Leida Pello: What did you keep in mind with the remaking of Teenindusmaja building?

 

Meelis Press: The Teenindusmaja building has basically only two sizes: length and width. So there wasn’t a lot to consider. Height was also reasonable and it was suitable for almost anything. And there wasn’t anything technical to bear in mind. Well, architecture as a whole is complex; you have a little bit of this technical side, e.g. those big pipes moving somewhere, but that is of little importance in architecture. There are more important things; which way the building is facing and where are the views and how do you want the front and back to interact with the surrounding public space. The front gets more attention and it is wise to prioritise it and manipulate with it while still keeping in mind the budget.

 

LP: What were the things you kept in mind while remaking the Teenindusmaja into Tallink City Hotel?

 

MP: The front. The Tallink City Hotel has basically only one façade. Two side façades are missing, as they are hidden between neighbouring buildings. It is a slightly taller building, yet in reality this little part that is taller than neighbouring buildings blends into the background. And with the courtyard there aren’t that many people who see it, only those few neighbours. So the backside is quite modest.

 

LP: How have you gotten the projects, through competitions?

 

MP: We haven’t been that lucky to get a building without one. But these have been those closed invite only competitions with 3-4 architecture bureaus.

 

LP: Do you prefer doing projects abroad or in Estonia?

 

MP: As we are quite busy at the moment, I would prefer doing projects at home and travel less. If the project is in Tallinn, you can do let’s say 20 concordances a day. You drive to the construction site and say ‘yes’ to something and it takes you less than an hour if your office is in central. The same ‘yes’ in another country is a two-day work. It takes you half a day to get there, as we don’t have a lot of direct flights from Tallinn. Then the next day in the morning you have the meeting and in the evening you fly back. Therefore, it is more time-consuming and all the communication and culture is so different in different countries. But it does make it all more interesting. However, from a rational perspective it is practical to do all things in Estonia if only the market were big enough.

 

LP: Would you consider yourself and your bureau experts in hotel architecture?

 

MP: We have done a lot of hotels, so it may as well be our specialty. We have done most of the new hotels in Estonia [e.g. Tallink City Hotel, Ülemiste Hotel, Hilton Park Tallinn, Swissotel Tallinn interior]. And once you get good at it, then inevitably those hotel chains try to convince you to do another hotel in somewhere else. Currently, there is a new Hilton in Beirut under discussion. New projects come when a previous one was a success. We have done almost all the Tallink hotels. It is easier for them to use the same architect without explaining their concept once again. It is wise for them to keep on working with the same architect.We have done a lot of hotels, so it may as well be our specialty. 

 

LP: When you do a hotel what are the things you have to consider?

 

MP: When you talk about the mathematical model, then everything is given. So you have brands like Hilton and Swissotel to which a customer reacts according to their accommodation needs. Every hotel chain has a clear understanding of who their clientele is. If you are a Hilton, then a person from whichever country already associates it with the same things. You have a 29 square metre [312 square foot] room, which consists of specific things and in that hotel you have those particular services – and that is why you choose that hotel chain. In terms of numbers, everything is given. We know exactly how many seats there are in a restaurant if you have 200 rooms: it’s 60 per cent of the number of rooms. The whole hotel world is very mathematical. But if you look from the interior aspect, then there you have nothing to consider, not even materials. They don’t tell you how it should look, you are like your own interior designer, and so it is all about trust. They know your previous work and if it suits their expectations you get the project.