Taru’s spare space brings language institute and Language Board
Friday 2nd October 2026 on 10:15 in
Estonia
Vacant office space at the Taru nature house in North Tallinn will accommodate the Estonian Language Institute and the Language Board, ERR reports. The space became available after the planned office needs of environmental agencies shrank.
Design work for Taru began in 2019, with the aim of bringing the then Environment Ministry and its agencies under one roof. The government later decided to move the Climate Ministry to the Suur-Ameerika joint building, so ministry staff will not move to Taru. The office needs of other planned tenants also fell as working habits changed and state agencies were asked to use office space more efficiently.
Other institutions moving into Taru include the Estonian Natural History Museum, the Environmental Board, the Environment Agency, the Environmental Investment Centre, and the Land and Spatial Planning Board.
Taru head Riina Roosipuu said rent costs for the state agencies in the building will be covered through the Climate Ministry’s budget. The ministry is the contractual partner of State Real Estate Ltd (RKAS) and will make occupancy agreements with the institutions. Some office space remains vacant, and Taru is working with RKAS to find tenants.
Estonian Language Institute head Arvi Tavast said the new space would end the institute’s search for a home. Its current building on Roosikrantsi Street in Tallinn needs extensive repairs, with further costly work emerging as renovations proceed. Tavast said the Ministry of Education and Research should not be responsible for developing office property, and the institute had been looking for new premises for some time.
The move is not expected to substantially change the institute’s finances: monthly operating costs will remain almost the same, with property costs handled by the Climate Ministry instead of the Ministry of Education and Research. Tavast said any funds saved would not automatically be available for the institute’s core work. He added that the new building would provide a contemporary working environment and end years of ongoing repairs and uncertainty over funding.
Most agencies are expected to move into Taru in November and December.