The pavilion stands on the foundation of an old market-hall. It is designed as a lightweight timber construction. The exterior walls between the structural columns are made of curtain wall elements making the pavilion transparent and light. The load-bearing structure is made of laminated timber: cross-shaped and half-cross-shaped columns. The ground floor is roofed by glued timber corbel vaults.  The pavilion is an integral part of the Tammsaare park. The connecting feature is the stepped shape of the corbel vault also reflected in the design of the light poles, information stands and playground equipment. The timber structure is finished with white weatherproof polymeric paint and treated with fireproofing. 
The timber vaults grow into domes on the roof and a spatial vault ceiling in the interior and under the canopy. The prefabricated roof elements turn the top of the pavilion into a kind of a landscape that looks interesting also from above, for example, from the upper floors of Opera-house.

Team

Engineering

Builder

Photography

Tammsaare Park pavilion

In ancient times, people of power realized massive constructions purely by exploiting their incredible divine power: they just told their underlings to organize, by forcing ordinary people and slaves to erect a colossal monument, say, a pyramid. And they did not overemphasize the fact that sometimes thousands of people died because of an almost inhuman effort. They knew that a pyramid or some other kind of monument, a temple, for example, had to be made for it was a word of God. These kinds of edifices remain to this day, not only admirable but also somewhat dark and morbid objects of culture and history. There is nothing very much actually to do in these places anymore, but these places still tell so much about the ancient past of humanity.
Today we have another problem: no-one will think of forcing people to die constructing some monumental complex, and neither does any decent person want people to die of polluted environment.
In Aidu in North-Eastern Estonia, we witness a complex and simple situation where the in-built human drive to create something monumental, almost divine, comes together with natural, almost inevitable resources from Earth&#8217;s ground. In here lies a vast area of oil shale mines, set to produce just enough natural waste-material to create an architectural environment instead of just piling the mass of Earth up on a high stack. The excavating will continue for precisely 20 years during which time it is possible to found this large Aidu Pyramid ground, housing endless different activities from restaurants, beaches, museums, places for sports activities to vine cellars and graveyards. And the best thing is that no human has to sacrifice a life for a monumental outcome. Aidu oil shale mine&#8217;s waste-material will be arranged in a way to give something back to people. Also reminding at the same time ancient times and giving a very remote place like Aidu a fair chance to become a real part of Estonia again. An area, which people can visit with enjoyment, not just abandon it after decades of exploitation, excavating oil shale for electricity.
Text by Urmas Oja

Scale Model

Aidu Pyramid

The outdoor theatre stage is built especially for a run of 12 performances of one play during the summer.  Its main architectural goal is to form a closed, comfortable and intimate space that creates an immediate connection with the audience and the actors. The architecture frames the landscape in a way that the park, trees and the pond become an integral part of the stage-set. The light wooden construction provides space and enables changing stage lighting dynamically. &#8220;We have tried to avoid a concrete narrative in this solution. The stage is an abstraction, which sets the mood.  We have approached the era and theme of the theatre project (beginning of the 20th century, futurism, young poets) from a different angle to visualize a complicated moment in European history.&#8221; The material we chose for the stage is 50&#215;50 mm timber, which is an excellent natural material and easy to dismantle, so it gives the theatre a possibility to re-use it for any new constructions within upcoming plays. The audience podium has 420 seats, and the stage area is 280 m². &#8220;After 12 performances the stage will be dismantled and the timber and boards used for other things. There is no need to use complicated materials; wood is a nice material that architects can easily understand and work with; it is also weather-proof.&#8221;

Direcror

Costumes

Noor Eesti scenery

The architecture of the canopy is unambiguous and straightforward. Most of the design process was done in a fishing boat and forest cabin, together with our engineer during one fishing trip. The structural design made it possible to leave a large span in the middle, which allows cyclists and pedestrians to pass through the canopy easily. We aimed to use as less as possible different layers of constructional materials and finishing. Loadbearing elements are painted yellow from the outside, and the rest of it is just wood as it is. The simple form complements the current situation without becoming too dominant.