Kuressaare Ametikool Design School in Kuressaare

The planning of the building is based on the dense structure characteristic of the Old Town. The proposed building complex consists of three different volumes. The lateral volumes perpendicular to the Court Street arise from the volumes of the historic auxiliary buildings. The new volume in the middle is placed along the street line, which creates a continuous building rhythm. In terms of height, the buildings interact with the large-scale school buildings in the street space rather than in the courtyard. The average volume recedes from the street line, allowing the side slice auxiliary buildings to stand out more strongly. The difference in form and material gives a clear understanding of the origin of the buildings over time.

Functionally, the complex works on the “house-in-house” principle – there is a separate “house” for each classroom. This will create a leather house from the old warehouse, a photo house from the gym and a design house from the new building. Classrooms with higher usage intensity are located on the first floor, rooms with lower usage activity on the second floor (teachers’ room, student company rooms). The buildings are connected by a gallery that connects them, which creates a contact point for the vocational school and a visual connection between the street and the school courtyard. The material handling is minimalist, limited to two main materials – historical limestone and smooth roofing stone, which have been used on both the roof and walls of the new building. The windows are solved as uniform surfaces, which creates a balanced and calm feeling of space.