Lender and Tallinn Houses in Kalamaja

Estonian Academy of Arts

Typomorphology project LENDER AND TALLINN HOUSES IN KALAMAJA

Anita Pinter, Laura Uibopuu, Kadri Vaher, Elo Liina Kaivo Tutors: Edina Dufala-Pärn, Panu Lehtovuori Tallinn 2006 INDEX OF TABLES

INTRODUCTION

TIME SCALE

LENDER AND TALLINN HOUSE TYPES

VARIATIONS OF LENDER AND TALLINN HOUSE TYPES - LENDER HOUSE - TALLINN HOUSE - COMPARING LENDER AND TALLINN HOUSES - CHANGES ACROSS TIME FACADE STAIRCASES FUNCTIONS

DISTRIBUTION OF LENDER AND TALLINN HOUSE TYPES

REFERENCES INTRODUCTION

The aim of this paper is to examine more closer the Lender and Tallinn house types in Kalamaja. It must be said that these are not the only house types found in the study area, but the reason to concentrate on these two types is that they constitute the greater part of the wooden houses in Kalamaja. And Kalamaja is by far most known and appreciated by its wooden buildings and the atmosphere shaped up by them. Another reason for focusing on these two is that there has not been any concrete and sufficient studies on Lender or Tallinn houses. These two types are usually just mentioned or referred to in the context of broader writings about wooden architecture in Estonia. We would like to turn the attention towards the forgotten and so-called ordinary wooden slum houses. And by doing this to change that common understanding. NAME

Kalamaja means a house of fish. Although the name is known to originate from the fishermens settlements the two legends tell the different stories.

LEGEND I

LEGEND II The biggest suburb of Medieval Tallinn TIME SCALE 19th/20th century 1993 2006 1699

1913-1914 the size and growth of Noblessner Kalamaja settlement was restricted by military purposes; building of stone houses or even proper wooden houses was forbidden outside city walls 1899-1901 Volta

1900 Franz Krull

In the end of the 19th and in the beginning of the 20th century most of the buildings of nowadays were constructed; change from one-story-houses to a single family or two-story-houses for rent; straightening of the protected building very valuable building streets; the rise of trading and servicing enterprises valuable building less valuable building valueless building different from the milieu of Kalamaja The main stimulus factor for the development of Kalamaja

The oldest houses date back to that time

The decline of trade and services; violent behavior of Russian soldiers; deportation of Estonian citizens; changing the names of streets and enterprises; reorganization of the industry; bringing in of foreign Russian work force 13th century 1688 1733 1857 1871 1964 1987 1994 1934 1967 1985 Permanent settlement; 1500 inhabitants Building of Kopli street as Erasing Tallinn from Railway and Taking down the fences; Formation of Kalamaja Planning strategy for the 2003 16884 inhabitants 15700 inhabitants 12158 inhabitants fishing village the road to the new graveyard the list of burgs Balti Jaam destroying the feeling of 'my own' Inhabitants Convention preservation of milieu in Kalamaja 7319 inhabitants 1710 1570-1571 1854 1918 - 1920 1920-1940 1939-1945 1970/1980 The Northern War 19th century 1914-1918 Burning down in The Crimean War The War of Estonian Republic; The Second World War. The change in thinking 1991 2006 The First World War The Livonian War Industrialization Independence; the best times for Incorporation of Estonia with the Soviet Union; of architects; realizing Restoration of the Republic of Estonia; The city government is still working with the Kalamaja was Kalamaja as a unique change of regime and economic the historical value of Kalamaja change of the regime and economic building act of Kalamaja; the authentic milieu is devastated and complete settlement system; decline of Kalamaja system; reorganization of the industry; continuously vulnerable the leaving of Russian Army LENDER AND TALLINN HOUSE TYPES

LENDER HOUSE TALLINN HOUSE

The urbanisation of estonians is said to have started with the emergence of the Lender house type. The The housing shortage was so acute in the late 1920s that even the building of three-storied name of the type is connected with the architect Voldemar Lender, who used to have made most of the wooden houses was permitted in Tallinn, on the condition it had a central stone staircase. As a plans for these kind of houses. In 1903 the wooden slum houses became a mass consumption article. result another new type evolved from Lender and this was called the Tallinn house. In the end of But it was not just another slum house type, this new type was a breakthrough in living conditions, 1920ies and especially in 1930ies the building of two or three storied cheap Tallinn houses started because from now on all the conveniences were inside the house, most importantly the toilet and water. to distribute. The basic plan of the house is very simple: centered staircase on the symmetrical axe and four one- The plan of the Tallinn type was again overrational: on the first and second floor there were room apartments on every floor. The door opened to a street level but another entrance and the stairs 2-roomed apartments, and on the half-basement floor there were shops and small businesses. were placed on the back because of the fire prescriptions. The prominent or plane stone staircase, which extended across two floors was a typical accent for the street facade.

Typical Lender house scheme and facade Typical Tallinn house facade and scheme

Also, these regulations did not allow to build a wooden house with more than two stories high. But as The recreational areas also marked the difference between Lender and Tallinn houses. It was the type could not grow in height, it growed in length along the street. That is how the number of usually the latter type that had its characteristical apple orchards and courtyards full of greenery. apartments per house was increased. The growing density of living spaces could also be observed It is said that this kind of house type occures only in Tallinn and it is not known in other towns. Some by the allocation of buildings. Often, houses were built along the perimeter of a block, with wooden exepctions still exist, because a few single wooden tenements with a central stone staircase are houses lining the street front and another line of houses sometimes forming a second row at the back. found in Rakvere, Haapsalu, Tartu and Kuressaare. The most productive architect who designed this type of houses was Karl Tarvas. His houses went up in nearly all of Tallinn's districts, and this fact makes it even more interesting that the type did not remarkably spread to other towns. LENDER AND TALLINN HOUSE TYPES

LENDER HOUSE TALLINN HOUSE

The appearance of the Lender house was reduced, but this did not mean that it had no characteristical Initially, Tarvas's houses retained a strong influence of Art Nouveau, but these features retreated details. The reason for decorations was to give the house the city look. In general all the Lender houses later. Also houses built by engineer W. Salemann in Salme Street 17 and 19 were in a late Art looked similar, but they also had their own sub-types, reflecting the owner's preferences of taste and the Nouveau vein and with a rich idiom of form (the house has three dormers, the central one of them architect's or engineer's handwriting. Most common decorative features were a two-leaf door with carved covered with a half-dome) and a plastic, streamlined shape of the roof. The high mansard part made details and fanlight and an ironwork awning over the front door, skirtboards with a simple saw-cut it possible for flats to be built also in the attic. ornament around the windows and a decorated tie beam at the tip of the gable. In his own time the Tallinn house type was considered concervative as much in social as in It is said that one Lender house does not have a considerable value, but when they are together they architectural way. But it represents the peculiarity as a vernacular architectural appearance. create an esthetically delightful streetscape. It is noticeable in a common line of eaves, rhythym of storeys and attic windows. The unpretentious appearance will have a different meaning when you look at the side-by-side Lender houses from the street scale.

The row of Lender houses on Salme Street Salemann houses on Salme Street

Both house types were owned by one person, who rented it for the working class people. The status of your class and your possibilities determined the way how you lived. So it can be said that certain lifestyles were bonded with these house types. It meant common laundry washing in downstairs or on the courtyard, wood-sheds, the schedule of vestibule cleaning times, small first floor businesses and so on. These everyday activities together with the architecture of the buildings formed the essence of Kalamaja.

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EXAMPLE OF CHANGES IN INNER STRUCTURE

SALME STREET 49 _ 1908 SALME STREET 49 _ 2002

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REFERENCES

Bruns, D., 1993. Tallinn: linnaehituslik kujunemine. Hallas, K. (Toim.), 1999. Eesti puitarhitektuur. Hallas-Murula, K., 2002. Tallinna 20. sajandi arhitektuur. Nerman, R., 1996. Kalamaja ajalugu. Sepp, M., 2004. Tallinna elamutüübi säästev renoveerimine. Magistritöö, Eesti Kunstiakadeemia restaureerimisteaduskond, Tallinn. Volkov, L., 1957. Tallinna tingimustes kasutatavad elamutüübid. Dissertatsioon, Tallinn. Cit. Bruns, D., 1993. Tallinn: linnaehituslik kujunemine. Välja, L., 2004. Miljööväärtusliku puitasumi väärtuste määratlemine ja kaitse. Magistritöö, Eesti Kunstiakadeemia restaureerimisteaduskond, Tallinn. We would like to thank Leele Välja for introducing us the whole theme. This is how the concept got started. And for Edina and Panu we would just like to say that we might not have done our best, but we sure had many hardworking days.

Anita Elo Liina Laura Kadri