New objects of cultural importance are in various stages of completion
While the Riigikogu confirmed the list of cultural objects of national importance to be renovated or constructed on Monday, it is not certain the buildings will be completed in the exact order.
On Monday, the film campus "Film Wonderland" was added to the list of cultural objects of national importance as the fifth project in the list. Kertu Saks, head of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, told ERR that the order will be considered when finding funding for the buildings.
Saks still sees possible problems that could change the order. "A reason to not follow the order could come up if it becomes clear that some of these objects would not be completed sufficiently fast," Saks told ETV's daily affairs show "Aktuaalne kaamera" on Tuesday. "If it turns out these objects are delayed by late documentation, it could be reconsidered."
First on the list currently is the Südalinna Cultural Center of Tartu (Süku), which is planned to be completed as soon as possible. "Our goal is to reach the architectural contest as soon as possible, which should be announced in 2022 in order to develop Süku in 2025. The exact financing schemes will be a matter for the next weeks and months," said Tartu city architect Tõnis Arjus.
Currently, the Cultural Endowment board is still paying for the completion of previous objects of cultural importance, such as the Academy of Music and Theatre's concert hall and the Estonian National Museum. These payments will take until at least July of next year. This means the earliest new developments can be supported is in the end of 2022 or in the start of 2023.
"If the financing schemes are set up and financing can be initiated in 2023 and construction takes one or two years, it may be that something is completed in 2024 or 2025," Saks responded to a question about when the first of the objects could be completed.
Although the film campus is last in the order, the project's organizers will not wait for other buildings to be completed. Tallinn Film Wonderland CEO Gren Noormets is even bolder in his predictions and said they are looking to draw up a financial plan, which allows them to get the project going, as soon as possible.
"Our excavator driver has his keys in the ignition, as they say - we have a construction permit, we have the plot and the plot owner just needs to conduct a construction tender. The hope is that we are able to begin construction this year and if we do so this year, it should be ready in a year," Noormets said.
The objects are in various stages of completion. As with the film campus, the Arvo Pärt Music House in Rakvere has already acquired a construction permit, but there is still no location for the extension works to current building of the National Opera.
"I believe a solution can be found within the next couple of years and then we can move toward announcing an architecture contest. I believe performances will be in full swing in 10 years," said National Opera art director and conductor Arvo Volmer.
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Editor: Kristjan Kallaste