Pääsküla Library

Peeter Pere, Katrin Kaevats, Arhitektid Muru & Pere OÜEstonia

Pääsküla library is one of the branch libraries of Tallinn Central Library. The two-storey building (altogether 510 square metres) is specially designed and built for a library. It is located near the bus stops and a railway station.

Authority and authority type

Cultural Heritage Department

Title of library in local language

Pääsküla raamatukogu

Year of completion

2005

Address

Pääsküla Library
Pärnu mnt 480A
Tallinn, Estonia
paaskula@tln.lib.ee

Size of library: 
510m²

Category of library

Public Library

More info on the building

http://www.solness.ee/maja/?mid=112&id=1…

Awards and recommended reading

Estonian Society of Interior Architects’s (ESL) Annual Award 2005 - Public Interior Design Award. It was an unanimous decision of ESL’s jury. The library was described as a socially sensitive entirety with a good atmosphere.

Recommended reading:
Ruumipilt 2005 : Eesti parimad interjöörid ja disain 2005 = Estonia's best interior design projects and products 2005= лучшие интерьеры и промышленный дизайн Эстонии / Eesti Sisearhitektide Liit = Estonian Society of Interior Architects ; vastutav toimetaja Priit Põldme. Tallinn: Minuskel, 2005.

Special features, internal

String-coatracks
Relaxation and reading area
WiFi connection (free of charge)
Events for children
User training (50 +-)

Special features, external

Good accessibility - library is located near the highway, bus stops and railway station.
Glass wall – it gives daylight to the library in the day and makes library visible and beautiful in the dark.

Overall Cost

€ 383.470

Detailed description

After the Soviet Period Pääsküla Library is the first library in Tallinn which is specially designed and built for library. It was designed by architecture bureau Architects Muru & Pere OÜ. The architect Peeter Pere has described the building: „Pääsküla Library has a simple, even archetypical form. The financial situation was taken into account when designing the library. Also the building traditions of the district, the function of the building and the needed size. All the components were piled on a small building site. Facade is one board wall without windows, other side without the wall – only single window. Windows are scattered as raisins on two sides of the building for flavouring, mixed some spirit of the place, cool staircase added between two floors – and done.“

Pääsküla library is very accessible. It is located by the highway, 1-5 minutes walking distances from the bus stops and 2 minutes walking distance from the railway station. The grocery store is nearby. You can’t miss the library, even in the dark. The library has quite good accessibility conditions for physically disabled people.

Pääsküla library has two floors. On the ground floor there are mostly shelves with books and on the first floor there is a reading room and 8 internet workstations. The books for children and youth are located on the first floor. On the first floor there are also being displayed Peeter Pere’s three works of art from series „Positsioonid. MZ 108-04. Makarov. Parabellum”, they belong to Tallinn’s art collection. Mentioned series was in Venetian Biennale in 1999, in Estonia Peeter Pere received a Kristjan Raud’s Award.

WiFi is free of charge for all library users.

Architecture critic Urmas Oja has written in the newspaper „Areen“ about the Pääsküla library: „The new Pääsküla library is not stagnantly monofunctional, it is suitable for reaserches as well as playground children who are still learning to spell. /.../ Architects Muru & Pere’s new building is very modern construction, which lacks at times overexploited suddenness. Relatively small size of the building gave an opportunity for more playful and human approach, so that the outcome was warm and friendly.“

Front of building: 
Entrance: 
Side of building: 
Special view outside: 
Interior: 
Special view inside: 
Special departments: 
Reading room: 
Circulation desk: 
Special features, internal: 
Special features, external: 
Blueprint: