Jury shortlists six entries in Tartu cultural center design competition

Six entries have been shortlisted in the international architectural competition to decide on the final design for the Tartu Südalinna Cultural Center (SÜKU). The winning design will be announced in mid-July.
The jury has decided that the six best entries will be, in alphabetical order, "Aed" ("Garden"), "Paabel" ("Babel"), "Puidust siluett" ("Wooden Silhouette"), "Roheline kultuurikeskus" ("Green Cultural Center"), "Tarte Tatin" and "The Line and the Dot."
The jury also singled out the conceptual designs "Maastikuga seotud mälestused" ("Landscape Memories") and Väike mets" ("Small Forest"), which will not receive financial prizes, but were considered deserving of special mentions.
The top six entrants all receive prizes. First prize wins €60,000, second prize €40,000 and third prize €20,000. The are also three prizes of €10,000 awarded to the fourth to sixth place entrants.
On July 14 and 2 p.m., an awards ceremony will take place on the stage of Tartu's Autovabaduse puiestee (Car-free Avenue), during which the jury will announce the winning entry and the distribution of the remaining prizes.
According to Mayor of Tartu Urmas Klaas (Reform), who is also chairing the architectural competition, it was very gratifying to see such great interest among architects in designing the downtown cultural center. "Such a large number of entries certainly meant the decision making process was more difficult, but at the same time it gave us the confidence that, in the end, we would identify the one and only work that Tartu needs," he said.

In addition to Urmas Klaas, the jury comprises Tartu City Library Director Kristina Pai, Tartu Art Museum Director Joanna Hoffmann, head of Tartu City Government Construction Service Priit Metsjärv, Tartu City Architect Tõnis Arjus, architect Enrique Sobejano (Nieto Sobejano Architects, Spain), architect Veronika Valk-Siska (Union of Estonian Architects), architect Tõnu Laigu (QP Architects, Estonia) and landscape architect Martin Allik (MARELD Landscape Architects, Estonia/Sweden).
A total of 107 entries were received in the international architectural competition to design the Tartu Südalinna Cultural Center (SÜKU). 28 were from Estonia and 79 from abroad, with entrants from 26 countries taking part.
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Editor: Michael Cole