14-11-05 // ENM TWOTHOUSANDNINE

The design of the Estonian National Museum (ENM) is part of the Estonia’s nation building process. The ENM collection is based on Folklore, which is of great importance in the history of Estonia. The museum is organised with two different principles in mind: the “wonder chamber” concept as the origin of all the museums, and the “shopping mall” concept as the current containers of our folklore. The plan of ENM is to combine the grandiosity of the wonder chamber with the simplicity of a shopping mall circulation.

Title: ENM Twothousandnine
Project: Estonian National Museum
Date: November 2005
Type: International Open Competition
Organizer: Estonian National Museum, Estonian Ministry of Culture, and Union of Estonian Architects
Participants: 108
Location: Tartu, Estonia
Site: Raadi manor 2 km north of city centre
Programme: Spaces for permanent and temporary exhibition, restaurant + café, small auditoriums, archives
Surface: 28.000 m2
Status: Competition
Client: Estonian National Museum
Budget: € 38 Mill.
Team: Bernd Upmeyer
Collaborator: Beatriz Ramo, Theo Deutinger, Yoko Sano, João Prates Ruivo (STAR)