Stuudio TÄNA and Mark Aleksander Fischer have been named the winners of the curatorial competition for the 8th international Tallinn Architecture Biennale (TAB 2026), which will take place in the Estonian capital city from September 9 to November 30, 2026. 

This announcement comes from the Estonian Centre for Architecture.

Estonia's premier international festival devoted to architecture and the built environment, the Tallinn Architecture Biennale was established in 2011. 

In order to promote discussion, experimentation, and critical reflection on the future of architecture, the 2026 edition is expected to offer a rich and varied program that includes the main Curatorial Exhibition, a Symposium, Tallinn Vision Competition, and Installation Program in addition to a rich interdisciplinary Satellite Program.

From Waste to Matter - Waste as construction material. Image © TAB 2022 curatorial team

"How Much?"

The Estonian collective Stuudio TÄNA, which is made up of Tristan Krevald, Kertu Johanna Jõeste, Ra Martin Puhkan, and Siim Tanel Tõnisson, and Mark Aleksander Fischer, submitted the winning proposal, "How Much?" out of the ten submissions. This proposal challenges us to reconsider what affordability in architecture actually means in the modern era. 

The curators challenge the modernist concept of "cheapness" in a society where market-driven solutions and short-term efficiency rule, where things that appear economical at first turn out to be costly in the long run on a social, environmental, and cultural level.

Instead of providing straightforward solutions, the TAB 2026 provides an opportunity to consider how we may design architecture that is cheap not just during construction but also for decades or even centuries to come. Through related themes such as shared investment, effective use of space, methodical repetition, durability, adaptability, simplicity, reuse, and compactness, the exhibition examines affordability.

The TAB 2026 contextualizes these concepts in a larger framework of scarcity, resilience, and innovation by drawing on experiences from Estonia and other countries. Architects and specialists from all disciplines will join together for the conference to critically discuss how "cheap" might be a sustainable and beneficial attribute in forming the built environment of the future.

"Fungible Non-Fungible", the first ever blockchain-funded pavilion. Image courtesy of IHEARTBLOB

Leading personalities from Estonia's architectural and cultural communities served on the jury that chose the winning plan; they were especially impressed by the proposal's urgency, clarity, and cross-disciplinary resonance. The panel featured Roland Reemaa (LLRRLLRR, visiting lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Arts and Central Saint Martins, London), Sille Pihlak (PART Architects, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at the Estonian Academy of Arts), Jaan Kuusemets (DAGOpen, member of the TAB 2024 curatorial team), Aet Ader (B210, President of the Association of Estonian Architects), and Kristiina Reidolv (Director of the Estonian Centre for Architecture).

"In the face of current urgencies, we are facing globally such as geopolitical security issues, climate crises or increasing social and economic inequalities, it is important that the curatorial concept should resonate more broadly with what is happening in the society and spatial culture both in Estonia and the Nordic and Baltic countries. These relevant issues can and should be tackled through culture or history," said Kristiina Reidolv, Director of the Estonian Centre for Architecture.

TAB 2017 winner Gilles Retsin searched for new tectonics in wood with his mega-wooden spaceship. Image © Gilles Retsin

"How Much?” takes austerity and scarcity as its starting point and asks how they might become assets in spatial practice. Stuudio TÄNA — a young architecture office — has decided to pursue this theme, a timely and well-judged choice. The question reaches beyond architecture or our region; it resonates across society and other disciplines," said Sille Pihlak, architect and Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at the Estonian Academy of Arts, member of the TAB 2026 jury.

"We want to know what to forgo and what to prioritise, how to produce compelling architecture under constraint, and how to sustain local spatial culture. Perhaps this isn’t possible at all. In any case, I look forward to the programme’s next steps over the coming year," added Pihlak.

Project facts

Tallinn Architecture Biennale – TAB 2026 / “How Much?”

TAB 2026 Dates: 9 September — 30 November 2026

Curatorial Team: Stuudio TÄNA (Tristan Krevald, Kertu Johanna Jõeste, Ra Martin Puhkan, Siim Tanel Tõnisson) and Mark Aleksander Fischer

Production: Estonian Centre for Architecture

Curatorial Exhibition Production: Estonian Centre for Architecture

Graphic Design: Stuudio Stuudio

The top image in the article: Stuudio TÄNA and Mark Aleksander Fisher © Päär Keedus.

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