Villa in Merivälja

Throughout the history of Estonian modern architecture, the private house has been one of the more fetishized objects. This three-storey house in Tallinn has been created to capture views. The rising form makes the most of the steep incline, the street front is but two storeys and the front door opens into the middle, or second floor. The function of each storey is clearly defined. The public zone of the middle floor comprises a large living room, kitchen and office; the upper floor is a private zone with bedrooms, bathrooms and a small terrace; the lowest level contains the sauna facilities, without which no Estonian house would be complete. All areas are orientated towards the sea and are connected with the outside by way of terraces and large windows. In spite of this, the villa is not an airy glasshouse. Thanks to the combination of concrete and dark plywood, there is a certain sense of weight, a connection with the ground and a feeling of the house emerging out of it.