Villem Tomiste
Encyclopedia
Villem Tomiste is an Estonian
architect.
He graduated from high school in 1993 Tallinna Liivalaia Gümnaasium. Tomiste was enrolled as a student of the Tallinn University of Technology
the same year. The architectural degree was acquired in Estonian Academy of Arts
from 1994 to 2000.
He worked as an editor for the daily newspaper Post from 1993 to 1997. Tomiste also was part of the pop/rap-group Must Q for two years since 1995. From 2000 till 2002 he practiced as a freelance architect. Since 2002 he is a partner in architectural office KOSMOS.
He is best known for his wide range of completed works and polemical/published interventions concerning the subject of urbanity and city-life. The completed works include: the Central Square for the Town of Rakvere; apartment buildings in Laagri; a mixed-use city-block in Rotermanni Quarter in the City of Tallinn and the apartment building with retail space in the Old Town part in the City of Tallinn. The best known speculative propositions are the vision for the Viru Square in Tallinn, as a pedestrian area free of car-traffic (2004) and alternative visions for the spire of the church of the Holy Ghost in Tallinn, which was destroyed in fire (2002). The built and envisioned spaces and structures created with Ott Kadarik and Mihkel Tüür (architectural office KOSMOS) are distinctive for playful use of materials, their dramatic spatial language and hypermodern layout of volumes. Next to the built edifices and philanthropic urban proposals he has successfully participated in multiple local and international competitions. He was awarded with Urban Studies Prize by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia in 2003 and as part of the architectural practice KOSMOS he won the Estonian Republic’s national Cultural Advancement Award for the city-block in Rotermanni Quarter in 2008.
Villem Tomiste is a member of the Union of Estonian Architects since 2001 and Member of Chair of the Union of Estonian Architects since 2002. He was also part of the Architectural Council for the Tallinn City Centre from 2005 to 2006.
Estonians
Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian...
architect.
He graduated from high school in 1993 Tallinna Liivalaia Gümnaasium. Tomiste was enrolled as a student of the Tallinn University of Technology
Tallinn University of Technology
Tallinn University of Technology is the only university of technology in Estonia, and one of the three most important institutions of higher education in Estonia generally. It is located in the capital city of Tallinn, Estonia...
the same year. The architectural degree was acquired in Estonian Academy of Arts
Estonian Academy of Arts
The Estonian Academy of Arts is the only public university in Estonia providing higher education in art, design, architecture, media, art history and conservation-restoration...
from 1994 to 2000.
He worked as an editor for the daily newspaper Post from 1993 to 1997. Tomiste also was part of the pop/rap-group Must Q for two years since 1995. From 2000 till 2002 he practiced as a freelance architect. Since 2002 he is a partner in architectural office KOSMOS.
He is best known for his wide range of completed works and polemical/published interventions concerning the subject of urbanity and city-life. The completed works include: the Central Square for the Town of Rakvere; apartment buildings in Laagri; a mixed-use city-block in Rotermanni Quarter in the City of Tallinn and the apartment building with retail space in the Old Town part in the City of Tallinn. The best known speculative propositions are the vision for the Viru Square in Tallinn, as a pedestrian area free of car-traffic (2004) and alternative visions for the spire of the church of the Holy Ghost in Tallinn, which was destroyed in fire (2002). The built and envisioned spaces and structures created with Ott Kadarik and Mihkel Tüür (architectural office KOSMOS) are distinctive for playful use of materials, their dramatic spatial language and hypermodern layout of volumes. Next to the built edifices and philanthropic urban proposals he has successfully participated in multiple local and international competitions. He was awarded with Urban Studies Prize by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia in 2003 and as part of the architectural practice KOSMOS he won the Estonian Republic’s national Cultural Advancement Award for the city-block in Rotermanni Quarter in 2008.
Villem Tomiste is a member of the Union of Estonian Architects since 2001 and Member of Chair of the Union of Estonian Architects since 2002. He was also part of the Architectural Council for the Tallinn City Centre from 2005 to 2006.
Selected projects
- Reconstruction of the Steiner garden in Pärnu, 2001 (with Veronika ValkVeronika ValkVeronika Valk is an Estonian architect.Veronika Valk graduated from Tallinn 21.Keskkool with gold medal in 1994. She studied in the Estonian Academy of Arts in the department of architecture and city planning. She graduated from the academy in 2001 with master's degree, cum laude...
) - Alternative vision for the spire of the church of the Holy Ghost in Tallinn, 2002 (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür)
- Apartment buildings in Laagri, 2003 (with Ott KadarikOtt KadarikOtt Kadarik is a notable Estonian architect.He graduated from the Department of Architecture of the Estonian Academy of Arts in 2000.Ott Kadarik works in the architectural office KOSMOS OÜ....
, Mihkel TüürMihkel TüürMihkel Tüür is an Estonian architect.Tüür studied in the Estonian Academy of Arts in the department of architecture and city planning. He studied architecture 1996/7 in Ecole d'Architecture Paris Vale de Marne and 1999/2000 in Virginia Tech Architectural Consortium in Washington DC...
) - Central square of Rakvere, 2004 (with Ott Kadarik,Mihkel Tüür, Veronika Valk)
- Alternative vision for the Viru Square, 2004 (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür)
- Duplexes on Põdrakanepi Street, 2005 (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür)
- Rotermanni Quarter, 2007 (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür)
- Apartment building Aiamaja in the Old Town of Tallinn, 2009 (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür)
Competitions
- 1997 Modular kiosk architectural competition; I prize
- 1998 Vabaduse square planning competition (with Ott Kadarik); runner-up
- 1999 Rakvere center planning competition (with Ott Kadarik, Veronika Valk); I prize
- 1999 Kaali meteorite museum architecturalMuseum architectureMuseum architecture has been of increasing importance over the centuries, especially more recently.A challenge for museum architecture is the differing purposes of the building. The museum collection must be preserved, but it also needs to be made accessible to the public...
competition (with Veronika Valk); II prize - 1999 Võru central area planning competition (with Ott Kadarik, Veronika Valk); honorary prize
- 2000 Lasnamäe sports hall architectural competition (with Veronika Valk); honorable mention
- 2000 Lasnamäe sports hall architectural competition (with Ott Kadarik, Veronika Valk); runner-up
- 2000 Tartu ecological building architectural competition (with Veronika Valk); I honorary prize
- 2000 Tartu ecological building architectural competition (with Veronika Valk); II honorary prize
- 2000 TallinnTallinnTallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
coastal area planning competition (with Veronika Valk); I prize - 2000 Tallinn School No. 21 architectural competition (with Veronika Valk); III prize
- 2000 Munamäe skiing center architectural competition (with Veronika Valk); III prize
- 2000 Võru central square architectural competition (with Veronika Valk); I-II prize
- 2000 Pärnu Sütevaka Private High School gymnasium architectural competition (with Veronika Valk); honorary prize
- 2000 Põlva central area planning competition (with Ott Kadarik, Veronika Valk); honorary prize
- 2001 Suurejaani High School architectural competition (with Veronika Valk); I prize
- 2001 Narva Peetri square planning competition (with Veronika Valk); III prize
- 2001 Steiner garden landscape competition võistlus (with Veronika Valk); I prize
- 2002 Narva, Tallinna and Kangelaste intersection planning competition; III prize
- 2002 Tallinn, Admiraliteed Bassein, planning competition; I prize
- 2002 Tallinn, Vanasadam, planning competition; I prize
- 2002 Mustjõe planning competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); I prize
- 2002 Kalev candy factory planning competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); honorary prize
- 2003 Tallinn, Aia st.4 architectural competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); I prize
- 2003 Tartu, Emajõe planning competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); III prize
- 2003 Riga, Kipsala planning competition( with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); honorary prize
- 2003 Tallinn, Linnahall architectural competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); I-II prize
- 2003 Pärnu gymnasium architectural competition (with Mihkel Tüür); III prize
- 2003 Marati quarter architectural competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür, Paco Ulman); I prize
- 2003 Paadi st. hotel hotelliarchitectural competition (with Tomomi Hayashi, Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); I prize
- 2003 Viimsi High School architectural competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); honorary prize
- 2004 Rottermanni quarter architectural competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); I prize
- 2004 Tartu Fortuuna quarter architectural competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); III prize
- 2004 Viljandi cemetery chapel architectural competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); honorary prize
- 2005 Tartu, Mõisavahe planning competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); I prize
- 2005 Tallinn, Pritsumaja quarter architectural competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); I prize
- 2005 Estonian National MuseumEstonian National MuseumThe Estonian National Museum founded 1909 in Tartu is a museum devoted to folklorist Jakob Hurt's heritage, to Estonian ethnography and folk art...
architectural competition (with Ott Kadarik, Urmas Oja, Krista Saluveer, Mihkel Tüür); honorary prize - 2005 Riga, Kliversala island planning competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); honorary prize
- 2005 Skoone Bastion planning competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür, Paco Ulman); III prize
- 2006 Kiviõli, central square landscape competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür, Kaiko Kivi); honorary prize
- 2006 Maakri quarter planning competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); honorary prize
- 2006 Juhkentali quarter architectural competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); I prize
- 2006 Paide gymnasium architectural competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); II prize
- 2006 Pärnu, Jõeäärse planning competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); III prize
- 2006 Tallinna Tehnikaülikool Library architectural competition (with Ott Kadarik); III prize
- 2007 Tallinn, Patarei area planning competition (with Ott Kadarik); III prize
- 2007 Paide Vocational Training Centre arhitektuurivõistlus architectural competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); I prize
- 2007 Tamsalu central area planning competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); III prize
- 2007 Estonian Open Air Museum architectural competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); honorary prize
- 2008 Estonian University of Life Sciences architectural competition; honorary prize
- 2008 Tallinn Pirita st. 26 architectural competition (with Ott Kadarik); I-II prize
- 2008 Viljandi Culture Academy architectural competition (with Reedik Poo-Puu, Mihkel Tüür); honorary prize
- 2008 Tallinn, The Museum of Estonian Architecture, landscape competition; I prize
- 2009 Kultuurikatel architectural competition (with Ott Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür); III prize
- 2009 Hoolekandeküla architectural competition (with Ott Kadarik); honorary prize
- 2009 Institute of Physics, University of Tartuarchitectural competition (with Ott Kadarik); I-III prize
- 2009 Institute of Physics, University of Tartuarchitectural competition (with Ott Kadarik); I-III prize
- 2009 Tartu Maraton, monument competition; honorary prize
Exhibitions
- 2003 Vision for Pirita st., Tallinn, Arhitektuuri- ja Disainigalerii
- 2004 Viru Plats 2008, Tallinn, Arhitektuuri- ja Disainigalerii
- 2004 Collage Europa, Rotterdam, NAINetherlands Architecture InstituteThe Netherlands Architecture Institute is a Dutch architecture institute in Rotterdam. The NAi owns one of the world’s largest architectural collections, has a library with over 30,000 books and a museum with 3 exhibition galleries...
- 2005 Emerging Identities, Berliin, DAZ
- 2006 Skaalanihe – skulptuur avatud mänguväljal, Tallinn, KUMU
- 2006 Raine KarpRaine KarpRaine Karp is an Estonian architect.Beyond doubt, Karp has created the most bold examples of 1960s–1980s modernism in Estonia. Characterised by monumentalism, his designs often have a distinct Soviet feel to them...
, isikunäituse koostamine ja kujundus, Tallinn, The Museum of Estonian Architecture - 2008 FOR THE ROAD - EUROPEAN DESIGN TOUR, Budapest, Design Terminál Kht.
- 2008 BOOM/ROOM NEW ESTONIAN ARCHITECTURE, Tallinn, The Museum of Estonian Architecture