The National Library is the most representative library of the Estonian people, a landmark open to everyone: educational programmes are provided here, the collections include all books, periodicals and other publications published in Estonia, and foreign literature is available as well. Furthermore, the National Library offers one of the most comprehensive collections of Estonian legal literature, and books, sheet music and sound carriers can be borrowed to take home.

The building completed in 1993 is architecturally so prominent that it has been placed under heritage protection. However, over the years, it became evident that the National Library is in dire need of modernisation: over the thirty years of its existence, only the technical systems have been updated more extensively. The reconstruction is also required because of the rapid development of information technology – in 1993, the possibilities offered by modern audio, video and web technology were undreamt of.

Improvements

The renewed outdoor terraces and changes to interior architecture will soon provide a new angle to the building, integrating it into the urban environment. “We had to find a solution for reconciling our expectations with the building protected under heritage conservation, for designing the room programme in a way convenient for the visitors,” says the Project Manager of the building’s reconstruction serving as the contracting authority’s representative.

In the renewed building, previously closed areas not present in the original design have been taken into use and opened to the visitors; some examples include the terraces and the Tower Hall accommodating a theatre and a multifunctional conference centre.

“Life is changing, and we need to pay more and more attention to educational activities, to young people. There is an entire floor for this in the renewed building,” the Project Manager points out. “In keeping with modern needs, for example, all the meeting rooms have been moved to the middle of the building and the areas next to the windows reserved for spending time and engaging in educational activities.”

Bauroc autoclaved aerated concrete products

When deciding on the construction material for the new partition walls of the National Library, the choice fell in favour of bauroc AAC products; thousands of square meters of the material have been used in the building.

“The technical parameters were suitable and complied with the requirements. The material is easy to work with and fireproof,” says the contracting authority’s representative. “This was also the builder’s recommendation, because installation is almost fool-proof and you can be sure of the result.”

In the process, heritage protection requirements were taken into account down to the millimetre: from the outside, the entire building volume has been visually preserved, and even though new functions and systems have been added inside the building, the new solutions are well compatible with the original idea.

“Bauroc autoclaved aerated concrete products have proven to be indispensable in the context of our site: lightweight, with good fire resistance properties, and compatible with construction physics requirements. As regards co-operation with Bauroc, the feelings are nothing but positive as well – promptness, know-how and advice have always been available when required. As a co-operation partner, Bauroc is always there for the builder when help is needed,” says a Member of the Board of the builder, Ehitus5ECO.

Challenges

As always, large-scale reconstruction is accompanied by surprises, both good and bad.

“From the viewpoint of heritage protection, the library was built quite recently, and so many archival materials have been available. We had the chance to study the different versions of the design documentation, even descriptions of structural details”, says a representative of the party that drafted the project, Architectural Bureau Sirkel & Mall. “Unfortunately, it sometimes happened that when the builder opened up a structure, the direction of the panels was not as expected. We had to do some brainstorming to find the best ways for moving forward.”

“Considering the load-bearing capacity of the building, we had to work out the lightest possible interior wall structure and the best solution meeting the requirements. Bauroc block products are lightweight and convenient for building fire protection zones and shafts, and thus the material is an appropriate choice for such a building,” the architect confirms.

According to the Board Member of Ehitus5ECO, the builder, the surprises mainly resulted from the special features of the old building: “The uneven construction quality characteristic to the final years of the Soviet era and non-compliance with the original design have been causing some interference. Also, because of such a long construction period, the contracting authority’s needs kept changing, which in turn led to considerable modification of source data – for example, conversion of the building to district cooling. Furthermore, the crisis related to the war in Ukraine and the aftershocks of the Covid crisis have coincided with the extensive construction period. Indeed, it has not been easy.”

The team

The completion of the construction project was a major joint effort: more than 85 architects and engineers representing nearly 20 different companies, management and rank-and-file personnel of the National Library and the National Archives, Riigi Kinnisvara AS as the knowledgeable contracting authority, top researchers from the Tallinn University of Technology as consultants on the indoor climate of the repositories, and specialists from the Tallinn Heritage Board participated in the project. An acoustician was also involved, as well as a person exercising owner supervision over the construction process. 

According to the Board Member of the main contractor, the reconstruction work of the National Library is about to reach the start of the final sprint, so to say: “A lot of finishing work, technical systems and equipment installation, and system start-up and testing still needs to be done.”

The renewed National Library will open its doors to visitors in 2027: upon completion of the reconstruction works, 3,000 visitors per day can be served instead of the current 800.