Details of the main door of Tallinn's Happiness Palace - flag holders, vases, clock

I worked as an architect at the National Institute of Cultural Heritage Design since 1980, the university was still unfinished, I earned extra money as a student, and I was interested in any work experience as an architect.

At the same time, it was planned to relocate the Tallinn Registry Office from the premises on Pärnu mnt7, which had probably remained narrow, to a new location. My Own Marriage Registration December 9, 1980 still took place in the premises. At the time, I could not think of moving the agency. The Luhter villa, Pärnu mnt 67, which has always been a very beautiful house, was chosen as the new location of the agency. Traveling by tram to grandma as a child, this villa still caught my attention and gave birth to nostalgic feelings of “good old days” that contrasted with the time I was living at the time. I dare say that Luther’s villa, today’s Happy Palace, is a building impossible for Tallinners to overlook.

And then I, the young architect, was entrusted with the task of designing a vase for the Luther’s villa, the façade, the flag holders and the oval above the main door (I got the clock out). The task was handed over to me by Teddy Böckler, the department’s chief architect, known as the architect of the Tallinn Town Hall Restoration. His unic voice is still ringing in my ears, his “Estonian time” behavioral style forces me to strech stomach and strive to become better. In a word – I was very excited about the job and tried to do my best.

Only flag holders were realized from my work. It is possible that the two vases and the clock “brooch in the oval” were not realized due to cost. A bit sorry, because I have good memories of the solutions. But I can also be wrong with the design … 🙂 The project was handmade, pencil, paper, ink drawing, gillette fixes – typical at the time. The original drawings and copies of the project are likely to be found in the KRPI archive. Where’s the KRPI archive – you don’t know that. One copy of the project should also be available in the Tallinn Archives.