Tallinn has announced a new international design procurement tender for what is set to be the largest hospital complex in Estonia, after an earlier contract from a tender held by the previous Tallinn administration was scrapped.

On Monday, Deputy Mayor Pere told ERR that the procurement process regrettably overlooked the needs of both the Estonian Association of Architects (Eesti Arhitektide Liit) and those of doctors.

"Right now we are in a situation in Tallinn where we can potentially implement a very questionable initial solution, via a new design procurement," Pere said.

"My proposal is to resolve that situation now, by canceling the procurement announced on Friday and taking a two- to three-month pause. During this time, the Estonian architects association, in cooperation with doctors, will be conducting an audit and analysis of what we need to commission, and whether a completely new building project is necessary," Pere went on.

Pere added that both the coalition agreement and the city's action plan clearly state that the design of Tallinn Hospital must proceed in cooperation with the architects' association.

However, Pere said, this requirement had been ignored. "They didn't even call or write to the Estonian Association of Architects to discuss potential cooperation," he added.

This makes the hospital a "colossus with feet of clay."

"If we commit to half a billion euros, then spending around five million euros, which is 0.1 percent of that sum, to organize a tender again is reasonable. But if we order the cheapest possible solution, we will start having to patch up or add to this building, built on feet of clay, within the first or second year," the deputy mayor said.

Pere contrasted this with the procurement process under the previous Center-SDE Tallinn administration when, he said, the cheapest possible solution was sought, while architects were only consulted a week before the announcement of that procurement.

Tallinn is now in a situation where the city has thrown away money, having abandoned the original designer, he added.

In summer, 2021, a joint bid from Italian firms ATIproject srl and 3TI Progetti won the tender to design the planned hospital, with the contract signed in November.

In March of this year, SA Tallinna Haigla Arendus and the designer mutually agreed to terminate the design contract, over a lack of satisfaction with the designer's work on the part of the City of Tallinn.

Under the terms of the agreement, the designer handed over the project documentation and all related copyright to the client, ie. the City of Tallinn.

Up to now, central Tallinn has been mostly served by two separate hospitals located on Paldiski mnt and on Ravi.

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