A team of interior architecture students of the Estonian Academy of Arts won a competition organised by the Bank of Estona, the aim of which was to find the best interior architecture solution for the reconstruction of the large hall of the bank’s main building into the bank’s employees’ premises. Design is currently underway, based on the winning design selected in the competition. Congratulations to the students and their tutors!
According to Margit Argus, an interior architect who supervised students in the subject of public space – during which the competition work was completed – the initial task was difficult, as it is a historical bank hall under heritage protection, with ceilings as high as 7.7 meters. The hall was to be reorganised into a modern office that can accommodate up to 40 soundproofed workstations.
We aim to change the organisation of work in the building, and make the working conditions of people more modern – we realised that in order to create a modern office landscape, we definitely need to improve the lighting conditions as well as visually open up the historical space of the main hall. The biggest challenge of the competition was how to best combine the historical context and the modern work environment, said Rait Roosve, Head of the Cash and Infrastructure Department of The Bank of Estonia.
According to Professor Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla, Head of the Department of Interior Architecture at EKA, students of interior architecture who have thoroughly researched new ways of working in our changing society at EKA were able to propose a new workable solution that both architectural experts and the Bank of Estonia liked.
The main building in the functionalist style of the central bank, illustrated by traditionalist elements, was completed in 1935 by architects Eugen Habermann and Herbert Johanson and engineer Ferdinand Adoff. In 1994, the main hall of the bank was redesigned for the premises of the bank’s employees according to the bold and innovative interior architectural solution of the designer Mait Summatavet, thanks to which the original walls, volume and interior details of the bank hall were preserved. As a result of the current competition, the original elements will be exhibited even more than before.
The aim of the competition for interior architecture organised by Bank of Estonia was to find the best interior architecture solution for the reconstruction and furnishing of a large hall in the main building of the bank into a modern, well-functioning and innovative office space. The authors of the winning work are 3rd year students of the Department of Interior Architecture of EKA, Anet Lukas, Marit-Brit Tamme, Maria Uiboaid and Agota Maziliauskaitė (exchange student from Vilnius Academy of Arts), supervised by Margit Argus (studio ARGUS) and Maris Kerge (Arhitektuuriministeerium).
The main idea of the architectural proposal of the student competition work “Krooni hall” is to keep sensitive information in closed office premises and to create common areas that can be used by all employees of the bank. The offices protected by the access permit allow the rest of the space to be opened and the highly secure transit corridor to be abandoned: in this way, more space, movement and space can be facilitated for communication between departments. The competition jury praised the students’ proposal for its dignified approach and minimalist style, which does not dominate the historic hall and does not provide for the addition of elements to the historical walls, ensuring the preservation and display of heritage values.
The jury consisted of Ülo Kaasik, Deputy Governor of Bank of Estonia, Kilvar Kessler, Chairman of the Management Board of the Financial Supervision Authority, Siim Tammer, Member of the Management Board of the Financial Supervision Authority, Kaspar Oja, Economist of Bank of Estonia, Mart Kalm, Rector of EKA, and interior architects Aili Aasoja, Tarmo Piirmets and Liisa Põime.