Winners of the Krulli District Architectural Competition are Pluss Architects and molumba architecture bureau
A total of 32 works were submitted to the public architectural competition for the Krulli Quarter business and residential building and apartment hotel under anonymous keywords (18 for the business and residential building and 14 for the apartment hotel). This is already the second architectural competition in the same quarter, and more competitions are expected to be held in the future.
The jury selected the concept "2 hoovi" by the architecture bureau Pluss Arhitektid OÜ as the winner for the business and residential building. For the apartment hotel, the jury named the winning work "Ferdinand", created by the architecture bureau molumba.
In addition to Estonian architects, architecture bureaus from Belgium, Latvia, Finland, and Germany were represented in the competition.
According to jury chairman and Krulli Quarter AS CEO Indrek Hääle, the strength of the winning works lies in their cohesion with the surrounding quarter and suitability for the quarter's future center point, appreciation of historical heritage, and visual integrity. "What impressed us most about the future business and residential building was its distinctive approach with its charming inner courtyards and walkways," said Hääle. "For the apartment hotel, we appreciated the solutions related to reuse, the possibilities for cooperation with the future Krulli headquarters - the Greenhouse - and the vision of how the created environment strengthens the existing environment," added Hääle.
The jury selected nine award-winning competition works. Three first places for each building, plus three additional encouragement prizes. The prize fund for the architectural competition is 95,000 euros. The public architectural competition was organized in cooperation with the Estonian Architects Union and the City of Tallinn.
The purpose of the architectural competition was to select the best architectural and most functionally suitable solution. The competition works were expected to demonstrate high-level architecture and urban design solutions suitable for urban space. Innovation, freshness, and the ability to appreciate the existing historical environment were also important, as well as the feasibility of the solution, energy efficiency, and operational economy.
Construction of the business and residential building and apartment hotel is planned to begin in 2026.
The jury chairman was Krulli Quarter CEO Indrek Hääl, and the jury also included architects Emil Urbel, Andres Ojari, and Mae Köömnemägi, architect-planner at the Tallinn City Planning Office's Space Creation Department, and Hanna Hinrikus, head of the quarter's communications and partnerships.
Architectural competition results:
Business and residential building
1st place (19,000): competition work "2 hoovi", author Pluss Arhitektid OÜ
2nd place (15,000): competition work "Kõrgaed", author Gerber Architekten International GmbH
3rd place (10,000): competition work "Rippaed", author Salto arhitektid OÜ
Encouragement prize (6,000): competition work "Blue Ark", authors: NOW for Architecture and Urbanism Oy, DOGMA Architects bvba, PUBLIC OFFICE
Encouragement prize (6,000): competition work "Oma sisehoov", author MADE arhitekti
Apartment hotel
1st place (14,000): competition work "Ferdinand", author molumba osaühing
2nd place (11,000): competition work "Strata", author LÜNK arhitektid OÜ
3rd place (8,000): competition work "Funikulöör", author Pluss Arhitektid OÜ
Encouragement prize (6,000): competition work "Roheline väljak", author Salto arhitektid OÜ
All competition works can be found at this link.
Photos from the announcement event can be seen here, photographer Airi Leon.
