Annual Award of the Architect of the Estonian Association of Architects 2021 - Cruise terminal of the Old Port of the Port of Tallinn. Photo: Tõnu Tunnel
The architects of the Port of Tallinn Old Port cruise terminal and architecture and urban planning of EKA alumni Ralf Lõoke and Maarja Kask, interior architecture of EKA graduate Marja Viltrop, architects Ragnar Põllukivi and Margus Tamm (Salto AB); architecture and urban planning of EKA graduate Villem Tomiste (Stuudio Tallinn); architect of Kuku-Ranna summer house, Eramu 2021 prize winner and architecture and urban planning of EKA graduate Madis Eek (AB Eek & Mutso); and architect of Laaneotsa house and architecture and urban planning of EKA graduate Joel Kopli (KUU arhitektid) were chosen as the winners of the Annual Prize of the Architect of the Estonian Association of Architects 2021.
This year, 43 works were submitted to the annual awards of the Estonian Association of Architects, from which five nominees for the annual architect award and five nominees for the Private House were chosen. In addition to the cruise terminal of the Old Port, Haapsalu Elementary School, Saue Parish House, Hiiumaa Experience Center Wind Tower and the reading pavilion Valge leht were nominated for the architect’s annual award. Five private houses in Viimsi, Tartu, Muhu and Vääna-Jõesuu were nominated for the Private House Award.
This year, the winner of the Architect’s Annual Award was chosen by the internationally renowned Polish architect Robert Konieczny, who said he saw a lot of interesting architecture in Estonia. The cruise terminal was the best of the buildings visited. “I especially liked the way the terminal function is connected to the public space, thus giving the seaside area back to the city. The entire building is characterized by high architectural values and the consistency of the architects in the precision of detail,” said Konieczny.
The Private House 2021 award was shared equally between two laureates: Kuku-Ranna Summer House (Vääna-Jõesuu) and Laaneotsa House (Viimsi). The jury faced the difficult task of comparing incomparable, luxurious, high-quality projects with buildings completed on a limited budget. “Sometimes a properly planned and well-built project is not enough to stand out. Originality in architecture is not always related to the use of the best materials,” said Dagnija Smilga, a foreign member of the jury. “For me, there were two key questions to evaluate: is it good for homeowners, and is its architecture bringing something unprecedented to the world?”
This year’s student prize of the Estonian Association of Architects was awarded to Mihkel Räni Raev, a master’s student in architecture and urban planning at the Estonian Academy of Arts, for his master’s thesis “Technological Paldiski”. The awarding of the student prize is supported by the offices of the members of the association, this year b210, Lumia and Peeter Pere Arhitektid. The winner of the prize is decided by the board of the association in cooperation with the youth section from among the candidates nominated by the schools.
Annual awards of the Estonian Association of Architects 2021:
Architect’s annual award 2021 – Tallinn Port Old Port Cruise Terminal
Ralf Lõoke, Maarja Kask, Ragnar Põllukivi, Marja Viltrop, Margus Tamm (Salto AB) and Villem Tomiste (Studio Tallinn)
Private house 2021 – Kuku-Ranna Summer House
Madis Eek (AB Eek & Mutso)
Private house 2021 – Laaneotsa House
Joel Kopli (Architects of the Moon)
Student Award 2021 – Estonian Academy of Arts Master’s Thesis in Architecture and Urban Planning “Technological Paldiski”
Mihkel Räni Raev (supervisors Andres Alver, Toomas Tammis, Tarmo Teedumäe).
The Facebook page of the Estonian Architecture Awards has a photo gallery of Toomas Tuule and Annika Haas from the award ceremony at the cruise terminal.