Fairytale Music School

By Marina Correa

Renderings: Jan Schrader, Martin Mathy

The Tallinn Music, Ballet and Primary School based in Estonia is proposed as a self-contained arts and cultural hub, which enshrines abundant greens within its architectural fabric.

Spatial composition of the compound accentuates the omnipresence of the garden, which is composed of glazed facades, forging a strong connect between the indoors and the outdoors.

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The organic garden serves the purpose of being a fascinating space for its participants and audience alike, but is off limits from the public’s prying eyes. This poetic ambience is punctuated by a stairway, framed by roses and masked by cobbled paths.

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The garden, considered to be the soul of the complex blossoms into an ethereal space literally and metaphorically during an open-air performance.

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The broad staircase is reminiscent of casa Malaparte (built on the Isle of Capri, Italy, and legendary for its reverse pyramidal stairs leading to the roof patio), which leads to the roof top and provides a huge canvas for an appreciative cultural rendition.

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Spatial fluidity is strongly emphasized in the 18, 200 sq. m. structural blueprint exploring the current and futuristic challenges of the framework. It is not surprising that this project won the first prize in an Open International Competition as genius and talent form the plinths of its foundation.

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Articulation of certain areas is just one of the many pointers that lay testimony to the fact that Ar. Thomas Pucher has intelligently handled the project. For instance, public spaces like concert halls face the street, while music classrooms and dormitories find their tranquility in the surrounding garden.

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The skeletal symmetry also allows new compositions to play out; thus accommodating the school’s potential demand in the future. In a nutshell, the format seems to be one where nature and nurture (of arts and culture) not only harmoniously co-exist but also flourish.

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As the 2011 winning entry of the Open International Competition, the Music School is scheduled for completion in 2016.