It’s time to get to know the Open House Tallinn team. Here is our marketing and photography coordinator Kevin Loigu.
Who are you and what do you do on a daily basis?
I’m not entirely sure yet who I am… partly a shivering artist, partly a respected professional? In winter I make plans, in spring I pick up the pace, in summer and autumn I keep organizing – all sorts of cultural events. Over the years, besides Open House, I’ve been part of the teams of Design Night, PÖFF, TMW and other festivals. Year-round – basically on a daily basis – I take photos, watch films and discover new places.
How did you come to architecture, urban space or design? What fascinates you most about architecture?
I arrived at design in 2017, when I met the people from the Design Night Festival / Estonian Design House – it has been a fruitful collaboration that continues to this day. I came to architecture in 2018, when I bought myself a better camera and started capturing the streets of Tallinn. As a photographer I’m fascinated by forms, as a cultural scholar by history, and as a city dweller by the stories and legends.
Which place in Tallinn always makes you reflect on the city anew?
There are many such places, as I’m constantly darting around different parts of the city. Since I’m not originally from Tallinn and don’t really consider myself a Tallinner, I mostly have a love-hate relationship with the capital. Love strikes me, for example, in the greenery of Kadriorg Park, in the evening buzz of Telliskivi, or when stepping off the plane straight onto the tram to the city center. Hate mostly shows itself when car traffic gets involved.
Which space or building has inspired you recently (in Estonia or abroad)? In which historical building (anywhere in the world) would you like to live or work yourself?
I’m most inspired by industrial heritage, and in Estonia there’s still plenty of it – although, for example, the old power plant in Püssi was completely demolished last year. I just visited Berlin and caught a glimpse of the International Congress Centrum (ICC Berlin), which is in essence and scale a slightly mightier version of our Linnahall. That’s a place I could definitely see myself working in and hosting conferences.
What change would you like to see in Tallinn’s urban space in the future?
This applies elsewhere too, not just in Tallinn, but first of all I’d like to see professional and well-thought-out solutions. In the end, I believe the “good apples” will prevail – we have plenty of the right people in the right places. One can only hope that the “rotten tomatoes” get cleared off the boulevards for the most part.
More specifically: clarity about Linnahall (ideally as an open urban space by the sea), the development of the cycling network, giving up the giant Tallinn Hospital project (in favor of more dispersed hospitals in several locations), reducing car traffic in the city center (including extending the tramlines beyond what is currently planned – from Kristiine Keskus all the way to Nõmme, as well as a tram into the Lasnamäe canal!).
Which building or tour would you definitely recommend visiting this year, and why? (up to 3 suggestions)
Because of their architecture from different eras, my recommendations are: the Estonian History Museum at Maarjamäe Palace, Pirita TOP, and the Swedbank headquarters in the brand-new Arter district.
