MERE 10 HOTEL OFFICE BUILDING ARCHITECTURAL COMPETITON

3rd Place — Open Architecture Competition

Our proposal, Malachite Strata for a new hotel and office building at Mere pst 10 in Tallinn, was awarded 3rd place in an open architecture competition. The site occupies one of the most significant urban positions in the city, at the meeting point of the Old Town, the Rotermann Quarter and the evolving harbor district.

The project is based on a simple but defining idea: architecture in such a location must grow from its context. Malachite Strata is conceived as an urban stratification — a sequence of volumes with distinct rhythms and characters that reinterpret the surrounding city. The proposal draws from Tallinn’s historic façade cadence, the brick and arch motifs of the harbor’s industrial past, and the expressive material language of Rotermann, combining these references into a contemporary architectural composition.

Rather than a single monolithic form, the building unfolds as a layered urban structure. Public squares, passages and framed views toward the Old Town are carefully integrated into the design, continuing existing pedestrian flows between the harbor and the historic center and reinforcing the site’s role as a key urban connector.

A rich material palette of brick, ceramic and mineral tones give the architecture depth and tactility, echoing the layered character of the city itself. The composition allows the building to be perceived differently from each approach, creating a dynamic yet balanced presence within the urban fabric.

The result is architecture that feels both familiar and new — a contemporary interpretation of Tallinn’s historical layering, contributing a new and meaningful layer to this important gateway to the city.