Kopli Kindergarten

Kopli Kindergarten is special in many ways – it is the oldest kindergarten in Tallinn, it was the first to introduce nursery groups under the city’s administration, and it is also the first building in Estonia designed specifically as a kindergarten.

Tallinn’s 1st Daycare Home was established on December 1, 1918, and its thoroughly modern and pioneering building was opened ten years later. Architect Herbert Johanson designed the building in the Bekker shipyard district, giving careful consideration to both the location and child-friendliness.

The steeply pitched roof building is divided into three volumes: a central two-storey section flanked by single-storey wings. The rear façade is marked by a projecting staircase tower. In addition to kindergarten rooms, the building also included apartments for the director and caretaker.

The interior of the building is well preserved. Vaulted ceilings, wall panels, partially preserved wooden parquet flooring, and stone tiles in the vestibule and basement have survived.