Open House Tallinn 2025 took place on October 11–12, marking the seventh edition of the festival. Over the course of two and a half days, the event welcomed more than 9,400 visitors to explore the city through architectural tours, workshops, and lectures. The festival was organised with the help of 210 volunteers, who formed the core of the team and supported coordination, guiding, and visitor management. In total, the programme featured 42 buildings and 19 special events, with tours held in Estonian, English, Russian, and Estonian Sign Language.

The theme of the 2025 festival followed Open House Europe’s common focus: Future Heritage. This theme encouraged reflection on how today’s architecture and urban environments will shape the heritage of tomorrow. The festival aimed to explore what defines the architecture of the future and how it can be preserved for generations to come. To fulfil this, the organisers expanded the special programme to include a greater number of events discussing the intersections of heritage, innovation, and sustainable development.

Marking its seventh edition, Open House Tallinn didn’t shy away from asking the city’s inhabitants to reflect on complicated questions of what could be considered the architecture of Tallinn’s future. The programme presented examples of both contemporary architectural excellence and the adaptive reuse of existing spaces. Reckoning with the city’s architectural legacy, the festival asked visitors to weigh the persistence of beauty and the limits of imagination when faced with complex history.

Building Highlights: Navigating Preservation and Transformation

In total, the festival featured 23 buildings showcasing the annual theme. Three sites in particular stood out for their ability to provoke dialogue on the nature of heritage.

Tallinn Linnahall exemplified Future Heritage as a contested postmodern landmark navigating the space between preservation and transformation. Originally completed as the V. I. Lenin Culture and Sports Palace (1976–1981), this monumental 38,479-square-metre structure represents Soviet-era architecture that contemporary society must now reckon with. Its architectural significance—defined by axial symmetry inspired by ancient temple architecture and dramatic seaside positioning—demonstrates design values that transcend its original political context. However, the building’s current state of neglect raised critical questions: How do we preserve architecture tied to complex histories, and what happens when monumental public buildings lose their original function? Linnahall embodied the challenge of recognising postmodern structures as heritage worthy of protection.

Similarly, Projekteerijate maja (Designers’ House) at Rävala puiestee 8 embodied urgent questions regarding the lifespan of modernism. This 1982 office building represents mid-20th-century architectural values, such as functionality and spatial innovation, yet it faces imminent demolition for the Rävala Galerii development. Originally housing Estonian SSR design organisations, it represents a significant chapter in the city’s architectural profession. Its impending replacement raised a difficult query: at what point does modernist architecture warrant preservation? By opening Projekteerijate maja during its final years, the festival invited dialogue about which contemporary structures deserve protection before they disappear.

In contrast, the Põhjala Factory stood as a guiding light of transformation. This former Bekker Shipyard site, which once housed the Põhjala Rubber Industry, demonstrated how industrial heritage can be reimagined rather than demolished. The complex’s transformation into a hub for over 100 creative businesses, community gardens, and galleries showcased innovative approaches to preserving industrial structures while addressing contemporary urbanisation. It proved that former production facilities can become vibrant cultural centres, illustrating how contemporary interventions can successfully honour industrial heritage while creating spaces that future generations will cherish.

Expanding the Dialogue: Special Activities

Beyond the building tours, the programme featured diverse activities that further explored the theme. The main tour programme extended beyond the central districts to reach the northeastern, northern, and southwestern neighbourhoods of Tallinn, introducing visitors to a wider urban context.

The question of adaptive reuse was central to several events. A lightning lecture on the Reincarnation of the Garage Area Along Putukaväil explored transforming garage complexes into vibrant urban fabric. It examined how reimagining outdated structures creates new urban possibilities, asking if the practices of today will become tomorrow’s legacy. This was complemented by the Stories of Old Town and Kalamaja Garages tour, which explored Tallinn’s diverse garage architecture—from early 20th-century examples to Soviet-era complexes—examining which modest, utilitarian structures deserve recognition as Future Heritage.

The festival also highlighted the role of sustainability in heritage. A guided tour focused on Interim use and reuse of space and materials in new downtown parks explored three recently created central Tallinn sites, including Liivalaia Trassipark and Uus-Veerenni Park. These projects addressed how contemporary architecture can conserve resources through circular economy principles, questioning whether temporary interventions and material reuse represent practices that future generations will preserve.

Furthermore, a tour titled How old buildings breathe today explored one of the Old Town’s best-preserved buildings. Led by an experienced restoration architect, it demonstrated the delicate balance between respecting historical traditions and ensuring contemporary functionality, showcasing how professional conservation work protects Europe’s multilayered architectural legacy.

Strengthening Partnerships
The festival team was especially proud of making the event more inclusive and collaborative. This was reflected in the expanded special programme, which was larger and more diverse than ever before. Volunteers joined through collaborations with the Estonian Academy of Arts, other cultural festivals, associations, and schools. The festival further improved the volunteer training and coordination process, offering participants a structured and educational experience.

Overall, Open House Tallinn 2025 was the largest edition to date in terms of programme diversity, participation, and partnerships. It set new records in visitor numbers and volunteer engagement, deepening the festival’s role as a platform for dialogue about the future of architecture and the city.