KUMU: The Art Museum of Estonia

Estonia has opened a major new art museum in the country’s capital, Tallinn. Designed by Finnish architect Pekka Vapaavuori, it is a large and impressive building set dramatically into a rocky outcrop in a park on the edge of the city.

Lord Cultural Resources was invited to Tallinn to review the architectural plans and to advise on the organization of the complex of art museums in the city that are operated by the Estonian government. In order to review the architectural plans, we first analyzed the art collections intended for the new museum, and were able to indicate the need for additional storage space, especially when collection growth is taken into account. We also advised on the need to prototype the use of natural light in the galleries, since Vapaavuori had advanced a bold new concept for integrating natural with artificial light throughout his exciting building. In relation to the new Museum’s organization, we recommended changes in the staffing structure that have been implemented. We also pointed to the potential for the new Museum to collaborate with major art museums in Helsinki and Stockholm to develop a Baltic exhibition group.

The Museum, known affectionately as “Kumu”, won the 2008 European Museum of the Year Award.