Photographer: Tõnu Tunnel | ArchDaily

Off the Mainland: Floating Architecture Projects Redefining the Built Environment

Susanna Moreira & Victor Delaqua — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Building above water means doing away with a part of construction that is quite literally the basis of most of our built environment: the foundation. In a world dominated by water, currents, and shifting levels are variables that simply cannot be ignored, which is why the most emblematic feature these projects share is their adaptability.

Why Doesn't Floating Architecture Sink?

Eduardo Souza — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 05:30:00 +0000

The aquatic environment has always fascinated dreamers and researchers. Around 1960, in the midst of the fierce space race of the Cold War, French explorer Jacques Cousteau developed equipment such as the Aqualung to unravel the depths of the sea, which remained as unexplored as outer space itself. He even stated that in 10 years we could occupy the seabed as “aquanauts” or “oceanautas,” where it would be possible to spend long periods extracting mineral resources and even growing food. Sixty years later, the seabed is still reserved for few, and mankind has been more concerned with plastic in the oceans and rising sea levels than colonizing the ocean floor. But being close to a body of water continues to attract most people. Whether out of interest or in response to risks of flooding and over-population, some have turned to utopian proposals and floating architecture, examples of which have been featured in the ArchDaily project archive. But what are the fundamental differences between building houses on land versus on water, and how do these buildings remain on the surface rather than sinking?

The Rural Municipal Building in Saue / molumba

Bianca Valentina Roșescu — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 12:00:00 +0000

The rural municipal building is located in the southern part of the central park of Saue giving it a logical and dignified closure. Viewed from the outside, the office and administrative building seem like a pavilion in the public park. The contradiction between the privacy and the prominent public location of the work environment is solved by a double-skin façade. On the one hand, the archaic covered archway carved into the laconic triangular volume gives the building its administrative prominence in the local urban context but at the same time functions also as a public shelter in the park and ensures sun protection for the interior spaces.

House for a Family and Bikes / AZIA Arhitektid

Luciana Pejić — Sat, 02 Apr 2022 15:00:00 +0000

Tallinn’s garden suburb Nõmme is one of the most sought-after districts for locals looking for peace and quiet to settle down - the Old Town is just 15 minutes away by train, but its real attributes are the greenery and tall pine trees, birds, and squirrels, clean air, and an overall relaxed atmosphere evoked by humble houses from the first half of 20th century.

Restaurant 0 / studio Kuidas.works

Paula Pintos — Sun, 13 Feb 2022 09:00:00 +0000

Design studio creates a zero-waste temporary restaurant space for a TV show, looking into how design can and should be used as a tool to draw attention to the footprint of the design and building industry.

Tammsaare Park Pavilion / Kadarik Tüür Arhitektid

Pilar Caballero — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 17:00:00 +0000

The Tammsaare park pavilion stands on the foundation of Tallinn’s old market hall built in 1899 and destroyed in WWII. The new pavilion is the first structure on the site since then, and it is designed as a lightweight timber construction to make use of the entire survived basement level of the historical building.

Suure-Jaani Health Centre / Arhitekt Must

Pilar Caballero — Sat, 17 Apr 2021 22:00:00 +0000

Suure-Jaani Health Centre is located on the former site of the fire brigade clubhouse next to the central square in small rural town Suure-Jaani, Estonia. The complex consists of new built units adjoining the historical tower of the fire station. The building was born out of desire to resist the depopulation of small towns and the lifelessness of town centres. In order to activate urban life, a spatial program of a multifaceted public building was erected. The building had to improve town’s public services (swimming pool, ambulance, police) and add value to locals’ quality of life (health centre, rehabilitation clinic among others), while also functioning as the town’s tourist and recreational destination (SPA, visitor centre, café). The building was born as a result of a public architecture competition.

Narva Study Centre of the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences / 3+1 Architects

Hana Abdel — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 23:00:00 +0000

The main idea of the building was to fit into the surrounding environment, also creating a completely new context for the city of Narva. The architectural concept consists of two parts. The first deals with the connection between the typology and the location of the building, and the second with the form in which the strict uniform structure of the building and the contrasting flexible change of the landscape meet.

Maidla Nature Villa / b210 architects

Andreas Luco — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Inspired by wild nature, placed on the edge of a bog, this building is nothing like your regular hotel room. It is located among birch trees, with bogland flooding knee-deep during high water – making it possible to start a canoe trip straight from the terrace. A boardwalk leads to the terrace in front of the elevated house.

Design Pylon Bog Fox Landmark / PART Architecture

Pilar Caballero — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Design pylon Bog Fox
The high voltage design pylon Bog Fox is a unique piece of infrastructural architecture. Combining local folklore, architectural design and infrastructural engineering, the Bog Fox has become a landmark for a holistic view on our living environment in Estonia.

Arcwood Factory / Kadarik Tüür Arhitektid

Andreas Luco — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 14:00:00 +0000

Arcwood by Peetri Puit is an Estonian company that produces engineered wood products from laminated wood to CLT panels with a big part of the work being custom-made orders. Their new factory, opened in 2016, is located in Põlva, South-Estonia. At first, the intention was to build two separate buildings – an office and a simple factory building. However, during the work process, the two merged together with the office block acting as a presentable entrance for both the office staff as well as the factory employees.

Tallinn Architecture Biennale Postponed until 2022

Christele Harrouk — Tue, 26 May 2020 05:30:00 +0000

Next year’s Tallinn Architecture Biennale (TAB) has been postponed until 2022. Announced by the Estonian Centre for Architecture, the 6th edition has been adjourned “due to the postponement of the Venice Architecture Biennale as well as the uncertain times that international cultural events are facing because of the coronavirus outbreak”.

TAB 2019: Curator Yael Reisner on her Lifelong Fight for Beauty

Maria Erman — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 04:21:00 +0000

Opened in the middle of September, Tallinn Architecture Biennale 2019 (TAB 2019) explores its theme "Beauty Matters" through all possible architectural means. Wood and textiles, 3D-printed structures and VR are only a few components of the main exhibition of the biennial, curated by Tel Aviv-born, London-based architect Yael Reisner.

Steampunk Pavilion / Gwyllim Jahn & Cameron Newnham + Soomeen Hahm Design + Igor Pantic

Pilar Caballero — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 18:00:00 +0000

Steampunk is a pavilion constructed from steam-bent hardwood using primitive hand tools augmented with the precision of intelligent holographic guides. Designed by Gwyllim Jahn, Cameron Newnham (Fologram), Soomeen Hahm Design and Igor Pantic with Format Engineers, the installation was built for the 5th edition of Tallinn Architecture Biennale (TAB 2019) in Estonia, and will remain in place until the Biennale’s next edition in 2021.

Haapsalu Episcopal Castle / KAOS Architects

Martita Vial della Maggiora — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 22:00:00 +0000

The history of Haapsalu Episcopal Castle is long and colourful. Our design will result in a journey by the walls and within the castle, inviting the guests to take a look at the castle structure and picturesque town of Haapsalu from an unusual vantage point high above, and to experience the medieval environment from another level. The gardens planned for the roof terraces, the path winding along the walls and the elegant pavilion will introduce freshness and provide a contrast to the medievally dark and gloomy exhibition inside the walls. The new modern additions will respect the past and assist present-day people in conceptualising it.

Епископский замок Хаапсалу имеет долгую и многоликую историю, строительство началось в 13 веке, а уже с 17 века городище находится в руинах. Своим проектом мы проложили путь как вдоль стен крепости снаружи, так и внутри помещений, и предлагаем посетителям взглянуть на крепость и живописный город Хаапсалу сверху, с тех мест, куда обычно прохожий не забредает, и ощутить Средневековье на другом уровне. Разбитые на крышах сады, извилистая тропа вдоль стен и элегантный павильон придают свежесть и создают захватывающее сочетание нового со стариной. Экспозиционные помещения в реставрированной части руин – мрачные и тяжеловесные. Новое современное дополнение относится с почтением к старине и помогает сегодняшним людям лучше понять её.

Urban Jungle Vertical Park / PART Architecture

Martita Vial della Maggiora — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 20:00:00 +0000

PART architects collaborated with KINO landscape architects to design a spatial installation in the form of a vertical park in the new gigantic shopping centre T1 Mall of Tallinn in Ülemiste district. The aim of the structure is to create a common identity for the various levels of the 30-metre atrium and to provide an enjoyable environment for spending time.

Архитекторы PART совместно с ландшафтными архитекторами KINO создали пространственную инсталляцию в виде вертикального парка в новом гигантском торгово-развлекательном центре T1 Mall of Tallinn в районе Юлемисте. Архитекторы стремились связать воедино характеры разных уровней 30-метрового атриума и сделать пространство привлекательным.

Tallinn Architecture Biennale Announces the Programme for TAB 2019

Megan Schires — Sat, 11 May 2019 10:00:00 +0000

TAB 2019, Tallinn’s 5th Architecture Biennale, will commence with its Opening Week from September 5-11, 2019. Earlier this week, the Biennale announced its programme of events for this year’s festival, which bears the theme “Beauty Matters: The Resurgence of Beauty”. TAB is an international celebration of architecture, organized by the Estonian Centre for Architecture and curated this year by Head Curator Dr. Yael Reisner. The Biennale consists of five main events, to take place in various venues in the heart of Tallinn, as well as a Satellite Programme hosting other events around the city.

Lusthoone Funhouse Sauna / Peeter Pere

Pilar Caballero — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 04:00:00 +0000

The original task was to design a new sauna to accompany a farm complex and which takes into account the existing sauna. The old already remodelled smoke sauna in its archaic manner was the catalyst of the design.