The Question of the Patarei Prison
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| The Question of the Patarei Prison | |
| Epp Lankots | |
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During the last decade, the
coastal area of the Tallinn city
centre has mainly functioned as
a pragmatic exchange product
between the political, ie public,
power and private investors. To
realise the latter's business interests
by selling land in municipal
or state possession, the former
has purchased a positive image
of a rapidly developing town. So
far the 'positive image' is mainly
expressed by low shopping centres
in the harbour area, apartment
buildings that fail to form
an ensemble, and hotels accommodating
shopping tourists. It
was quite interesting to examine
the various parties' election
programmes for the last elections in Tallinn. Most of the
major parties promised to develop the coastal area into an
attractive and diverse public space. It seems that, after the
Linnahall (City Hall) case, politicians suddenly discovered
that Tallinn was indeed a seaside town, and the coastal area
had finally become a 'profitable' topic.The only larger plot of land in the city centre owned by the state lies next to the City Hall and is becoming the next test for the authorities. This area includes the naval fortress, completed in the mid-19th century (now mostly known as the former Patarei (Battery) prison), and the adjoining Lennusadam (harbour), together with the powerful early 20th century hangars for hydroplanes. After the prison moved out, the government faced the task of finding a new function for a culturally valuable complex of buildings which, alas, has a negative aura. In 2003 the solution seemed to have been found: it was decided to adapt the building which for the past 70 years had operated as a prison for the use of the Estonian Academy of Arts, and develop the surrounding area (together with the Lennusadam) into a quarter of Tallinn University and a centre for media and science. |
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The persistent problem in developing the Estonian spatial
environment lies in the fear of political responsibility
and the constant inability to decide anything. The ending
of the goal this year of developing the Patarei area into an
art centre is obviously once again connected with the fear
of taking another wrong step. The development of the seaside
area of Tallinn has, so far, involved one row of urban
planning errors (starting with un-coordinated construction
of the roundabout designed between the old town, the
Kalamaja residential district [an area of mostly two-storey
wooden houses by the sea - Ed] and the sea). In the case
of the Patarei, it is feared that the 'noble' idea will have a
too-expensive result, encouraged by the prejudice of seeing
artists as people unable to think along economic lines. The
arguments of the main opposing parties do not, alas, reflect
the understanding that this would not be an example of
refined urban planning and the costly renovation of an old
house, but of creating a material basis for an increasingly
important branch of the economy, ie the creative industry.
Although the idea of installing the Academy of Arts in the
former prison building has not been totally abandoned, an
idea contest is planned to find new solutions for the area
and then to start planning. What could the Patarei in fact
become?There has been talk of a prison museum. There seem to be two possibilities for rehabilitating negative symbolic buildings: to 'domesticate' the building, giving it a different, positive usage that serves the public interest, or to leave it as a 'recording' or document (or museum), which would then function as a warning. At the moment, the Patarei is indeed being used as a temporary museum that offers cynical 'shocktrips' (the visitor can even be locked up for a time should he so wish). Turning the whole building into a stationary museum, however, raises the question of renovation. I doubt whether it is cheaper to renovate it as a contemporary museum and maintain it than have it as an art school. |
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Trying to predict possible
future development scenarios for
the Patarei, I would say that the
selling of the building is going to
be pushed aside, as construction
would place the decision makers
on unstable political ground. I
personally think that the state
has started to realise the necessity
of keeping some larger islands
of public space as a part of property
development based on private
capital that is thriving all
around. Besides, the spatial programme
of the listed building is
unsuitable for a hotel.I also cannot imagine what a prison-museum would do with twenty or more thousand square metres, which means that different functions must be joined. The head of the Virumaa Museums *, who is temporarily running the Patarei, has already planned, in addition to the prison, adventures and souvenirs to organise performances in the building. I am almost certain that other proposals for the idea contest will also contain similar activities of various types that the contemporary art world has to offer, because the spatial specifics of the building form the biggest advantage. Whereupon we come back to where we started ... But let us wait and see. * complex of several museums and architectural monuments in East Estonia that has in recent years stood out for effective operation. This has, among other things, provided a basis for accusations of 'tivolisation' - Ed. Patarei prison - a set of buildings by the sea near the Tallinn city centre. It was a naval fortress for a long time, then operated as prison under different regimes in the 20th century. The prison was notorious for its remarkably poor conditions, but was still in use until the end of 2002. After that the buildings were supposed to be taken over and renovated by the Academy of Arts. That plan was however rejected and a museum is currently organising 'prison adventures' for visitors. After a dangerous fungus was found in the building last autumn the prison was for a short time closed. - Ed. Epp Lankots (1976), architecture historian and critic. Currently works as Researcher in the Institute of Art History at the Estonian Academy of Arts. |
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| Estonian Art 2/05 (17) | Published by the Estonian Institute 2005 | ISSN 1406-5711 (Online) | ISSN 1406-3549 (Printed version) | einst@einst.ee | tel: (372) 631 43 55 | fax: (372) 631 43 56 | |
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