Tallinn postpones hospital design tender to complete architectural review

The City of Tallinn has extended the deadline for the design tender of the planned central hospital from January to May, citing the need to complete an architectural review.
This decision follows a request from the Architects' Association (Arhitektide Liit) and a previous contract termination.
Currently, Tallinn is served by the East-Tallinn Central Hospital (ITKH), the West-Tallinn Central Hospital (LTKH), the North Estonia Medical Center (PERH), and other facilities.
Plans for a larger central hospital have faced controversy under the previous city administration, but the project remains active.
The city government told ERR this week that the new deadline was necessary because the architectural review's deadline was only this Wednesday, and the review process must be finalized before proceeding with the design tender.
The new deadline is set for May 5.
The city-owned Tallinn Hospital Development Foundation (Tallinna Haigla Arendus) announced an international design tender for the major hospital last August, with an original deadline of October 22.
However, the Architects' Association demanded that such a significant project undergo review, prompting city authorities to commission an international architectural review.
The first international design tender for the Tallinn Hospital was conducted under the previous Center Party-led city government in summer 2021.
The successful bid came from a joint proposal by ATIproject srl and 3TI Progetti, which led to a design contract being signed.
In March last year, Tallinna Haigla Arendus and the designer mutually agreed to terminate the contract.
In April 2022, the current Reform-SDE-Isamaa-Eesti 200 city coalition took office.
Last month, it was announced that the management board of Tallinna Haigla Arendus would resign in May.
According to board chair Sven Kruup, the decision stemmed from indications by the supervisory board (Nõukogu) that hindered further cooperation.
Kruup explained: "In cases like this, the reason is always some disagreement between the parties. That is what happened here as well."
He added: "Generally, in cases of disagreement, the higher governing body, the supervisory board, has the final say in foundations and enterprises. The fact that the board thinks differently doesn't actually count for anything. And that's how it went."
Deputy Mayor of Tallinn Karl Sander Kase (Isamaa) told ERR in December that, in the long term, if Tallinn reaches an agreement with the state on consolidating the capital's hospitals, Tallinna Haigla Arendus will eventually be dissolved and merged with the new Tallinn Hospital.
However, this will not happen within the next few months but rather in the coming years.
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Editor: Marko Tooming, Andrew Whyte