6 . 3 . 2 O P E N WO R K S HO P R E - V ITA L I SAT I O N
Simultaneously with the exhibition project and drawing inspiration
from both the theoretical standpoints on re-purposing space out-
lined in this dissertation and the practical possibilities discussed
in its creative section, I held an interdisciplinary workshop enti-
tled OPEN workshop Re-Vitalisation in the abandoned Paluküla
church. The structure and organisation of the workshop allowed
CASE III – Hiiumaa Paluküla Church 185
 for backwards and forwards (projecting into future) time mobility,
both mentally and physically. In this way, together with the students
we could use practical activities to experience the different layers
of the sacred space, focusing on the big picture and then zoom-
ing in to details. The aim of the workshop was to advance and
develop critical spatial thinking and a keen sense of social environ-
ment, as well as the ability to analyse spatial context. Using these
skills, the participants would be able to present and advance their
own creative ideas. The list of participants consisted of students
of Architecture, Interior Architecture, Restoration, Art History, and
Jewellery and Blacksmithing from the Estonian Academy of Arts,
and students from the Viljandi Dance Academy, together with their
teachers 205. Members of the local community were invited to join in.
Fig 92: Exhibition project Housewarming in the Paluküla church, Hiiumaa 2013.
205 Prof. Ranulph Glanville (London Royal College of Art), Tom Callebaut (LUCA, Sint-Lucas School
of Architecture, Brussels/Ghent), Prof. Andres Ojari, Martin Melioranski, Urmo Vaikla, Maris
Mändel, Oliver Orro and Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla (Estonian Academy of Arts).
RE-PURPOSING SPACE
The topic of this study group was the reinterpretation of a build-
ing/space through the analysis of its local context. Our ultimate
goal was to activate this abandoned but significant place and to
create a new atmosphere. The workshop took the form of working
groups, utilising the synergy between them and the community to
search for a new function based on pragmatic needs, emotions
and sensory experiences. Participants were tasked with identify-
ing any values of this building that should be preser ved even
after its transformation, considering that the notion of what is
valuable changes over time. Likewise, they were to consider dif-
ferent ways of putting such historic buildings to use in a dignified
and sustainable manner, i.e. consistent, healthy and lucrative uses
on both the individual and community levels, and to recognize
the influence that spatial intervention has on public opinion and
the surrounding community. The aim was to use various activities
and aesthetic tools to look for promising options. This hands-
on method generated a number of questions: Who will its future
users be? What would this place need? What happens if no new
purpose is found? Can all problems be solved and do they need
to be solved right away?
The students familiarised themselves with the temporal and
spatial context of the location and worked in groups, develop-
ing various ideas on how to revive this abandoned site and sug-
gesting different spatial interventions needed to execute these
ideas. Using trial and error, the sacred space served as a test site
and was assigned different functions in an effort to develop new
thinking models and architectural models for the re-purposing
of church buildings. Over the course of four days and nights, we
domesticated the church for ourselves in order to test its spatial
possibilities. A midnight candlelight church service/compline was
held, as well as a provocative screening of Paradies: Glaube (by
the Austrian director Ulrich Seidl, 2012) and workshop presenta-
tions, in both verbal and physical form. Inspired by the sound
installation of the exhibition, a modern dance performance used
physical movement to express the varied uses of sacred build-
ings as barns, basketball courts and restaurants. The culmination
of the event was a ‘housewarming party’ at the opening of the
exhibition: people cooked and ate pancakes in the open air and
local musicians gave a zither concert in the church, after which
people could dance and mingle freely. This abandoned site had
unexpectedly become a lively meeting place.
186 CASE III – Hiiumaa Paluküla Church 187
Fig 93: Sacred space as a lab, Hiiumaa 2013.

The presentation of the workshop’s results and a debate involving

local residents and people from the Estonian Academy of Arts were
held in the church hall; models for re-purposing the church build-
ing were exhibited downstairs in the crypt. Work groups made up
of young architects, interior architects, designers and art historians
presented their imaginative ideas. The first group wanted to leave the
interior untouched, but give the building a new form by hiding it in
a box that would draw even more attention to it. The second group
suggested re-purposing the church as a shelter for backpackers, and
designed suitable multifunctional furniture for the interior. The third
group proposed activating the space by adding a climbing wall, and
the fourth group envisioned the church as a wedding site for same-
sex couples or people who don’t belong to any church. Over the Fig 94: Developing of modes, models and methodologies of practice, Hiiumaa 2013.
course of this process, the participants reflected on the meaning of
sanctity for people in the past and in the future.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 188 CASE III – Hiiumaa Paluküla Church 189

6.4 CONCLUSIONS

I focused on what it means to revive a building, and on finding dif-

ferent ways to involve a greater variety of people in my activities. The
third site-specific exhibition project, Housewarming at the Paluküla
church in Hiiumaa, brought the abandoned building back to life and
explored the local people’s relationship with the church.

On the whole, the exhibition project with its transdisciplinar y

workshop fulfilled its main purpose: it mobilised people and made
them notice what was there. The action triggered a lot of lively and
case-specific reactions. Hundreds of people visited the abandoned
Paluküla church and a few hundred slips of paper with extremely
varied ideas on how to re-purpose the building were nailed to the
‘red altar’. The project was reviewed from assorted and contradic-
tory angles in local, as well as cultural and architectural, media, and
the local community awarded Housewarming the title of the second
most important event to take place in Hiiumaa in 2013. Another indi-
cator of the influence of this project is that the Kärdla congregation
subsequently decided to clear the vicinity of the church of trees,
supposedly to make space for a parking area for visitors.

Sacred buildings are interesting locations when it comes to testing

the functional reinterpretation of space: there is an added layer of
invisible value that is much less prominent in other buildings. 206 They
necessitate the question of which new functions are appropriate
and which are not. It is possible to achieve a sense of a specific
space by trial and error; awareness of spatial influence is greatly
dependent on the length of time spent in that space. Because no
feasible plans with regard to re-purposing this building were on the
table at the time, the project helped the community to gain a sense
of ownership: the value of the building increased in their eyes and
they became more interested in its future prospects.

206 In the case of the Paluküla church, it is notable that its use has been ambiguous since the
very beginning, as the building could not function in its initial intended purpose as a sepulchral
chapel. The Kärdla congregation has used this building to hold some of their holiday services.
To a modern visitor, its Gothic Revival architecture mostly suggests an abandoned church.

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 190 191

7.

S U M M A RY

My research does not propose to alter something existing

but rather the aspiration to highlight spatial relationships
that have hitherto remained concealed. This dissertation
is an attempt to find modes and models for expanding the
concept of professional spatial intervention an installation/
exhibition/performative mode that precedes and informs
the final project re-purposing and re-designing of a space/
building. The practice-based research investigates, on the basis
of case studies, the activation of space and forms of spatial
intervention tactics, focusing on physical space parallel
to the mental and social strata of space. The practical part
focuses on phenomenological knowledge of techniques
for re-purposing derelict buildings that revived the evolving
gentrification process.

 Fig 95: Pavillon Four Cubes to Contemplate our Environment by Tadao Ando, Chateau la
Coste 2016. 193
 Different types of buildings suggest different possibilities for re-purpos-
ing and redesigning based on the building’s physical and intellectual
character (connected to knowledge, images, memories and ideas)
and social space (connected to behaviour and communication). The
cultural and social values of a building are not necessarily directly
connected to architectural value. Established cultural and social value,
however, should be an important point of departure in functional re-
purposing. In the physical sense, it is remarkably easier to adapt his-
torical buildings with load-bearing walls to new functions through
reconstruction, yet nowadays it is more complicated to achieve this in
the case of rigid load-bearing constructions and also due to current
construction standards and complex contemporary construction tech-
nologies. In the course of reconstructions, the original spatial values
tend to disappear. By this I am referring to such physical values as a
splendid spatial programme and the logistics arising from it, spatial
proportions, window and door openings. If the reason why this kind of
space was created disappears, then the people involved do not know
how or do not wish to use those values or to feature them any longer
in the building’s new function. There are different reasons for this, such
as a new spatial programme with rigid rules based on the principle of
economic savings (which confirms the unsuitability of the new func-
tion) and focusing on the building’s physical corpus exclusively from
the pragmatic point of view, while ignoring non-material values. The
cognition of the spatial values of a building depends not so much on
the type of building as on the mutual effect of the attributes of the
space. Yet the values – both material and immaterial – that can be
ascribed to an object/space vary over time. Cases in which the original
spatial programme is restored when the owner (and the building’s
function) change(s) are also common. This makes it possible to experi-
ence, sense and appreciate the original attributes. Each case requires
an in-depth approach and the skilful treatment of all the levels of a
space: social, mental and physical.
In this doctoral thesis, I have posed the following research questions:
How is it possible to find an interaction of contemporary user and
historical building in the functional re-purposing process? And what
should be borne in mind when speaking of (changing) architectural
and spatial values in a historical building? I argue that in the case
of historical buildings only the physical substance of the building
is valued by heritage protectors, and its intangible values are not
protected. Often in the revitalisation of derelict buildings there is a
lack of direct contact with possible users in the functional re-pur-
posing process. In this dissertation, I have set the goals of focusing
on extending the concept of spatial intervention and experimenting
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 194
as a spatial practitioner with approaches that facilitate finding and
highlighting spatial attributes in order to appreciate the mental
(emotional) and social spatial levels that have been overshadowed
in the built environment. The revitalisation (even if only temporary)
of abandoned places proceeds on the boundaries of these kinds of
spatial interventions, somewhere between planning and realisation.
This is not the desire to alter something that already exists, but rather
the attempt to highlight spatial relations that have hitherto been
overshadowed. This study is an attempt to find ways and models
for expanding the concept of professional spatial intervention. The
research has been more or less influenced by my practice in interior
architecture and rethinking the profession while in both learning
and teaching positions. The research process has been a way of
extending my practice.
Interior architecture as a profession is involved in activated topi-
cal processes that are connected with people and space. Interior
architecture studies the impact of space on people and the impact
of people on space. The interior architect as the creator of spatial
effects can intentionally transform people’s behavioural patterns
in space but the users of space equally transform space. From the
standpoint of the development of the profession, making sense of
space in an academic way via the PhD process and the dynamics of
communication between practising interior architects are important,
as they involve multilayered cooperation in the practical experience
of putting theory into practice. Ways of activating space and tactics
for spatial intervention can be taught and learned in an academic
environment using a practice-based approach related to social
changes in the future. In parallel with physical space, it is important
to focus on mental and social space. When dealing with physical
space, emotional sensibility disappears and, vice versa, by focusing
only on mental space, the functional, practical needs of a space
can go unresolved. In the case of the professional design of interior
architectural space, the actual physical approach and the emotional
approach are in an inversely proportional relation to each other.
The spatial intervention projects of this study have been inspired
by actual situations that have emerged over time: the stagnation
of the activities of life, which can in a certain sense be considered
a conflict in a social context between residents and the existing
environment. In Estonia, this has been/is particularly prevalent and
urgent to address. I have gone beyond the boundaries of official
institutions with the projects I have curated. This provides me as
an interior architect with the opportunity to examine connections
SUMMARY 195
 between places, spaces and people. These concerns are part of the
interior architecture practice. I consider the importance of a place
in the meaning of a project, whether it is an exhibition or an event,
and the importance of the exhibition project as an event in the
sense of place. Michel de Certeau’s concept of the event includes the
possibility of radical change in what is normally understood as an
event. An event is not what we can find out about it, but rather what
it later becomes (first and foremost for us). 207 In the broader sense,
space is part of a physical building, with its temporal background
and actual vicinity, and thus it is connected to people, or users. The
association of people is renewable; the notions of these places are
conditional both in the temporal sense and in the sense of their
background. In the broader context, this relates to the prevailing
social system and location, both in the geographical sense and in
terms of climatic conditions.
The concept of ‘presence’ is associated with place, or with the sense of
being present with one’s thoughts and senses. Over the course of the
site-specific projects of this practice-based study, I have intervened in
abandoned buildings in order to relate to people and generate interest,
provoking a reaction that in the larger perspective can reactivate a place
that has been abandoned in a way that relates to the present. From the
position of the author, this is an act of social criticism: the raising of such
questions produces a form of design activism, i.e. the active solution of
problems in a way characteristic of a designer. Thus my spatial inter-
vention is the activation of space in a selected place by artistic means.
The starting point of my dissertation Re-purposing Space: The Role
and Potential of Spatial Intervention is the search for possible forms
of interaction between contemporary users and the historical build-
ing. Asking critical questions of the local community and visitors,
and testing several situations and conditions in site-specific exhibi-
tions has provided an overview of ideas, wishes and expectations
concerning new functions. Through spatial interventions, I have also
searched for architectural values and details, aiming to activate local
people to notice their neighbourhoods and to inspire them to par-
ticipate in improving their living environments. By doing so, it is
possible to discover the potential of abandoned buildings and to
keep local traditions and cultures alive in the future. The workshops
that addressed the local community helped to find and combine
the dynamics of practical experience and theoretical knowledge.
207 M. Tamm, Ajaloolane Certeau – püüdmatuse püüdja. Intervjuu prantsuse ideeloo uurija Francois
Dosse’iga – Sirp, 20 February 2006.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 196
In order to better understand the social changes in spatial context,
another of my starting points has been the understanding of gentrifi-
cation as a process, which is connected with the evocation of spatial
changes and with the relocation of people. Gentrification involves
the replacement of residents, or users, in an area where the level of
social space is important.
Similarly, metamorphoses and transformations of space as re-purpos-
ing phenomena are also connected with the replacement of people.
I have considered functional changes in space in site-specific
projects, focusing on the Pärnu Mud Baths, Tallinn Linnahall and
Paluküla church in Hiiumaa, in order to articulate the potential of
spatial interventions and to understand the behavioural patterns of
users. Not only the practical behavioural pattern of using spaces, but
also thought patterns and the phenomenological field of meaning
for users, the bodily, emotional and imaginary relationships between
people and space(s) have been focused on. My intention was to
expand the phenomenon of the recycling of buildings as a conser-
vational process that generates values for the future.
In my research, I have also relied on practical experiences acquired
over the course of my doctoral studies in co-supervising on the theme
of changes in function, e.g. Abandoned Sacred Places in Brussels
(2010) at the Sint-Lucas architectural school, the OPEN workshop Re-
Vitalisation at the Paluküla church in Hiiumaa (2013), and the RMIT
Melbourne School of Architecture and Design students’ workshop Re-
vitalisation of Space (2013). Just as important are the workshop pro-
jects carried out through the cooperation of the Estonian Academy
of Arts and Tallinn University of Technology, over the course of which
visions of the future were sought for (almost) abandoned buildings,
for instance the Kohtla-Järve oil tower (2012), the Paluküla church
(2013), the roof of the Church of St. Catherine in Tallinn (2014), Sindi’s
industrial heritage (2015), the Kopli barracks (2016), and the Tapa –
Estonian business card (2017), where the re-purposing research in the
local context of the building was done as fieldwork.
The analysis of historical buildings through artistic and interior archi-
tectural practice is novel in Estonia. A number of generalisations have
emerged as a result of revitalising abandoned or nearly abandoned
buildings that barely continue to function through inertia. Below I
outline the conclusions related to my posed research questions: How
is it possible to find an interaction of contemporary user and histori-
cal building in the functional re-purposing process? And what should
SUMMARY 197
 be borne in mind when speaking of (changing) architectural and
spatial values in a historical building? Conclusions can be reached
based on my three theoretical starting points: 1) phenomenology,
2) gentrification and 3) design activism.
1) Universal conclusions cannot be drawn and guidelines do not apply
to different cases of the functional re-purposing of buildings through
phenomenological spatial cognition: each building has a unique
context, requiring a cognitive personal approach. Abandoned places
conceal within themselves mystical, poetic potential. Their unique-
ness contains high qualitative values. It is difficult to overestimate the
danger of reducing them, in the course of rebuilding, to commercial
places of amusement and consumerism. In order to map out the tan-
gible and the intangible values of a space, it is important to keep the
process dynamic and test different methods, from generating ideas to
actual experiments. In order to discern the attributes of a space and to
acquire diverse spatial experience, I have tried to create conditions for
the perception of space through all of the different senses. It is a spe-
cial experience to notice the echo of your own steps in an abandoned,
nearly empty interior space, or to hear the voices of the surrounding
nature. But feeling cold, or smelling dust is also important. By provid-
ing this experience, I created the opportunity for visitors to take in the
space in different kinds of lighting (including spatial experience in
the dark). We experimented with the students presenting their ideas
and works in complete silence. It is important to sense the space in
uncomfortable situations, and on humid or windy days. It turned out
that excluding one sense led to the activation of other senses. These
kinds of simple devices help visitors/students to notice and recognise
the inherent physical attributes of a space, from where it is possible to
think further, imagine and generate ideas. After doing so, testing again
is an option to control the opportunities and effects in real space.
2) Gentrification is a part of re-urbanisation, in association with certain
social groups and economic processes. In turn, diverse subcategories
can be discerned in the gentrification process, such as studentifica-
tion (which brings an increase in socio-cultural capital); similar to this
is rent gentrification and tourism gentrification (a poorer residential
district becomes a centre of tourism and entertainment), super-gentri-
fication (which takes place in an already gentrified environment) and
new-built gentrification (the overall appearance of an area changes
due to new construction).208
208 L. Lees, A Reappraisal of Gentrification: Towards a ’Geography of Gentrification.’- The
Gentrification Reader. Eds. L. Lees, T. Slater, E. Wyly. London: Routledge, 2010, p. 391.
RE-PURPOSING SPACE
Gentrification is more or less contemporary social violence, moder-
ated by its approach, which focuses on culture. I am convinced that
changes in the demographic profile of residents can be influenced in
a process in which the alternative design projects of artists, designers
and architects are involved in the regeneration of residential districts.
3) Design activism is related to social art in connecting art and
design as creative processes, (although design activism is not neces-
sarily an exhibition mode). Exhibitions always activate social com-
munication. A site-specific exhibition project should not provide an
overview of a situation, but search critically for hidden layers and
problems, adding valuable information gathered in research. Posing
an actual question through an exhibition directs people to critical
reflection on a theme, and to rethink and choose between different
viewpoints. Keeping the discussion open helps a community to adapt.
The journey, or the diverse angles of approach and contradictory
activities of searches for new functions, the end result of which is
analysis and synthesis, are just as important as finding a new func-
tion (which will quite likely change later). The tactic of site-specific
exhibitions as spatial interventions primarily plays an important role
in affecting public opinion. It is possible to change established pub-
lic positions over the course of the process through the skilful pres-
entation of ideas or, in other words, through communication. Here
interviews and stories play important roles, where people relate to
a building in both the past and the present, where the connections
of physical, mental and social space are reflected.
New, functioning solutions can be created in making both temporary
and permanent decisions by bearing in mind all of the following
aspects or guidelines.
Begin on a broad scale or, in other words, relate to the context both
temporally and spatially, and continue onward in the direction of
details. And, vice versa, begin with tiny details to arrive step by step
at spatial solutions. These are equivalent approaches.
The cleaning out of important physical (and spiritual) strata can
serve as the basis for making future choices: as the result of the
removal of secondary details, the cleaning of the layer of patina or
the partial demolition of the building. Threat, confusion and chaos
are parts of the distinct nature of a place. If they are ignored, it can
turn out that clean-up is a destructive activity. Cleaning is as impor-
tant as designing.
198 SUMMARY 199
 The added details are material qualities that are expressed in the
distinctive ‘architectural language’ of the interveners. The added
improvements become layers, between which a certain synthesis
should start to function.
Financial opportunities, or the lack of them, form an important point
of departure in both the realisation and management of ideas (for
instance, the number of cubic metres that are to be heated), from
which sensible solutions can develop; for example, it is natural to
feel cold in certain situations.
Buildings are designed for what is needed and it is complicated
or even impossible to design a building for endless changes. Acci-
dentally produced surplus can be reused but it is not possible to
determine the surplus in advance (and nobody will pay for it). In
conclusion, this research goes beyond the modernist axiom ‘form
follows function’ and relates to the contemporary situation in which
function can follow form. This means that architectural conditions
create a pattern of opportunities for the re-use of buildings more
broadly. If some dimensions are larger than are usually necessary,
such as height, width, cubic measure or floor space, this makes it
possible to re-purpose a building, for example serving smaller or
larger numbers of people. Also, openness, flexible plans and high
ceilings play important roles in public space reuse. The building’s
orientation and lighting (natural light needed and/or artificial light
preferred) and the location (regional accessibility via major roads
and/or highways) are characteristics that determine the nature of the
recovery. 209 It is important that these buildings are put to use again
but with extensive leeway; otherwise, they will not be reused at all.
Looking at them more broadly, buildings have their own social lives.
The situation in which a building was created is reflected, as archi-
tecture always reflects the present time. It is a cultural stratum. These
buildings are valuable not only because of their architectural or
physical dimensions but because of the different semantic fields
of meaning that they have accumulated and hidden in themselves.
They are cross-sections of culture and from this viewpoint are very
important.
But how can these abandoned valuable buildings be brought to life
and who should do it?
209 K. Kohlstedt, Ghost Boxes: Reusing Abandoned Big-Box Superstores Across America,
http://99percentinvisible.org/article/ghost-boxes-reusing-abandoned-big-box-superstores-across-
america/ (accessed 20 April 2016).
RE-PURPOSING SPACE 200
Where is it possible to find the synergy and will to provide the
means for revitalising these buildings? This is a complex modelling
task; all cases are different, although they may have similar problems
and solutions. They are situated in concrete locations and there are
specific conditions that affect the entire process. The point of preser-
vation is that the form has accumulated something valuable per se:
the work of the architect and the culture behind the architect. Some
buildings should be highlighted and kept as they are. They form
oases, time capsules, and they speak to us of different principles of
logic, of how the buildings and spaces were constructed and what
they meant to people.
Modern architectural culture is not something widely appreciated;
the lack of knowledge of 20th century architecture (especially post-
war modernism) is extensive and therefore it must be constantly
explained. A great deal has to be discussed regarding these themes.
The process of living in a city should be taught in schools, beginning
at a young age, including the values of modernism. ‘Buildings that
become part of collective heritage are listed or written into history,
and must make people feel that they are ‘theirs’ and belong in the
inheriting community, i.e. these buildings belong to them.’ 210
To sum it up:
The built environment is particularly important in terms of spatial
use. Re-purposing derelict spaces and buildings can shape local
communities, as users take the leading role in the ongoing aims
of the  re-vitalisation process. The role and potential of spatial
interventions are significant in creating intermediate usefulness.
Activating the space helps to ‘domesticate’ it, and create common
ground, which is the basic platform for real solutions and
realisations in the future.
It is important to discover the tangible and intangible spatial
values of abandoned buildings and amplify these in the functional
re-purposing process in a way that the space can influence the
behaviour of people. However, one must take into account that
people themselves influence space, so it is important to leave
enough ‘space’ for this purpose, which means maintaining a
certain flexibility in space while designing.
210 T. Ojari, Architecture for People Who Can Manage Without It? 13th Venice Architecture Biennale
Common Ground. – Estonian Art 2012, no. 1/2, p. 42.
SUMMARY 201
8.

KO K K U V Õ T E

Ruumi
ümbermõtestamine:
ruumilise sekkumise roll
ja järelmõju

Ruumi muutumine ja veelgi enam ruumiline sekkumine on

mind huvitanud viimased viisteist aastat nii ruumipraktikuna,
st praktiseeriva sisearhitektina kui kunstniku ja inimesena.
Hüljatud paikade ajutine elustamine on inspireeriv piiridel
kõndimine kusagil kavandamise ja realiseerimise vahepeal.
See ei ole tahe midagi olemasolevat tingimata teisendada,
vaid on pigem püüe tuua esile ruumilisi suhteid, mis seni on
varjatuks jäänud.

 Fig 96: A facade in Rozendaalken Street, Ghent 2017. 203

 Loomepõhise uurimise käigus on rahvusvahelise kontekstiga suhes-
tumine ärgitanud mind tõmbama paralleele ja analüüsima võima-
likke lähenemisviise praktilise õppe- ja õpetamistegevuse jooksul
mitmetes ülikoolides. Need tänuväärsed kogemused ja kontaktid on
andnud mulle võimaluse (kaas)kureerida rahvusvahelist sisearhi-
tektuuri sümpoosioni SISU koostöös Eesti Sisearhitektide Liidu ja
Eesti Kunstiakadeemia sisearhitektuuri osakonnaga. Tihedaks kok-
kupuutepunktiks kolleegide ja üliõpilaste vahel kujunenud sünd-
mus on aidanud kujundada minu professionaalseid tõekspidamisi
ja vaatenurki nii uurimisprotsessis kui -meetodites.
­­ Diskussiooni
käivitamine sisearhitektuuri kui eriala olemuse üle tänapäevases
muutuvas maailmas on julgustanud mind koostööle praktikute ja
õppejõududega Euroopa Sisearhitektide Liidu juhatuses [ECIA], kus
üheks oluliseks teemaks on erialase hariduse edendamine. Milline
on teooria ja praktika dünaamika sisearhitektuuris? Töötades täna-
päevases kompleksses ehitusprotsessis füüsilise ruumiga, kaob emot-
sionaalne tunnetus ja vastupidi – vaid mentaalsele ruumile kesken-
dudes võivad jääda lahendamata ruumi funktsionaalsed, praktilised
vajadused. Eestis on pikaajaline sisearhitektuuri haridus ja praktika
olnud traditsiooniliselt keskendunud füüsilise ruumile. Üleliigseks
muutunud hüljatud hoonete taaselustamise käigus ruumide funkt-
sionaalsel ümbermõtestamisel on oluline suunata fookus füüsilise
ruumiga paralleelselt just emotsionaalsele ja sotsiaalsele ruumile,
et muuta arhitektuurne ruum selle otseses mõttes kohtumispaigaks.
Suunata inimesi huvituma ruumist, julgustada neid ruumi kasutama
ehk teisisõnu suhestuma ümbritseva mitmekihilise kontekstiga. Eri-
nevalt isetekkelisest ruumikasutusest võimaldab erialaülene lähe-
nemisviis häälestuda potentsiaalsete kasutajatega samale lainele, et
avastada võimalikult mitmekihilist ruumilist mõtteviisi.
RUUMI ÜMBERMÕTESTAMINE 204
1. KONTEKST – LÄHTEKOHAD JA UURIMISKÜSIMUSED
Käesoleva uurimuse lähtekoht on luua mudeleid professionaalse
ruumilise sekkumise mõiste laiendamiseks nii installatiivsel
kui performatiivsel moel. Loomepõhine uurimus avastab
juhtumiuuringute näitel ruumi aktiveerimise võimalusi ja
kujundab ruumilise sekkumise taktikaid, fokusseerides füüsilise
ruumiga paralleelselt mentaalse ja sotsiaalse ruumi kihistustele.
Uurimus järgib fenomenoloogilise tunnetuse meetodeid, et ümber
mõtestada kasutuseta hooneid, mis taaselustatakse (varem või
hiljem) piirkonna gentrifikatsiooni kui linnauuendusliku protsessi
tulemusena.
Kaasaegses muutlikus maailmas seisab suur osa ajaloolisi tööstus-
hooneid, kirikuid, koolimaju, taluhooneid jm tühjalt ning kasutuseta.
Vähesed neist teisenevad ümberehituse käigus noobliteks elamuteks,
kontoriteks, teatriteks, restoranideks, spordisaalideks. Toimub hoone
või koguni piirkonna taaselustamine, see omakorda viib piirkonna
gentrifitseerumiseni. Seesugune sisu ja vormi vastuolude atraktiivne
ja tihe kooslus intrigeerib mind. Tänaste poliitiliste, sotsiaalsete ja
majanduslike muutuste pinnal on teema aktuaalne nii rahvusvahe-
listel arhitektuuri- ja kunstibiennaalidel kui ka üliõpilaste töötuba-
des ja näitustel, kus püstitatakse küsimusi ja käsitletakse hoonete
ümbermõtestamise mitmekesiseid vaatenurki ning lähenemisviise
Eestis, Euroopas ja kogu maailmas. Kuidas peegelduvad arhitektuur-
sed väärtused ruumi pidevalt muutuvas kasutuses? Pean oluliseks
tegevussuunda, milles täna üleliigsed hooned, endised arhitektuur-
sed maamärgid, leiaksid uue funktsiooni ja jätkusuutliku kasutuse.
Ajaloolistel hoonetel, millel on aja jooksul kogunenud emotsionaal-
set kihistust, on eeldusi toimida uues funktsioonis isegi paremini kui
selleks loodud uhiuuetel ehitistel.
Sisearhitektuurse ruumiprojekti koostamise puhul on emotsionaalne
ja pragmaatiline lähenemine pöördvõrdelises suhtes. Sisearhitektina
huvitun ruumi mõjust inimestele ning inimeste mõjust ruumile, ehk
teisisõnu, kuidas on võimalik füüsilise ruumi abil suunata inimeste
käitumist ning mil moel inimene ise mõjutab ruumi atmosfääri.
Minu ruumilised sekkumised keskenduvad mineviku (st hoonete)
ja tuleviku (st kasutajate) vaheliste seoste otsingutele, väärtustades
nii ruumilisi kihistusi kui inimlikke käitumismustreid, et leida nende
võimalikke koos- ja vastastikmõjusid. Käesolev uurimus on seega
ajendatud järgnevast probleemistikust:
KOKKUVÕTE 205
 a) Ruum ja ümbermõtestamine. Huvitun ruumimetamorfoosi küsi-
mustest, mis kerkivad üles ruumi funktsionaalsel ümbermõtestamisel.
Minu motivatsiooniks kujunes ruumilise keskkonna ja selle kasutaja
ootuste terviklik sidumine, tähendab toimiva sotsiaalse kaasatuse
otsimine, mis hõlmaks säästlikku ruumikasutust jätkusuutlikul moel,
innovatiivset lähenemisviisi ja inimkeskset disaini. Toetudes isiklikule
emotsionaalsele tunnetusele olen juurelnud vanade majade olemuse
üle, neid esteetilistel põhjustel nii armastanud kui vihanud. Kellele on
vaja vana maja? (Vanus on siinkohal muidugi suhteline.) Millal muu-
tub ajahambast puretud hoone haletsusväärne seisund poeetiliseks
ning väärib tähelepanu, säilitamist, kohandamist, või siis vastupidi –
lausa nõuab enda arvelt lisaruumi uuele arhitektuurile? Kuidas ära
tunda seda miskit, mida nimetatakse väärtuslikuks detailiks? Kuidas
minna konserveerimisest edasi loominguliselt ja innovatiivselt, ent
siiski tundlikult? Uusehitiste massiivne tulv viimase ehitusbuumi ajal
oli ootamatu, tõstatades sellele järgnenud majanduskriisi saabudes
terava küsimuse: miks uusehitis on parem kui vana või kas eelistada
vana hoonet uuele? Siit on ajendatud ka minu huvi hüljatud hoonete
kasutamisviiside ja kogukonna kaasamise probleemistiku vastu. Ruum
ei ole siiski midagi lõplikku, vaid see projekteeritakse, ehitakse valmis
ning see muutub ajas pidevalt koos inimestega – nende natuurist, kul-
tuuriruumist ja ruumi kasutamise iseloomust tulenevate vajadustega.
Sellest lähtuvalt on Mies van der Rohe avatud ruumiplaneeringuga
majad head näited paindlikest metamorfoosidest ehk teisenemistest
ruumi otstarbe muutudes, kus selle vabaplaneeringut on võimalik
muuta. Mõistagi annab paindlik kasutamisviis uutele inimestele või-
maluse ruumi / hoonega kohaneda, kui kohandada seda vastavalt
oma vajadustele kogu tema füüsilise eksistentsi vältel.
Ruumi (taas)kasutust ja aktiveerimise sotsiaalset aspekti on käesoleva
kümnendi Veneetsia arhitektuuribiennaalidel kui maailma arhitektuuri
tippsündmustel laiahaardeliselt käsitletud. Temaatika on ulatunud ehi-
tatud keskkonna arhitektuurikriitikast selle loojate ja kasutajate vastas-
tikmõjudeni, liikudes poeetilistest ruumiinstallatsioonidest (Kazuyo
Sejima kureeritud 2010. aasta biennaal “People Meet in Architecture”)
inimliku ühisosa otsinguteni (David Chipperfieldi kureeritud “Common
Ground“ 2012. aastal)”. 15.Veneetsia arhitektuuribiennaaliga “Reporting
from the Front” (2016) püüdis kuraator, Tšiili arhitekt Alejandro Aravena
täita tühimikku, mis valitseb edevate arhitektuursete lahenduste ja koda-
nikuühiskonna vahel, kutsudes arhitekte biennaalil pühenduma arhitek-
tuuri piiride laiendamisele ja pakkuma vastuseid ühiskonna ootustele.1
1 Alejandro Aravena Appointed Director of the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale. – BBC News
18.07.2015, http://www.archdaily.com/770446/alejandro-aravena-appointed-director-of-the-
2016-venice-architecture-biennale/ (vaadatud 08.11.2016).
RUUMI ÜMBERMÕTESTAMINE 206
b) Ruum ja gentrifikatsioon. Gentrifikatsioon sotsiaalteadusliku mõis-
tena võimaldab uurimust kontekstualiseerida distsipliiniüleselt. Gent-
rifikatsiooni seostatakse põhiliselt inimeste liikumisega, mida võib vaa-
delda kui linnaehituslikku ilmingut (tööstus)hoonete taaskasutusest
eluruumide funktsioonis. Gentrifikatsioon kui protsess on ruumilise
keskkonna muutuste intensiivistaja: piirkonna areng kergitab eluaseme
ruutmeetri hindu, elanikkond vahetub ning kaob algne aura, mis on
inspireerinud kogukonnas isetekkelist initsiatiivi ja loomingulisi aren-
guid. Korrastatud hoonetes kipuvad nähtamatud ruumilised väärtu-
sed kaduma minema. Kaasaegse pragmaatilise (sise)arhitektuurse
projekteerimise ja ruumi funktsionaalse ümbermõtestamise käigus
ignoreeritakse sageli arhitektuursete ja ruumiliste väärtuste rolli ehk
teisisõnu unustatakse kohaspetsiifilised nüansid. Sisearhitektina on
just siit tõukunud minu huvi selle vastu, kuidas suhestuda ruumi- ja
materjalikasutusega jätkusuutlikumal moel, eirates turunõudluse ede-
vaid lahendusi. Uurimistöö selline fookus on tingitud minu isiklikust
kokkupuutest gentrifikatsiooni ilmingutega sisearhitektuuri praktikas.
Gentrifikatsiooni mõistega tähistatakse allakäinud urbanistliku kesk-
konna uuenemist jõukama keskklassi “imbumise” näol töölisklassi
elurajoonidesse ning sealsete asukate vaikset väljatõrjumist, nagu
selle nähtuse on sõnastanud Ruth Glass juba 1960. aastatel Londo-
nis.2 Eestis kerkisid gentrifikatsiooni ilmingud esile taasiseseisvumise
järel seoses omandisuhete muutumisega riiklikust omandist eraoman-
diks. Erineva majandusliku ja kultuurilise taustaga inimeste kihistu-
mine väljendus Eestis ka urbanistliku elulaadi muutustes – põnevad
arengud käivitusid nii Tallinna Kalamajas kui Tartu Supilinnas. Gent-
rifikatsioon on siinses kontekstis omandanud mastaapsed mõõtmed
viimaste aastate tööstusarhitektuuri transformeerumise näitel Tallinnas
Kultuurikatlas, Telliskivi Loomelinnakus, Rotermanni, Lutheri, Baltika
ning Noblessneri kvartalites – sarnaselt paljude analoogsete nähtus-
tega kõikjal maailmas, kus ajaloolised tööstus- või elurajoonid saavad
uue hingamise. Arengute tulemuseks on uuendatud (elamu)piirkon-
nad, mis põhinevad hoonestuse iseloomulikel ajaloolistel väärtustel.
Gentrifikatsiooni hoogustumise jooksul on aga selgunud, et arendatav
ruumiline keskkond ei suhestu enam olemasoleva elanikkonnaga ja
nähtus genereerib piirkonnas elanikkonna vahetumist. Siit lähtuvalt
huvitun, kas ja kuidas on võimalik liita ühtseks tervikuks eri aegade
kihistused (valitud) hüljatud hoones ja selle konkreetses kontekstis,
mis ühtlasi kõnetaksid jätkuvalt tänapäeva inimest kui kasutajat ning
aitaksid kaasa võimalike uute toimivate sündmuste loomisele, uute tra-
ditsioonide tekkele. Mil viisil saab soodustada kadunud traditsioonide
2 R. Glass, London: Aspects of Change. London: MacGibbon & Kee, 1964.
KOKKUVÕTE 207
 asendumist uute tavadega, mis mõtestaksid ajalooliste hoonete väärika
kasutamise püsival, elutervel ning tulusal moel ühtviisi nii indiviidi kui
ka kogukonna tasandil. Kogukonna all mõistan ma erineva suhtumi-
sega inimesi, tulenevalt nende kultuurilisest ja majanduslikust taustast,
vanusest ja iseloomust. Hoonetesse suhtumise muutumine on märgatav
koos ühiskonnakorra muutumisega: nii nõukogudeaegse kollektivismi
asendudes kapitalismile omase individualismiga Eesti taasiseseisvu-
mise perioodil kui ka vastupidise tendentsina demokraatliku kogu-
kondliku ühistegevuse tärkamise näol hiljutise majanduskriisi järel.
c) Ruum ja vorm. Laiem huvi hoonete funktsioonimuutuste vastu
lähtub kriitilistest aruteludest ruumilise keskkonna ühiskondlike
valupunktide üle, mis tähendab ühtlasi arhitektuuri puhta vormina
käsitlemisest loobumist, millele innovatiivse keskkonna loomisel
on sageli keskendutud. Vastupidiselt meedias võimendunud arhi-
tektuurikäsitlusele on näiteks Kenneth Frampton oma kirjutistes
kritiseerinud hoonete käsitlemist efektse kujundi või kaubana. Ta
rõhutab arhitektuuri ühiskondlikku vastutust ning väärtustab koha
erilisust vastukaaluks globaliseerumisega kaasnevale sarnastumi-
sele, pidades ruumilise keskonna loomisel oluliseks tundlikkust ja
suhestumist nii kohaliku looduse kui ka kliimast tulenevate inimlike
vajadustega. Samuti on arhitektuuri ühiskondliku rolli puhul oluline
kultuuriline jätkusuutlikkus. 3
Eelnevast lähtuvalt olen võtnud vaatluse alla järgmised küsimused:
Kuidas leida hoone funktsionaalse ümbermõtestamise tulemusena
parim võimalik interaktsioon kaasaegse kasutaja ja ajaloolise hoone
vahel?
Mida pidada silmas, kui rääkida arhitektuursetest ja ruumilistest
väärtustest?
Väidan, et ajalooliste hoonete puhul on kaitstud muinsuskaitse eri-
tingimustega vaid hoone füüsiline substants, kuid väärtustamata on
immateriaalsed väärtused. Sageli puudub hüljatud hoonete ümber-
mõtestamise protsessis kontakt tegelike kasutajatega. Keskendun
oma väitekirjas ruumilise sekkumise mõiste laiendamisele ja katse-
tan ruumipraktikuna lähenemisviise ja taktikaid, mis võimaldaksid
üles leida ja esile tuua ruumilisi omadusi, et väärtustada ehitatud
keskkonnas varjatuks jäänud mentaalset ja sotsiaalset ruumitasandit.
3 K. Frampton, Towards Critical Regionalism: Six Points for an Architecture of Resistance. –
Postmodern Culture. Ed. H. Foster. London: Pluto Press, 1985, lk 16–30.
RUUMI ÜMBERMÕTESTAMINE
2. TEOREETILINE RAAMISTUS
Ehitatud keskkonnas eristuvad ruumilised väärtused, miks
inimesed neid kohti hindavad. Teatud paigad tõmbavad inimesi
ligi, arhitektuur ja kogu ruumiline keskkond muudab need kohad
kohtumispaikadeks, kus on meeldiv viibida. Lähemal vaatlusel
joonistuvad neis paikades välja jõujooned, mis sisaldavad
potentsiaali aktiivseks kasutuseks ja eluks.
TEOORIAST JA PRAKTIKAST
SISEARHITEKTUURIS
Väitekirja teoreetilise raamistiku osa hõlmab kaasaegsete teoree-
tikute vaatenurki sisearhitektuuri eriala ambivalentse olemuse üle
meie tänases kiirete muutuste maailmas. Euroopa Sisearhitektide
Ühendus [ECIA] on koostanud Hariduse Harta 4, mis vastavalt Bolog­-
na deklaratsioonile (1999) on kooskõlas rahvusvaheliste stan-
dardite ja kokkulepetega, et piiritleda sisearhitektuuri kui profes-
siooni olemust, hariduse taset ja suunata õppekavade arendamist
ülikoolides. Aruteludes teooria ja praktika seostest sisearhitektuu-
ris 5 on kujunenud seisukoht, et erialal puudub selgelt defineeri-
tud teoreetiline taust; eriala olemuslik võlu peitub avatuses, reeg-
lite puudumises ja mitmetimõistetavuses. Graeme Brookeri sõnul
saab ruumist mõelda, siseruumi luua ja kasutada lõputult erinevalt,
tekib nn ruumi­g eograafia, mis lubab kasutusviisi tõlgendada väga
mitmesugusel moel 6 – üha enam hägustub piir siseruumi ja lin-
naruumi vahel, kas või jalakäijate tunnelite ja kaubanduskeskuste
näol. Suzie Attiwilli järgi on sisearhitektuur/ruumikujundus seotud
inimese igapäevaeluga, millest tulenevalt on muutused ja variat-
sioonid olulised. Universaalsete lahenduste leidmise asemel toe-
tatakse protsesse, kus iga situatsiooni käsitletakse uuena. 7 Eriala
on määratletud pigem praktika kaudu, kus mõtlemine ja õppimine
toimub läbi tegemise [thinking through doing]. Siinkohal on oluline
roll sisearhitekti isiklikul taustal ja ruumikogemusel, mille pinnalt
kasvab välja ruumiloome ja tõlgendus.
4 Charter. European Council of Interior Architects, https://ecia.net/education/charter/ (vaadatud
21.02.2017.
5 SISU rahvusvahelised sisearhitektuuri sümpoosionid Tallinnas 2014–2016.
6 G. Brooker, The Interior Condition: Impact and Agency. – SISU–LINE 2016, no. 2, lk 31–32.
7 S. Attiwill, Practical Philosophy. – SISU–LINE 2015, no. 1, lk 46.
208 KOKKUVÕTE 209
 LOOMEMEETODID
Ehitatud keskkonnas eristuvad ruumilised väärtused, miks inime-
sed neid kohti hindavad. Teatud paigad tõmbavad ligi, arhitektuur ja
kogu ruumiline keskkond muudab need kohad kohtumispaikadeks,
kus inimestele meeldib viibida. Lähemal vaatlusel joonistuvad seal
välja ka jõujooned, mis sisaldavad potentsiaali aktiivseks kasutuseks
ja eluks. Huvitun siinkohal kaasaegse inimese ja ajaloolise hüljatud
hoone (ruumi) omavahelisest suhestumisest füüsilisel, mentaalsel
ja sotsiaalsel tasandil.
Siit on välja kasvanud minu loomemeetod – kohaspetsiifilised näitu-
seprojektid ehk kriitilised ruumipraktikad. Need juhtumiuuringutes
käsitletud projektid kujunesid omalaadseteks aktsioonideks, olid suu-
natud hoone arhitektuurse vormi terviklikkuse ja ruumi olemuse mit-
mekülgsuse tajumisele, peidetud kihistuste kogemisele ja kogemuste
rakendamisele. Kihistuste esiletoomine on oluline samm nähtamatute
ruumiliste väärtuste ärakasutamisel või edasikandmisel sisearhitek-
tuuris ruumi funktsionaalse ümbermõtestamse protsessis – seega viis,
kuidas inimesed kogevad ja mõistavad maailma, luues ruumikohale
tähenduse. Nimetan seda kriitiliseks ruumipraktikaks (vt peatükk 4.–6.).
MITMEKIHILINE RUUM
Ruumi defineerin oma sisearhitekti praktika põhjal eelkõige kui
siseruumi, mis on fenomenoloogiliselt tajutav inimese viie meelega.
Käesolev peatükk loob historiograafilise tausta 20. sajandi ruumi-
valdkonna oluliste teoreetikute abil, mis aitab ühtlasi positsionee-
rida käesolevat uurimust. Filosoofiline ja fenomenoloogiline ruumi-
käsitlus hakkas laiemalt levima 1960. aastatel pärast mitmete oluliste
ruumifilosoofiliste teoste tõlkimist inglise keelde.
Gaston Bachelard’i “The Poetics of Space” [Ruumipoeetika] (origi-
naalis ilmunud 1958) omistas inimese isiklikele kogemustele ja mälu-
salvestustele olulist tunnetuslikku tähendust, mis mõjutab tulevasi
elamusi ja kogemusi nii endast kui ümbritsevast ruumilisest keskkon-
nast. Otto Friedrich Bollnowi “Human Space” [Inimese ruum] (origi-
naalis ilmunud 1963) uurib ruumikogemust inimeste elamisviiside
põhjal. Maurice Merleau-Ponty peatükile ruumist raamatus “Pheno-
menology of Perception” [Taju fenomenoloogia] (originaalis ilmunud
1945) järgnes Martin Heideggeri “Being and Time” [Olemine ja aeg]
(originaalis ilmunud 1927), mis väärtustab inimese sotsiaalset seotust
teistega. Christian Norberg-Schulz lähtub oma raamatus “Existence,
RUUMI ÜMBERMÕTESTAMINE 210
Space and Architecture” [Olemine, ruum ja arhitektuur] (1971) viiest
ruumikontseptsioonist: pragmaatiline ruum (aitab indiviidil tajuda
ümbritsevat keskkonda), pertseptiivne ehk tajutav ruum (kujundab
identiteeti ja võimaldab vahetut kogemust), eksistentsiaalne ruum
(seob inimese sotsiaalsete ja kultuuriliste struktuuridega), kogemus-
lik ruum (võimaldab mõelda ruumi üle) ja abstraktne ruum (pakub
vahendeid erinevate ruumitasandite tajuks). 8
Kaasaegne kriitiline ruumipraktika lähtub paljuski Henri Lefebvre’i
ruumikäsitlusest ja tema raamatust “La Production de l’Espace” [Ruumi
tootmine] (1974), mille järgi ruum ei ole tühi mahuti, kus paiknevad
nii asjad kui inimesed, vaid pigem dünaamiline ja voolav, ühiskondli-
kult tingitud ajalis-ruumiline nähtus, mis inimtegevuse tulemusena end
ise taastoodab.9 Füüsilise (reaalse elukeskkonna) ja mentaalse (kujut-
letud, kavandatud) ruumi kõrval tõuseb oluliseks just sotsiaalne ruum
inimeste omavahelise suhtlemise paigana. Seega on ruumi lahutama-
tuks komponendiks inimesed kui asukad, kes on samuti reaalse ruumi
loojad. Kui Lefebvre seob oma arusaama ruumipraktikatest olemas-
oleva sotsiaalse ruumi taastootmisega, siis Michel de Certeau tõstab
teoses “L’invention du quotien, I Arts de faire” [Igapäevased praktikad.
I Tegemiskunstid] (1990) esile praktikate individuaalsuse ja sõltuvuse
konkreetse inimese motiividest. Certeau sõnul mängib siin rolli taktika,
mis sõltub juba konkreetse inimese huvidest, allumata ametlikele stra-
teegilistele praktikatele. Certeau iseloomustab kohta korra abil, millele
on omane omandi stabiilsus, kuid ruumi seevastu peab ta muutuvaks,
kuna sellel puudub “omandi” ühetähenduslikkus.10
Tuntuimad ruumifenomenoloogiast kirjutajad kaasaja arhitektuu-
riteoorias on arhitektid Juhani Pallasmaa ja Peter Zumthor. Pallas-
maa iseloomustab kokkupuudet arhitektuuriga kui multisensoorset
kogemust: ruumi omadused, materiaalsus ja suurus on kogetav võrd-
selt nii silma, kõrva, nina, naha, keele kui lihastega. Kõik meeled on
kompimismeele pikendused, ka nägemine, sest pilk vaid kinnitab
seda, mida nahk tunneb. Silm eristab distantsilt puudutuse intiimset
kogemust. 11 Zumthor laiendab oma raamatus “Atmospheres” [Atmo-
sfäärid] (2006) väärtarhitektuuri mõistet tundlike nüansside, koge-
musliku praktika kaudu.
8 C. Norberg-Schulz, Existence, Space and Architecture. New York, Washington: Praeger
Publishers, 1971, lk 11.
9 H. Lefebvre, The Production of Space. Trans. D. Nicholson-Smith. Oxford, Cambridge:
Blackwell, 2012.
10 M. de Certeau, Igapäevased praktikad, I. Tegemiskunstid. Tõlk M. Lepikult. Tartu: Tartu Ülikooli
Kirjastus, 2005, lk 179–180.
11 J. Pallasmaa. The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses. Chichester: Wiley, 2005, lk
40–49.
KOKKUVÕTE 211
 Kohatundlikkuse kui tähtsa inimliku oskuse üle arhitektuuris on
arutlenud Leon van Schaik raamatus “Spatial Intelligence” [Ruumi-
line intelligentsus] (2008). Ruumiline intelligentsus annab võime
olla loominguline ja lahendada probleeme viisil, mis on väärtusta-
tud kohalikus kultuurikontekstis.
Eestis ilmusid olulised ruumiteoreetilised väljaanded 1990. aastatel,
nagu Kaia Lehari “Ruum. Keskkond. Koht” (1997), ja alates aastast
2000 hakkas Eesti Kunstiakadeemia publitseerima väljaannet “Place
and Location” [Koht ja paik], kus esineb laiaulatuslik autorite skaala.
2000. aastatel levis uus termin “kriitiline ruumipraktika” (Jane Ren-
dell, 2003), mis asetab rõhu mitte niivõrd sõnale “kriitiline”, kuivõrd
osutab pigem ruumile, tegeldes spetsiaalsete ruumiaspektidega
erialaülestes protsessides ja praktikates, mis jäävad arhitektuuri
ja kunsti piirimaile. 12 Näiteks Markus Miesseni ja Nicolaus Hirschi
toimetatud raamatuseeria “Critical Spatial Practice” [Kriitiline ruu-
mipraktika] (2011) keskendub küsimustele, kuidas ruumi ja tegevust
ruumis võib tõlgendada poliitilise keskkonnana.
RUUMILISED VÄÄRTUSED JA UUENDAMINE
Kaasaegne muinsuskaitse teooria ja praktika, keskkonna eripära
ja väärtuste säilitamine tugineb ajalooliste hoonete puhul suuresti
Alois Riegli 19. sajandi filosoofilistele arutlustele ajalooliste väär-
tuste mõistest. Riegl otsis vastust probleemistikule, kuidas definee-
rida mälestise kunstilist ja ajaloolist väärtust ning mõtestada mäles-
tamise ja säilitamise paratamatuid vastuolusid. Tema sõnul ei saa
moodne vaataja esteetilist rahuldust mitte teose heast säilivusest,
vaid järjekindlast ja lakkamatust muutumisest. 13 Riegli väärtusteoo-
riat on laiendanud kaasaegne konservaator Barbara Appelbaum, kes
toob esile mitmekesise ja mitmetähendusliku väärtuste skaala ning
nende iseloomust tuleneva erineva mõju restaureerimisele: kunsti-
ehk kultuuriväärtus, esteetiline väärtus, ajalooline väärtus, kasutus-
väärtus ja sentimentaalne väärtus, uurimisväärtus, hariduslik väärtus,
ajaväärtus, uueväärtus, turuväärtus, seostuv väärtus, memoriaalväär-
tus kui haruldus. 14
12 J. Rendell, Art and Architecture: A Place Between, London: IB Tauris, 2006.
13 A. Riegl, The Modern Culture of Monuments: Its Essence and Its Development [1903].
– Historical and Philosophical Issues in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage. Eds. N. S.
Price, M. Kirby Talley Jr., A. Melucco Vaccaro. Los Angeles: The Getty Conservation Institute,
1996, lk 69.
14 B. Appelbaum, Conservation Treatment Methodology. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2007, lk
89–114.
RUUMI ÜMBERMÕTESTAMINE 212
Kuidas mõista ja käsitleda mitmekihilist väärtuste süsteemi ja mõtes-
tada ajalooliste hoonete säilitamist ja uuendamist, raamistab ajaloo-
liste hartade reguleeriv süsteem. Veneetsia Harta (1964)15 ülesandeks
sai pidurdada uuenduste käigus sõdadejärgse maailma liiga kerge-
käelist loobumist minevikust. Harta sõnastas konserveerimise põhi-
tõed, millest lähtuda ka täna: näiteks ajaloo moonutamise vältimiseks
tuleb loobuda kopeerimisest ning säilitada algse meistri kätetööd
võimalikult autentselt, uus peab aga kandma oma aja vaimu. Harta
väärtustas ansamblite terviklikkust ja mälestise kontekstuaalseid seo-
seid ajalooga. Itaalia restaureerimisteoreetiku Cesare Brandi teooria 16
on olnud aluseks Veneetsia harta koostamisel. Ehkki mälestiste eri lii-
kidest tulenevalt on hiljemgi vastu võetud väga mitmeid kitsamatele
valdkondadele kontsentreeruvaid hartasid: ajaloolisi parke kaitsev
Firenze Harta (1981), linnaehitust käsitlev Washingtoni Harta (1987)
ning hilisem Nara Dokument (1994), mis laiendab muinsuskaitse
materiaalset pärandit ka vaimsele pärandile, andes autentsusele
palju laiema tähenduse. Kultuuripärandi autentsuse üle otsustami-
sel on soovitav uurida selle disaini, materjale ja ka funktsiooni, mis
võivad omakorda lisada sellele ajaloolist ja sotsiaalset mõõdet. Nara
Dokument väärtustab uuringute ja arengute rolli, mõistmaks erine-
vate kultuuride olemust autentsuse käsitlemisel. 17 Mateeriale lisaks
tuleb märksa enam tähelepanu pöörata traditsioonidele ja pärandi
tähendusele. Paljudes kultuurides on ehitamine kui protsess valmi-
vast ehitisest väärtuslikum. Lähtuvalt meie kultuurikontekstist on näi-
teks konstruktiivselt välja töötatud “Eesti kultuuripärandi hoidmise
ja väärtustamise arengukava aastani 2030” koostamise ettepanek. 18
RUUMI GENTRIFITSEERIMINE
Gentrifikatsiooni uurimisel on mitmeid teoreetilisi lähenemisviise:
demograafilis-ökoloogiline, sotsiokultuuriline, poliitmajanduslik,
15 Mälestiste ja ajalooliste paikade konserveerimise ja restaureerimise rahvusvaheline harta,
Ajaloomälestiste arhitektide ja tehnikateadlaste II rahvusvaheline kongress ICOMOS võttis
selle tegevuse aluseks (1965).
16 “Seda teooriat süüdistati tähelepanu asetamises “kujundi” (“image”) konserveerimisele-
restaureerimisle, jättes nii hooletusse üldise strukturaalse kontseptsiooni (eriti arhitektuuri
puhul). Brandi teooriat on käsitletud rohkem kui maalirestaureerimisteooriat, kuigi oma
kirjutistes viitab ta tihti just arhitektuurile.” (H. Hiiop, Cesare Brandi restaureerimisest. Loeng
Eesti Kunstiakadeemias 20.10.2014. Autori märkmed).
17 Nara Document of Authenticity. ICOMOS,
http://www.reed.edu/art/rhyne/papers/first.html/ (vaadatud 20 April 2017).
18 Eesti kultuuripärandi hoidmise ja väärtustamise arengukava aastani 2030. Koostamise
ettepanek, https://www.riigikantselei.ee/valitsus/valitsus/et/valitsus/arengukavad/arengukavade-
koostamise-ettepanekud/kultuurip_randi_arengukava_ettepanek.pdf/ (vaadatud 08.11.2016).
KOKKUVÕTE 213
 keskkonnavõrgustikukeskne, sotsiaalsete liikumiste keskne. 19
Kasutusel on kaks peamist lähenemisviisi: majanduslik/tootmis-
keskne ja kultuuriline/tarbimise- ja elustiilikeskne. 20 Ka on uuri-
tud vanusest, soost, seksuaaleelistustest, rahvusest ja rassist tule-
nevaid mõjusid gentrifikatsioonile. Tänaseks on gentrifikatsioon
globaalne nähtus, mis levis 1950ndatel USA kirdeosast Lääne-Eu-
roopa linnadesse ja Austraaliasse, on läbi teinud suuri muutusi nii
tegelikkuses kui uurimises ja on kokku võetud “lainetena”. Nüüd-
seks nimetatakse „esimese laine gentrifikatsiooniks” 1970. aastate
alguse majanduslanguse perioodi, mil alainvesteeritud kesklinna
piirkonnad muutusid investeeringute sihiks, gentrifitseerujad olid
loomeinimesed (soodsa ruutmeetrihinna tõttu). Järgnes „teise
laine gentrifikatsioon“ majanduse tõusuga seitsmekümnendate
lõpus, kus gentrifitseerujateks oli nn uus keskklass. 1990. aastatel
ilmnes „kolmas laine“, mille harjal toimus korduvalt finantskapi-
tali investeering, gentrifitseerujateks oli eliit ja kus omavalitsused
hakkasid osalema protsessis. 21 “Neljanda laine gentrifikatsioonist”
räägitakse näiteks New Orleansi orkaanipurustuste ja USA eluase-
meprogrammi HOPE IV näitel. 22
Eesti eripära ses protsessis saab vaadelda lähiajaloo kontekstis, mida
iseloomustavad demograafilised muutused ning sotsialismiajastu
turu reguleeriva rolli puudumine. Taasiseseisvumisega Eestis kaasnes
eraomandi teke, majanduse reorganiseerimine, tööjõu ümberstruk-
tureerimine ning elanikkonna kiire kihistumine. Postindustriaalse
ajastu elamuehitus ja kinnisvaraarendajate poliitika sõltuvad aga
majanduslikest faktoritest, piirkonna investeerimiskliimast ning ka
Eesti miniatuursusest, mis paljusid protsesse võimendab. Oluline on
siinkohal mõista siirdeühiskonna olemust möödunud sajandi vii-
mase kümnendi jooksul ja selle mõjutegureid suletud ühiskonna pii-
ride avanemise näol. Samuti tuleb arvestada globaalseid eeskujusid
ja neis lahustumise tendentse. Näiteks linnaruumi amerikaniseeru-
mine autostumise ja suurte ostukeskuste näol, mis mõjutas südalin-
nade tühjenemist jalakäijatest ja pisikauplustest. Gentrifitseerumist
interjööri kontekstis võib vaadelda kui teatud ajastule iseloomuliku
prevaleerimist, kus peegelduvad elaniku majanduslikud võimalused,
sotsiaalne taust ning kultuurikiht.
19 J. Palen, B. London, Gentrification, Displacement and Neighborhood Revitalization. Albany:
SUNY Press, 1984, lk 1.
20 N. Smith, Toward a Theory of Gentrification: Back to the City Movement But Capital, Not
People. – Journal of the American Planning Association 1979, no. 45(4), lk 538–548.
21 J. Hackworth, N. Smith, The Changing State of Gentrification. – Tijdschrift voor Economische en
Sociale Geografie 2001, 92(4), lk 464–477.
22 L. Lees, T. Slater, E. Wyly, Gentrification, Routledge: New York, 2008, lk 185–187.
RUUMI ÜMBERMÕTESTAMINE 214
Soome naabrite puhul käivitus gentrifikatsioon 1980. aastatel, Eestis
on gentrifikatsioon kui protsess teadvustunud alates üheksakümnen-
datest, kuid teooriat ei ole taasiseseisvumise ajal jõudnud tekkida,
gentrifikatsiooni kohalikest ilmingutest on sel sajandil valminud vaid
mõningad uurimistööd. Ilmunud on uurimusi Kalamaja, Kadrioru ja
Supilinna asumite kohta. 23 Tähelepanu keskmes on sotsiaalkultuuri-
lised muutused intervjuude ja küsitluste vahendusel, majanduslikud
põhjused vajaksid statistikale tuginevaid uuringuid lisaks eelnimeta-
tutele ka näiteks Viljandi kesklinnas ja Kantrekülas, Pärnu kesklinnas,
Räämas ja Ülejõel, Tartu Karlovas, Tallinna vanalinnas, Uue-Maailmas,
Koplis, Kassisabas ja Pelgulinnas.
3 . RU U M I M ETA M O R F OO S I D
Arhitektuur kui elav organism transformeerub pidevalt arhitektide
ja ehitajate jõupingutuste tulemusena, milles kajastub ühiskonna
ja kultuuri areng. Hoone elab üle oma algse otstarbe ja seejärel
kasutatakse seda millekski muuks. Kuid ruumilise keskkonna
muutused ei piirdu vaid ehituslike protsessidega. Samuti mõjutab
inimesi installatiivne ruumiline kunst, mis tungib galeriiruumi
valgest kuubist välja – linnaruumi, loodusesse.
Metamorfoos (kreeka metamorphosis) – teisenemine, kujumuutus,
ümberkujundus viitab protsessile, mis on autonoomne ja sõltumatu.
Selle sünonüüm on transformeerumine. Hoonete transformeeru-
mist ja ruumimetamorfoose on süstematiseerinud akadeemilises
võtmes Graeme Brooker ja Sally Stone raamatus “Re-readings”
[Uuestilugemised] (2004), kus on luubi alla võetud võimalikud
viisid ja nähtused ajalooliste hoonete ja ruumide muutustest. Raa-
mat tegeleb materiaalsete nähtuste ja füüsiliste vormidega, kuid
ei hõlma sotsiaalset tasandit. Sarnasel prinstiibil vaatlen oma töös
valikuliselt metamorfooside kogemusi näidete abil, millega olen
puutunud kokku doktoriõpingute jooksul, 24 luues taustsüsteemi
23 M. Hiob, N. Nutt, S. Nurme, F de Luca, Risen from the Dead. Slumming to Gentrification. –
Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences 2012, no. 36, lk 92–105;
N. Nutt, S. Nurme, S. Salmistu, M. Hiob, Gentrification in a Post-Socialist Town: The Case of the
Supilinn District, Tartu, Estonia. – Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences 2013, lk
109­–123.
24 Sint-Lucase arhitektuurikooli rahvusvaheline töötuba “Abandoned Sacred Places” ning Research
Training Session Brüsseli ja Genti teekonnal, olles külalisteadur RMIT ülikoolis Austraalias ja
Mazzano Romano residentuuris Rooma piirkonnas.
KOKKUVÕTE 215
 väitekirja juhtumiuuringutele. Ajalooliste hoonete väga erinevad
kasutused, vahekasutused, konserveerimisviisid ja juurdeehitused
intrigeerivad mind ning loovad võimaluse avastada varjatud kihis-
tusi. Püüan seda teemat laiendada mitmekesiste näidetega kohas-
petsiifilistest projektidest, mis ajendavad või inspireerivad inimesi
huvituma eksperimentidest linnaruumis ja suhestuma emotsionaal-
selt reaalse koha, hoone ning ruumiga. Seesuguste näidete hulk on
piiramatu, kus näiteks endisest tapamajast või sakraalsest ruumist
on saanud kaasaegne sümbioos kasutaja ja tema igapäevase tege-
vuse näol.
Kohaspetsiifilise kunsti näited aktiveerivad kohta nii linnaruumis,
looduses kui siseruumis. Kunstipraktika ja koha koosmõju tulemu-
sena tekib tähenduslikkus. Tähendusväljadel on mõju vaid kasutaja
kui teosega aktiivse suhestuja olemasolu korral. Kohta aga tuleks
vaadata mitmekihilise kooslusena. 1960ndate aastate lõpus tärkas
minimalismi kiiluvees kohaspetsiifiline kunst, mis tegeleb paigaga
ja tõstab esile koha, millega kunstiobjekt on seotud. Kohaspetsiifi-
line kunst – kui reaktsioon kaasaegse kunsti universaalsuse ja kau-
bastumise vastu – soovis olla kontseptuaalne, koha ja kogukonnaga
suhestuv, väärtustada protsessi, olla avalik. 25
Kunstinäitusi on tavaks korraldada institutsioonides nagu galeriid
ja muuseumid, kus on võimalik eksponeerida kunstiteost sobivas
galeriiruumi ”valge kuubi” tingimustes – kunstnikul on võimalik
luua “oma ruum”. Skulptuuride ja installatsioonide loomise aluseks
on üldjuhul suhe konkreetse kohaga. Aja jooksul on väärtuslikud
ajaloolised skulptuurid (ka maalid) viidud varjule muuseumidesse
ja asendatud originaalid kohapeal koopiatega. Tuntuks on saanud
minimalistliku skulptori Richard Serra pettunud ütlus peale oma töö
”Titled Arc” (1981) ümberpaigutamist: ”Teose liigutamine tähendab
tema hävitamist”. 26 Vastupidise näitena aga huvitub kontseptuaalne
kunstnik Anu Vahtra oma kohaspetsiifiliste tööde asetamisest teise
ruumilisse konteksti.
Sotsiaalse kunsti valdkond kasutab ühiskonnakriitilistest nähtustest
ajendatud visuaalseid vahendeid. Kaasaegse kunsti üheks võtmesõ-
naks on kujunenud kaasamine, kus autori roll ja tegevusväli kandub
üle ka publikule, ehk teisisõnu: osalemine on muutunud oluliseks.
Miwon Kwoni sõnul on kaasaegses kunstis fookus liikunud autorilt
25 M. Kwon, One Place After an Other: Site-Specific Art and Local Identity. – October 1977, vol.
80, (Spring), lk 65–110.
26 R. Serra, Letter to Donald Thalacker (1985). - The Destruction of Tilted Arc: Documents. Eds. C.
Weyergraf-Serra, M. Buskirk, Cambridge: MIT Press, 1991, lk 38.
RUUMI ÜMBERMÕTESTAMINE 216
publikule. 27 Seda võib nimetada ka disainiaktivismiks, mis tõstatab
küsimuse ja suhtleb publikuga, kasutades disainilahendusi, kuidas
osutada probleemile ning muuta ruumi varjatud kasutuspotentsiaal
”nähtavaks”. Teadaolevalt on ebamugavate situatsioonide mõistmise
viisiks ”õigete” küsimuste esitamine. Kunstnik Margus Tamm analüü-
sib avalikke kunstilisi aktsioone linnaruumis. Kriitilised sekkumised
markeerivad ruumi haldajate ning ruumi kasutajate vahelist kokku-
põrkejoont, omandades lefebvrelikult utoopilises mõõtmes võima-
lusi esile kutsuda muutusi ka ühiskonnakorralduses. 28
4. LOOMINGULISED JUHTUMIUURINGUD –
KRIITILISED RUUMIPRAKTIKAD
Doktoritöö loominguliseks osaks on minu kriitilised
ruumipraktikad ehk kohaspetsiifilised ruumiprojektid, mida esitan
nii näituste kui sündmustena. Installatiivne või performatiivne
ruumiline sekkuja püstitab oma näituseprojektiga küsimuse
ruumi hüljatuse põhjustest ja teisenenud kasutusvõimalusest,
kuid sellesama sündmuse raames ei pruugi välja pakkuda vastust.
Seega on küsimise ülesanne luua pigem ambivalentne õhkkond,
et leida kaasamõtlejaid, suhelda publikuga ning kaasata inimesi.
Inimeste aktiveerimine kohaspetsiifiliste näituseprojektide
käigus aitab alternatiivseid ideid genereerides murda tardunud
seisukohti ja laiendada silmapiiri. Ruumilise sekkumise roll on
luua kontakt inimeste ja institutsioonide vahel, et tekitada ühist
vastutustunnet. Ruumiline muutumine elavdab kaasaja ühiskonda,
kutsub taasavastama olemasolevat ja huvituma uutest paikadest.
Kunstniku ja (sise)arhitekti osaks jääb eelkõige märgata ja
ära kasutada hoonetes ja kohtades peituv potentsiaal. Kolme
valitud juhtumi abil uurisin võimalusi, kuidas fenomenoloogiline
lähenemine aitab suhestuda ja esile tuua ruumilisi väärtusi
piirkonna gentrifitseerimise kontekstis.
Juhtumite valik kujunes töö käigus, et siduda käesoleva uurimu-
sega erinevad võrdväärsed komponendid – enda kui praktiseeriva
sisearhitekti töö (Mudaravila juhtum), rahvusvahelise loomingulise
konkursi projekti kureerimine (Linnahall Veneetsia biennaalil) ja
27 M. Kwon, One Place After Another, lk 106.
28 M. Tamm, Koht ja sekkuv kunst. – Kunstiteaduslikke Uurimusi 2014, kd 23 (1–2), lk 91.
KOKKUVÕTE 217
 lõpuks jõudmine oma suguvõsa põlvnemise asukohani (Paluküla
kirik Hiiumaal). Keskendusin jooksvate konkursside puhul – Muda-
ravila restaureerimine ja juurdeehitus (kutsutud sisearhitektuuri
konkurss, 2009) ja Veneetsia 13. arhitektuuribiennaali Eesti näi-
tus (avalik konkurss, 2011) – linnaruumis hüljatud hoonetele, mis
omavad maamärgi rolli ruumilises keskkonnas. Mudaravila projekt
realiseerus tellimustööna. Tallinna Linnahallist sai näituseobjekt
Veneetsia biennaalil. Aasta hiljem sündis Paluküla kiriku elustamise
kohaspetsiifiline projekt (2013), mis inspireeris oma pretensioonika
neogooti arhitektuuri ja ümbritseva nõukogudeaegse, tänaseks hää-
buva majanduskeskkonna vahel valitseva vastuolu tõttu.
Näituste puhul keskendusin taaselustamise mõtestamisele ja või-
malustele, et kohtuda selle kohaga seotud inimestega ning ühtlasi
kaasata laiemat ringi teemasse puutuvaid eksperte. Projektide üks
oluline mõte on tuvastada, milline on inimeste suhe hoonega ja kui-
das seda soovitud suunas nihutada. Erinevalt mudaravila positiivsest
imagost, kus arendamistegevus oli juba käivitunud, vajas suhe lin-
nahalli ja Paluküla kirikusse alles määratlemist. Fookusesse kerkisid
erinevad prioriteedid. Pärnu traditsioonilise kuurortlinna vana ja
kaasaegse arhitektuuri füüsiline kokkupuude rajatava juurdeehituse
näol inspireeris suhtlema kasutajatega uue tervikliku sisemise ruu-
milahenduse nimel. Tallinna Linnahall vajas tähelepanu ja positiivse
kuvandi tekitamist sõltumata oma nõukogudeaegsest minevikust, mis
aitaks kaasa hoone taastamisele olukorras, kus maja hakkab reaalselt
varisemisohtlikuks muutuma. Paluküla kirik Hiiumaal aga alles ootas
huvi äratamist ja potentsiaali avastamist kaasaegse kasutaja poolt:
projektis kerkisid esile sakraalse ruumi mitmed võimalikud kasutus-
viisid. Kõikide juhtumite puhul on olulised nii füüsiline, mentaalne
(kavandatav) kui sotsiaalne ruumikiht. Näituseprojektide puhul olen
eelistanud keskenduda ruumielamuslikele kogemustele, välistades
tüüpilisele arhitektuurinäitusele omast lähenemisviisi planšettide
näol. Huvitusin inimeste mõtetest, millest sündisid kohapeal filmi-
tud intervjuud, et avastada inimeste reaalseid ootusi ühe maja näitel.
J U H T U M 1 – “ R U U M I L I N E S T O P P K A A D E R ”,
P Ä R N U M U D A R A V I L A , 1 0 . – 1 3 . 11. 2 0 11
Pärnu mudaravila klassikalise hoone ja moodsa juurdeehituse arhi-
tektuurne kooslus nõudis reaalse sisearhitektuurse projekteerimise
käigus sidumist terviklikuks interjööriks traditsioonilises Pärnu kuu-
rortlinnas. Näituseprojekt “Ruumiline stoppkaader / Spatial Snaps-
hot” Pärnu mudaravilas käsitles endise arhitektuurse maamärgi kui
RUUMI ÜMBERMÕTESTAMINE 218
juba aastaid hüljatud hoone väärtusi tulevase restaureerimise ja
juurdeehituse ootuses. Gentrifikatsiooni kontekstis esindab kunagise
mudaravila elustamine kaasaegse spaa- ja hotellikompleksina nii
uusehitise- kui turismigentrifikatsiooni näidet mereäärses kuuror-
dipiirkonnas, kus kompleksi tänasteks kasutajateks on nii sise- kui
välisturistid.
JUHTUM II – “KUI PIKK ON ÜHE MAJA
E L U ? TA L L I N N A L I N N A H A L L , V E N E ET S I A
2 9 . 0 8 . – 2 5 . 11. 2 0 1 2
Erinevalt Pärnu mudaravila positiivsest imagost, kus arendustege-
vus oli juba käivitunud, vajas inimeste suhtumine linnahalliga alles
määratlemist. Loomingulise projekti üks oluline mõte oli tuvastada,
milline on inimeste suhe Nõukogude režiimi aegsesse hiigelsuurde
hüljatud hoonesse ning kuidas seda soovitud suunas nihestada.
Grafitiga kaetud maja vajas impulssi, et juhtida tähelepanu võimen-
duvale lagunemisprotsessile. Teine kohaspetsiifiline näituseprojekt
“Kui pikk on ühe maja elu? / How Long is the Life of a Building?”
toimus 2012. aastal Veneetsia arhitektuuribiennaali Eesti näitusena,
käsitledes modernistliku väärtarhitektuuri hüljatuse temaatikat Ees-
tis Tallinna Linnahalli näitel. Eesti näituse eesmärk Veneetsias oli
provotseerida/inspireerida inimesi David Chipperfieldi kureeritud
13. arhitektuuribiennaalil diskuteerima ja suhestuma hoonete funkt-
sionaalse kasutamise ning ajalise kestvuse probleemistikuga lähtu-
valt teemast “Common Ground” [Ühisosa].
J U H T U M I I I – ” S O O L A L E I V A P I D U ”, P A L U K Ü L A
K I R I K , H I I U M A A 2 . 0 7. – 4 . 0 8 . 2 0 1 3
Paluküla kirik Lääne-Eesti saarel köitis oma pretensioonika neogooti
arhitektuuri ja ümbritseva nõukogudeaegse tööstusliku keskkonna
vastuolu tõttu. Keskendusin taaselustamise mõtestamisele ja võima-
lustele, kuidas kaasata laiemat inimeste ringi seonduvalt oma tege-
vusega. Kolmas kohaspetsiifiline näituseprojekt ”Soolaleivapidu /
Housewarming” Paluküla kirikus Hiiumaal elustas hüljatud kiriku-
hoone omal provokatiivsel moel ning uuris, kuidas suhtub sakraalse
ruumi ümbermõtestamisse kohalik elanikkond.
KOKKUVÕTE 219
JÄRELDUSED
Juhtumiuuringutes käsitletud konkreetsed hooned on ka varem ins-
pireerinud loomingulisi ettevõtmisi. Ajalooliste hoonete analüüs loo-
mingulise ja sisearhitektuurse ruumipraktika abil on Eestis uudne.
Uurimise tulemusena on välja settinud hüljatud või peaaegu hülja-
tud, üksnes inertsist hingitsevate hoonete taaselustamisprotsessis
rida üldistusi, mida on võimalik rakendada ka edaspidi. Alljärgne-
valt esitan järeldused, mis on seotud väitekirja uurimisküsimustega:
Kuidas leida hoone funktsionaalse ümbermõtestamise tulemusena
parim võimalik interaktsioon kaasaegse kasutaja ja ajaloolise hoone
vahel? Mida pidada silmas, rääkides arhitektuursetest ja ruumilistest
väärtustest ajaloolises hoones? Järeldused on seotud uurimuse teo-
reetiliste lähtekohtadega: 1) fenomenoloogia 2) gentrifikatsioon ja
3) disainiaktivism.
1) Fenomenoloogilise ruumitunnetuse abil ei saa teha universaal-
seid järeldusi ega anda suuniseid, mis laieneksid hoonete funktsio-
naalse ümbermõtestamise erinevatele juhtumitele – iga hoone on
omas kontekstis unikaalne, eeldades tunnetuslikku personaalsust.
Hüljatud paigad peidavad iseeneses müstilist poeetilist potentsiaali,
mille unikaalsuses sisalduvad tema kvalitatiivsed väärtused. Ohtu
taandada neid ümbermõtestamise käigus kommertslikeks lõbus-
tuskohtadeks on võrdlemisi raske ülehinnata. Et markeerida ruumi
materiaalseid väärtusi ja immateriaalseid väärtusi, on oluline testida
erinevaid meetodeid, alustades ideede genereerimisest kuni tegelike
eksperimentide ja katsetusteni. Et märgata ruumi atribuute ja saada
ka ruumilisi kogemusi, olen püüdnud luua tingimusi ruumi erinevaks
kogemiseks kõikide meelte abil. Näiteks anda näitusekülastajale või-
malus näha ruumi erineva valgusega (sealhulgas pimeduses) või
lasta üliõpilastel teha oma projektiesitlusi täielikus vaikuses. Oluline
on tunda ruumis näiteks ebamugavat külma, niiskust, tuuletõmbust.
Välistades ühe meele kasutamise (näiteks nägemise või kuulmise),
aktiveeruvad teised meeled intensiivsemalt. Sellised teistmoodi tin-
gimused aitavad külastajatel/üliõpilastel märgata ja ära tunda ruumi
iseloomulikke füüsilisi omadusi, kust on võimalik mentaalsel tasan-
dil edasi mõelda, kujutleda, ideid genereerida.
2) Gentrifikatsioon kui taaslinnastumise osa seondub erinevate
sotsiaalsete gruppide ja majanduslike protsessidega. Gentrifiakt-
siooni eriilmelised alaliigid on üliõpilastumine (kaasneb üldjuhul
ka sotsiaalkultuurilise kapitali kasv); sarnane üürigentrifikatsioon
ja turismigentrifikatsioon (vaesem elupiirkond muutub turismi- ja
RUUMI ÜMBERMÕTESTAMINE 220
meelelahutuskeskuseks); supergentrifikatsioon (leiab aset juba gent-
rifitseerunud keskkonnas); uusehitiste gentrifikatsioon (piirkonna
üldilme muutub uusehituste näol). 29
Gentrifikatsiooniga kaasnevat sotsiaalset vägivalda leevendab
kultuurile keskenduv lähenemisviis. Olen veendunud, et elanike
demograafilise profiili protsessi saab mõjutada, kui on kaasatud
kunstnike, disainerite ja arhitektide alternatiivseid projekte elura-
joonide regenereerimisel.
3) Disainiaktivism on seotud sotsiaalse kunstiga, ühendades kunsti
ja disaini loomingulise protsessi (kuigi disainiaktivism ei avaldu tin-
gimata näituse vormis). Kohaspetsiifiline näituseprojekt ei pea hõl-
mama situatsiooni kui tervikut, vaid tooma kriitiliselt esile peidetud
tasandid ja valupunktid, lisades väärtuslikku teavet uurimuse jaoks.
Esitades aktuaalseid küsimusi näituse vormis, suunab see inimesi tee-
maga kriitiliselt suhestuma ja seda reflekteerima, ümbermõtestama
ja arvestama erinevate vaatenurkadega. Diskussiooni algatamine ja
ülalhoidmine aitab kogukonnal kohaneda (adapteeruda). Lisaväärtu-
sena aktiveerub näitusteprojektiga sotsiaalne suhlustasand.
Alljärgnevalt loetlen võimalikke lähenemisviise juhtumitele:
Võimalikke lähenemisviise juhtumitele ja uusi toimivaid lahendusi nii
ajutiste kui püsivate otsuste tegemisel saab luua mitmekesiseid aspekte
silmas pidades. Näiteks on võimalus alustada suurelt, et suhestuda
kontekstiga nii ajalises kui ruumilises mõttes, liikudes edasi detailide
suunas, või siis vastupidi – alustades pisidetailist, et jõuda samm-sam-
mult ruumiliste lahendusteni. Need on võrdväärsed võimalused. Oluliste
füüsiliste (ka vaimsete) kihistuste väljapuhastamine töö käigus saab olla
edasiste valikute tegemise aluseks: sekundaarsete (teiseste) detailide
eemaldamise, tundliku “paatinakihi” puhastamise või osalise lammuta-
mise tulemusena. Segadus ja kaos on osa koha eripärast, mida eirates
võib selguda, et “kordategemine” on pigem kõrvaline, kui mitte hävitav
tegevus. Lisatud detailide maht ning esteetika on materiaalne kvaliteet,
mis väljendub sekkujate isikupärases käekirjas ehk “arhitektuuri keeles”.
Lisatud täiendused muutuvad kihtideks, mille vahel peaks toimima tea-
tud süntees. Majanduslikud võimalused või nende puudumine on olu-
line lähtekoht nii ideede realiseerimiseks kui ka haldamiseks (näiteks
köetavate kuupmeetrite hulk), millest võivad omakorda välja kasvada
mõistlikud lahendused (teatavates oludes on loomulik tunda külma).
29 L. Lees, A Reappraisal of Gentrification: Towards a ’Geography of Gentrification.’- The
Gentrification Reader. Eds. L. Lees, T. Slater, E. Wyly. London: Routledge, 2010, lk 391.
KOKKUVÕTE 221
KOKKUVÕTTEKS käitumist ruumis. Mõistagi tuleb võtta arvesse, et inimesed (tuleva-
sed ruumi kasutajad) mõjutavad omakorda ruumi, mis eeldab teata-
vat paindlikkust uue ruumi loomisel.
Olen väitekirja uurimisküsimusi sõnastades lähtunud Kazuyo Sejima
kureeritud Veneetsia biennaali “People Meet in Architecture” (2010)
sõnumist: “näituse idee on aidata inimestel suhestuda arhitektuu-
riga, aidata arhitektuuril suhestuda inimestega ja aidata inimestel
suhestuda üksteisega”. 30

Esiteks huvitusin, kuidas leida hoone funktsionaalse ümbermõtesta-

mise tulemusena parim võimalik interaktsioon kaasaegse kasutaja
ja ajaloolise hoone vahel. Samavõrd tähtis kui uue funktsiooni leid-
mine (mis tõenäoliselt taas muutub) on tähtis teekond ehk otsingute
mitmekesised lähenemisnurgad ja vastandlikud tegevused – mille
lõpptulemuseks on analüüs, süntees. Avaliku arvamuse mõjutamisel
mängib olulist rolli eelkõige ruumiliste sekkumiste taktika. Avalik-
kuse väljakujunenud seisukohti on protsessi käigus võimalik muuta
ideede oskusliku presenteerimise ehk teisisõnu kommunikatsiooni
abil. (Siin on pearõhk intervjuudel ja lugudel.) Küsimuste esitamine
ja neile vastamine on oluline nii esitajale kui vastajale.

Ruumilist keskkonda on võimalik väärtustada eelkõige ruumikasu-

tuse seisukohast. Hüljatud hoonete ja ruumide ümbermõtestamisel
muutub vägagi määravaks kogukonna osalus, nimelt kui kasutajad
võtavad käivitunud taaselustamisprotsessis juhtrolli. Ruumiliste sek-
kumiste roll ja potentsiaal avaneb just läbi ajutiste ruumikasutuste.
Ruumi aktiveerimine aitab seda “kodustada” ja luua ühisosa, mis
moodustab ühistest huvidest kantud platvormi ning suunata tege-
likke otsuseid hoone realiseerimisel tulevikus.

Teiseks küsisin, mida peetakse silmas, rääkides arhitektuursetest ja

ruumilistest väärtustest? Ruumilised väärtused ajaloolises hoones
on eelkõige emotsionaalsed kihistused, mis puuduvad uhiuues ruu-
mis ja on seega asendamatud. Kaasaegsete vajaduste kohandamine
olemasolevate ruumiliste väärtustega loob eeldused ruumi ja kasu-
taja sümbioosiks.

Ruumi ümbermõtestamise protsessis on oluline avastada nii hülja-

tud hoone materiaalsed kui ka immmateriaalsed ruumilised väär-
tused, need hoone funktsionaalse ümbermõtestamise käigus esile
tuua ja neid võimendada, nii et need suudaksid mõjutada inimeste

30 R. Etherington, Venice Architecture Theme Announced. – Dezeen, 20.01.2010, https://www.

dezeen.com/2010/01/28/venice-architecture-biennale-theme-announced/ (vaadatud 27.03.2017).

RUUMI ÜMBERMÕTESTAMINE 222 KOKKUVÕTE 223

9.

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Frampton, Kenneth. Hommage
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230 REFERENCES 231
10 .

Appendix

 Fig 98: Unité d’habitation by Le Corbusier (1952), Marseille 2016. 233

EXHIBITION OVERVIEW 1
Ruumiline Stoppkaader /
Spatial Snapshot
Abstract (in Estonian)
Arhitektuur on inimeste vajaduste ja lokaalsete võimaluste ühendamine, mitte
vaid mänguline arhitektoon. Maja toimib, kui ta on funktsionaalne, vastasel juhul
see hüljatakse. Viimase Veneetsia Arhitektuuribiennaali sõnum oli lihtne: aidata
inimestel suhestuda arhitektuuriga, aidata  arhitektuuril suhestuda inimestega ja
lõpuks aidata inimestel suhestuda üksteisega (K. Sejima).
Tänases postindustriaalses maailmas ja taasiseseisvunud Eestis muutuvad
ajaloolised hooned ümber- ja juurdeehituse käigus kaasaegsetele vajadustele
vastavaks. Olen tänaseks kokku kogunud lood, mille kaasabil vastata õhusolevatele
küsimustele:Miks ja kuidas teiseneb hoone funktsioon? Kes on vana hoone uued
kasutajad? Milline on vana ja uue omavaheline kommunikatsioon?Pärnu Supe-
lasutus [1927 arhitektid Olev Siinmaa, Erich von Wolffeldt, Aleksander Nürnberg]
on Mudaravilana tuntud kui Pärnu arhitektuuri maamärk. Kuurortlinna arengus on
hoonel olnud erinevad kasutajad omaaegsetest kaugetest ja kohalikest supelsakst-
est kuni Saksa rindemeeste ning Nõukogude privilegeeritud töölisteni. Hoone on
tähtis ka inimestele, kes uhke fassaadi taha ei ole kunagi astunud.
Käesolev näitus vaatleb ruumi muutumist narratiivi abil kui representatsiooni
- inimeste kaudu, kes räägivad oma mälestustest, kogemustest ja ootust-
est Mudaravila hoonega seoses. Intervjueeritavad on Pärnu linnakodanikud,
muinsuskaitseametnikud, arhitektid, arendajad jt. Hoolimata kontekstist, mis on
jõudnud praeguse neoklassitsistliku Supelasutuse eluajal mitu korda muutuda,
on hoone fassaad sundinud inimesi selja sirgu ajama ja selle taustal end väärikalt
pildistada laskma, mille tunnistuseks on arvukad postkaardid ning fotod perekon-
naalbumis. Noblesse oblige! Kas ka täna?
• Author’s interviews with the architects of the project https://vimeo.
com/113081574
Inga Raukas, author and architect [6’ 54], Tallinn
Tarmo Teedumäe, author and architect [5’ 59], Tallinn
Paco Ulman, author and architect [3’ 23], Tallinn
Helle-Triin Hansumäe, restoration architect [5’ 18], Tallinn
Toomas Koov, heating and ventilation engineer [4’ 36], Tallinn
• Author’s interviews with previous users https://vimeo.com/113144923
Jaan Moik, the last director of the Mud Baths, 1994–2005 [6.31], Pärnu Mud Baths
Valve Tölp, doctor who worked in the Mud Baths and citizen [5.38], Pärnu Mud
Baths
Paul Kokla, the client of the Mud Baths and linguist [6.09], Tallinn
• Author’s interviews with the developers https://vimeo.com/113144922
Margus Kangur, stakeholder and owner [4.02], Tallinn
Tauri Sumberg, operator [5.00], Tallinn
• Author’s interviews with historians https://vimeo.com/113142352
Mart Kalm, architecture historian [10.42], Pärnu Mud Baths
Leele Välja, compiler of special conditions of Mud Baths conservation [4.43], Pärnu
Mud Baths
Nele Rent, senior inspector of the National Heritage Board in Pärnumaa [4.12],
Pärnu Mud Baths
• Author’s interviews with the local community https://vimeo.com/113144921
Emil Urbel, former citizen and architect [4.45], Pärnu Mud Baths
Krista Nõmmik, former citizen and teacher [6.07], Pärnu Mud Baths
Anne Luik, former citizen and real estate specialist [4.48], Pärnu Mud Baths
Mall Jõgeva, citizen and teacher [4.18], Pärnu Mud Baths

Näitus on autori valik ja läbilõige, ruumiline stoppkaader käesolevas hetkes, mis

keskendub ruumiliste emotsioonide äratamisele ning väärtuste otsingule. Ruumi
transformatsioon rullub lahti ja kerib edasi sarnaselt filmimise protsessiga, kus
jutustaja funktsioon jaguneb erinevate osapoolte vahel, kes on osalised oma
tõekspidamistega muutuvas ajas ja ruumis. Kogutud hargnevaid jutustusi majast,
ruumikogemusest ja selle tähendusest on võimalus jälgida kohapeal vanas hoones
vahetult enne lammutus- ja ehitustegevuse algust, mida vaatleja saab tõlgendada
näituse käigus. Tänaseks on hoonele valmimas restaureerimise- ja juurdeehituse
projekt (arhitektid T. Teedumäe, I. Raukas, P. Ulman, restaureerimisarhitektid N.
Mäger, H.-T. Hansumäe, sisearhitektid T.-K. Vaikla, U. Vaikla).

Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla näitus koostöös: Urmo Vaikla (kaamera), Ingel Vaikla (foto)

The exhibition project Ruumiline stoppkaader / Spatial Snapshot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK9cF1CPDm8 (accessed 8 November 2016)

Author’s interviews, 9.–10.07.2011

Questions for the 16 interviewers:
What was your first contact with the building?
How do you like the building?
For whom and why is this building important?
Can you draw parallels with some other building?
What kind of values should be preserved?
When was/will be the best days of the building?

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 234 Appendix 235

EXHIBITION OVERVIEW 2 covered by now with graffiti. Yet it has aroused the interest of DoCoMoMo. Time
stands still in this building, the heating system drones and the clock ticks… This
Kui pikk on ühe maja elu / building that stood proudly on a major artery of the capital city is used nowadays
How Long is the Life of a Building? only as a training grounds for narcotics dogs and policemen – and for enjoying
the sunrise. We have translated the drastic situation described above into a visual
Estonian National Exhibition at the 13th International Architecture Exhibition – la
poem for the biennial by contrasting the initial official, so to speak monumental
Biennale di Venezia
range of uses for the building with recent distinctive, spontaneous practices, in
order to help viewers recognise and relate to analogous phenomena in their own
urban and cultural space.

Commissioner: Ülar Mark

Curator: Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla
Exhibitors: Urmo Vaikla, Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla, Ingel Vaikla, Maria Pukk, Ivar Lubjak,
Veronika Valk
Movies: Urmo Vaikla, Jaan Tootsen, Ingel Vaikla

• How long is the life of a building? [18’ 35] https://vimeo.com/54455820

https://issuu.com/vaikla/docs/how_long_is_the_life_of_a_building
Abstract
Everything that is not used goes to rack and ruin. Estonia’s exhibition project
deals with how the respectable heritage of modernism is fading away, a process
fostered by economic and political conditions. Why are distinguished and
acclaimed structures that have functioned for only some twenty or so years being
abandoned?
• One Story / Üks lugu: personal short stories about Linnahall [25’ 24]
Alari Allik, japanologist [3’ 00] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlLCE9LTiZs
Simona Andreas, schoolgirl [1’ 45] https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=ZGr7Camo54A
Rein Lang, minister of culture [2’ 37] https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=Mda1ScfH3r4
Harry Liivrand, art historian [2’ 22] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK2BlLyidFI
Tõnis Mägi, musician [3’ 50] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pEmwfOFRhM
Marius Peterson, actor and director [3’ 38] https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=U_9IGp6odP0
Ülo Sirp, interior architect of Linnahall [2’ 10] https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=9jQelxI2i_g
• Estonian National Broadcasting Corporation archive about Linnahall [6’ 25]
The exhibition project How Long is the Life of a Building? https://www.facebook.
com/HowLongIsTheLifeOfABuilding/

Estonia’s exposition is about relating to time and space – to today’s abandonment

of important and unimportant places, yet also to alterations and opportunities
of tomorrow…posing the question: how long is the life of a building? This same
theme bears more or less universally on architectural heritage throughout the
world. Why is modernistic architecture being abandoned – do their materials and
technologies depreciate or is it an escape instead, since people have never liked
modernist architecture?

In the long run, no building lasts forever, yet in today’s world, in the wake of the
global economic crisis, we believe it is not particularly sustainable to abandon
buildings with quality architecture which have the potential for contemporary
alterations. In order to preserve a building, it must change. How can new uses
be found for buildings? Reconstruction, in other words adaptable recycling, has
demonstrated that old buildings can often satisfy new functions even better than
contemporary buildings that are purpose-designed for these functions. The refer-
ence point of modernism – form follows function – naturally argues against this.
Maybe the great challenge to architects is to move beyond this reference point.

A larger story unfolds through the example of one building, namely the Linnahall
Concert Hall (architects Raine Karp/Riina Altmäe). This monumental building,
completed for the Tallinn sailing regatta as part of the 1980 Moscow Olympic
Games, functioned for only twenty years and stands vacant in the 21st century,

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 236 Appendix 237

EXHIBITION OVERVIEW 3 ümbermõtestada ja kasutada hüljatud Paluküla kirikut. Tuules lehvivad süütud pikad
valged kardinad aktiviseerivad kirikutorni, loomaks hetkelise mulje, et kirikus on
Soolaleivapidu / taas elu…
Housewarming Hea külastaja, jäta siia maha oma arvamus!

Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla näitus koostöös: Külli Tüli (heli), Sylvia Köster & Keity Pook
(tants), Siim Porila (valgus), Ann Mirjam Vaikla, Urmo Vaikla, Ingel Vaikla
kutse_rahvusvahelisele interdistsiplinaarsele_workshopile_magistritaseme valikaine 2 EAP

facebook: housewarming_paluküla

Sound installation https://vimeo.com/151529466 (accessed 8 November 2016)

Author’s 11 interviews, 25.–26.07.2013 https://vimeo.com/151528754

Questions for the interviewers:

• What is your personal connection to this abandoned sacral building?
• How could it be used in future?
9.–13. juulil 2013 toimub Hiiumaal OPEN workshop Re-Vitalization , mille käigus otsitakse
• Could it be turned into a public nightclub or a family residence?
professionaalseid lahendusi, kuidas ümbermõtestada hüljatud [kiriku]hooneid, milline on pühapaiga pragmaatilise kasutamise mõju ja
kuidas suhestub sellega kohalik kogukond. Case-study on neogooti kirik Hiiumaal, Palukülas (1820) Kärdla meteoriidikraatri servas.
Workshopile on oodatud kõik arhitektuurse ruumiga suhestuvad arhitektuuri-, sisearhitektuuri- ja kunstitudengid + kohaliku kogukonna

The interviewees were former and current officials, citizens, relatives and friends:
esindaja igas töögrupis.

WORKSHOPi KAVA
T 9.07. buss Tallinn – Hiiumaa [majutus Palade eestiaegses koolimajas 3,5 km]
ringsõit saarel – tutvumine kontekstiga: hüljatud hooned – kirikud, tuletornid, militaarobjektid jne.
tutvumine Paluküla kirikuga
sündmus – kino
K 10.07. workshop Palukülas: brainstorming
Tiit Harjak, Tiiu Heldema, Karin Kokla, Katariin Kokla, Paul Kokla, Dan Lukas, Madis
ettekanne – Kuidas hoida pärandit tulevastele põlvedele – Pöide kiriku näitel [Kaire Tooming, Ann Vainlo - Kanut];
sündmus – kesköine jumalateenistus
N 11.07. ideede visualiseerimine [working model]
R 12.07. workshopi tulemuste presentatsioon
Markus, Ants Orav, Hüllo-Kristjan Simson, Vilma Tikerpuu and Liia Viin.
ettekanne – Sacred spaces as a connecting medium for people in their search of spirituality' [Tom Callebaut]
sündmus – näituse avamine Housewarming

Eestis muudeti nõukogude režiimi poolt peale II Maailasõda kirikuhooned ladudeks, spordisaalideks ja töökodadeks. Tänapäeval on
paljud neist kogudustele tagastatud ja restaureeritud, siiski on kirikulisi vähe. Pea kõikjal maailmas kogudused likvideeruvad ja hüljatud
kirikuhooned võetakse kasutusele uues funktsioonis – ööklubide, restoranide, büroodena, jms. Workshopi eesmärk on kasutada
hüljatud kirikuhoonet kui laborit, et protsessi käigus luua erinevaid ruumielamusi ning analüüsida uusi tähendusi tajude ja aistingute
The participants in the workshop from the Estonian Academy of Arts: Liisi Aomets,
kaasabil. Kas endiste pühamute funktsionaalsel ümbermõtestamisel on tabusid, mis on kaasaegsele inimesele püha?

Workshop-i juhendajad:
Tom Callebaut / LUCA, Sint-Lucas School of Architecture, Brussels / Ghent
Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla / EKA doktorant, Kunst ja disain
Gert Gurjev, Maria Freimann, Taavi Lõoke and Juhan Kangilaski (Architecture
and Urban Planning); Kristin Jürmann and Kadri Tonto (Interior Architecture and
koostöös:
Ranuplh Glanville / UCL, London
Martin Melioranski / Andres Ojari, EKA
Maris Mändel / Oliver Orro, EKA
Urmo Vaikla, EKA
Workshopi korraldab EKA ja toetab Kultuurkapital

Workshopile registreerumise tähtaeg on 10. juuni. Osalejatele kaetakse majutus- ja transpordikulud.

Furniture Design); Anna Maria Saar (Jewellery and Blacksmithing); Maret Tamme
koordinaator: liina.urbanus@artun.ee, tel 6267307
lisainfo: tyyne.vaikla@artun.ee, tel +372 5640930
(Scenography); Kadriann Soosaar (Art Education); Maria Kross and Minni Hein (Art
History and Visual Culture); Anna Liisa Sikk, Kirsi-Merilin Põldaru and Nele Rent
(Cultural Heritage and Conservation); Sylvia Köster and Keity Pook (Tartu University
Viljandi Culture Academy, Performing Arts).
Abstract (in Estonian)
Performance https://vimeo.com/151537885
Altarimaali asemele märklaua seadmine andis sõjaväelastele võimaluse asutada
Paluküla kirikusse lasketiir ning paksud paekiviseinad lõid turvalise panipaiga
gaasikontori laoruumidele [või oli see vastupidi?] – seesuguse üllatava funktsioon-
imuutuse tõi kirikuhoone pragmaatiline taaskasutamine pärast sõda. Ruumiline
keskkond kiriku lähiümbruses kannab endas informatsiooni paiga lähiajaloo eri
kihistustest…

Eestis muutis nõukogude režiim paljud kirikuhooned ladudeks, spordisaalideks,

töökodadeks või loomalautadeks. Tänaseks on enamik neist kogudustele
tagastatud ja restaureeritud, siiski on kirikulisi vähe. Pea kõikjal maailmas
kogudused kuivavad kokku, hääbuvad ja hüljatud kirikuhooned võetakse kasutusele
uues funktsioonis – ka elegantsete kodude, restoranide, büroode, lasteaedade,
butiikide, isegi ööklubidena, jms.

Kohaspetsiifiline näituseprojekt ’Soolaleivapidu’ / Housewarming elustab hüljatud

kirikuhoone ning uurib, kuidas suhestub sellega kohalik kogukond. Intervjuud
siinsamas annavad läbilõike mõttemustritest täna. Kas muutumine kui paratamatu
protsess vähendab või loob väärtusi, arvestades seda, et väärtuse kui mõiste sisu
on ajas pidevalt muutuv?

Näituse eesmärk on kasutada hüljatud kirikuhoonet kui laborit, et protsessi

käigus luua erinevaid ruumielamusi ning analüüsida uusi tähendusi aistingute ja
tajude põhjal. Heliinstallatsioon loob kujutluspildi kirikuruumide alternatiivsest
kasutusest minevikus ja tulevikus. Kas endiste pühamute ümbermõtestamisel
on tabusid, mis on kaasaegsele inimesele püha? Arhitektuurne sekkumine uue
trepi ja ‘silla’ näol [puust ja punaseks!] loob aktiivse visuaalse kujundi ning püüab
tundlikult korrastada hüljatud ruumi, et ärgitada inimesi kaasa mõtlema, kuidas

RE-PURPOSING SPACE 238 239

 Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla is an interior architect who
explores the social and artistic dimensions of space.
She graduated from Estonian Academy of Arts as a
designer (1987). She is a supervisor of transdiscipli-
nary projects in EAA and has gained international
experience at RMIT University of Melbourne School
of Architecture and Design as a lecturer and guest
research fellow.

Tüüne-Kristin is the curator of the Estonian exhibition

at the 13th Venice Architecture Biennale and the SISU
interior architecture symposium in Tallinn. Since 2014,
she has served as the editor-in-chief of the SISU—LINE
interior architecture research journal. In 2015 she
was elected to the board of the European Council of
Interior Architects (ECIA). She is currently working
with the spatial design project of the Estonian presi-
dency of the EU Council 2017 in Tallinn and Brussels
(Vaikla Studio).

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