The Estonian Centre for Architecture has announced its shortlist of candidates for the sixth international Tallinn Architecture Biennale TAB 2022. The Centre previously announced the launch of the competition on 21 February 2020. 

The aim of the TAB 2022 Curatorial Competition is to find an innovative and responsive theme related to the context of Estonia and relevant to the contemporary world of architecture.

TAB 2022 Curatorial Competition has received a record number of submissions from all over the world, including Europe, Australia, and the USA. The competition jury selected the finalists out of 26 submissions, who will be interviewed in the competition’s second stage. 

Initially planned to be held in September 2021, TAB has now been postponed by one year, with the new Opening Week dates being 7–11 September 2022. The competition will still be held in two stages. Final results will be announced after the second stage jury meeting in August 2020.

Steampunk by Gwyllim Jahn, Cameron Newnham (Fologram, AU), Soomeen Hahm Design (UK), Igor Pantic (UK), and Format Engineers (UK), winner at the Tallinn Architecture Biennale (TAB) 2019’s Installation Program Competition-Huts and Habitats. Image © Tonu Tunnel

These are the five finalists (in alphabetical order):

“Adaptive Reuse” explores how heritage-led contemporary architecture contributes to placemaking and creating more sustainable urbanism. Curatorial team: Kaija-Luisa Kurik, Ewa Effiom, Keiti Kljavin,andMartina Schwab.

"Edible: Architecture that Makes Food, Or, Is Eaten Away" transfers the metabolism and experiential aptitudes of the natural world to the domain of cities and buildings. Curators: Areti Markopoulou, Lydia Kallipoliti. Local Co-Curator: Ivan Sergejev

“Emotionalism” proposes that TAB 2022 serves as the launch pad for an architectural movement called Emotionalism. Seeing humanity as devalued by a never-deepening digitalization, it re-asserts what makes us human through the design of the built environment. Curatorial team: Tszwai Soand Herbert Wright.

“Home” focuses on traditional domains of the home, showcasing new opportunities for social interaction within, on the border of, and in the close proximity of homes. Curatorial team: Eerika Alev, Eva Kedelauk, Kristel Niisuke, Kristiina Way, and Margus Tamm.

“Life Beyond Work” looks at the architecture of “leisure”— an architecture dedicated to enjoyment, relaxation, and non-productive activity. Curatorial team: Helen Runting, Karin Matz, Rutger Sjögrim, Maroš Krivy, Tristan Main, and Karin Kahre.

TAB 2015 installation Body Building by Sille Pihlak and Siim Tuksam. Image © Tõnu Tunnel

Raul Järg, the director of Estonian Centre for Architecture and the jury member of TAB 2022 Curatorial Competition, says that selecting a winning proposal from these twenty-six submissions is certainly a complex task for the jury. 

"The selection of proposals that were submitted is colourful, with many of the topics being intriguing and forward-thinking. The postponement of TAB to 2022 makes the jury process even more difficult as the winning proposal has to not only be interesting in this present day but also be relevant and engaging in two years’ time," said Raul Järg.

The competition jury consists of Villem Tomiste (Head of TAB Committee, Head of the Jury), Raul Järg (Director of the Estonian Centre for Architecture), Veronika Valk-Siska (Ministry of Culture's Adviser for Architecture and Design ), Liina Soosaar (assistant to the curator of TAB 2019), Tiit Trummal (architect), Epp Lankots (Senior Researcher at the Estonian Academy of Arts), and Johan Tali (architect).

Top image: TAB 2017 Winner Gilles Retsin. Image © Gilles Retsin

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