Mustjala Retirement home and Daycare Center
completed 2022
Nominee for the Mies Van Der Rohe Prize 2024.
Nominee for the Estonian Association of Architects Housing Award 2023
Nominee for the Estonian Association of Interior Architects Annual Award 2023
Nominee for the Estonian Cultural Endowment's Architecture Endowment Annual Award 2023
The building, covered with yellow-painted wooden siding, located in the approximately 250-resident village of Mustjala, is strikingly contemporary, yet it also references the local architectural culture in several aspects. The cone-shaped volumes rising from the roof are reminiscent of a traditional farm complex, where multiple buildings with different functions are gathered around a courtyard, marked by the typical sloping roofs extending from the cubic volume of the buildings. In addition to serving the elderly residents of the municipality, the building also caters to local villagers, providing spaces for various communal activities such as cooking, sauna visits, interest groups, or crafts.
The point of departure for the square shaped building was to create a sense of home, offering a humane and supportive environment where both the indoor and outdoor spaces attract and complement each other. The building's spatial program is divided into two parts. On the northern side, there is a public community center. It includes a communal hall, hobby room, activity room, and sauna - all of which can be used by the local people. The entire building is centered around a tranquil and sunny inner courtyard, which has a calming and charming effect. Access to the courtyard is available from both the day center and the residential wing.
Around the inner courtyard, there are two wings of living spaces. In this private area, there are homes for elderly residents. They have access to bedrooms, shared open kitchens, living rooms, and sanitary facilities. When planning the rooms, it has been taken into account that the residents may use wheelchairs and various aids, so the sizes of the rooms have been optimized according to their purpose to ensure comfort and safety for everyone. On each side of the building, there is a terrace with a one-meter-wide canopy, which residents of the retirement home can access from their bedrooms. In addition to protecting them from the typical Saaremaa weather conditions, this sheltered inner courtyard encourages residents to spend more time outdoors with minimum effort.
The retirement home introduces a new concept of co-living for the elderly of Saaremaa Island, Estonia. The key lies in providing residents a simplified way of life. Residents, who are often coming from solitude after their life partner has passed away, live in rural farmhouses scattered over the island and face harsh day to day living conditions. The home offers either seasonal or all year round rental units for independent residents to retreat back to. For the residents, companionship and co-existence is as important as day to day errands. The architecture of the house caters to this ideal by communal spaces ranging from an assembly hall, sauna, activity rooms and communal kitchen. This setup is aimed to make the elderly feel integrated into the community life. As the folk on the island accustomed to harsh climate of the outdoors, the house caters to this emotional need by the sheltering courtyard for easy access to the outdoors. With its collection of local seasonal blooming flora, the garden traditionally has been the place where to meet visitors, both friends and family.
Arhitecture and head contractor of planning: molumba - Karli Luik and Johan Tali with project architect Priit Rannik
Structural Engineering : Margus Allik (MG inseneribüroo oü)
Interior Architecture : Annika Lill in collaboration with molumba (Heleri Koltsin)
Landscape Architecture: molumba
Vegetation concept : Ruumikujundusbüroo Polka - Maarja Gustavson
area: 600 m2
Programme: residential units and daycare
Client Saaremaa Municipality
General Contractor: BauEst OÜ / Kuressaare Ehitus OÜ
Budget: 1,8 mil EUR
