Expansion of the university in Viljandi, Estonia by Salto Architects

Viljandi is a university town with twenty thousand inhabitants, located 160 kilometers south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn. Young architects from the Salto studio won first place in a competition in 2011 for the expansion of the heritage-protected Cultural Academy building serving the local state university. The authors perfectly utilized the existing topography. The gently sloping southern plot allowed their rear extension to the historic building to not compete with it in any way. With its black coloring, absence of details, and slight embedding into the terrain, it allows the original structure to stand out from the street. On the opposite side, facing southwest towards the sports facilities and the park with a lake, the new extension is fully glazed on both floors. Thanks to the mature trees, the extension occasionally disappears in a flood of greenery. The sloped site also influences the interior arrangement, particularly in the generous tiered hallways that serve for gatherings, informal lectures, and relaxation. The architects wanted to avoid the traditional school typology with atriums leading to narrow hallways lined with classrooms. Instead, they offered an airy and clear common space that continuously transitions into the outdoor park.