Tallinn Reaalkool opens new teaching building after 32.7 million euro project

Tallinn Reaalkool, a municipal school, is formally opening its new teaching building on Saturday, the school’s 145th anniversary, ERR reports. The building has been in use since September. The project cost about 32.7 million euros, around 10 million euros more than planned.

The total covers construction of the new building and renovation of the historic school building. Construction work accounted for 25.5 million euros, furnishings for 4.2 million euros and design costs for about 1.04 million euros.

Teachers helped advise architects and interior designers on the new building’s layout. Deputy head and physics teacher Daniel Kaasik said functionality was the main priority, and that staff had a say in the design of classrooms and shared spaces.

The school previously had a building designed for 300 pupils. It now has between 950 and 1,000 students, Kaasik said. The new facilities include three physics classrooms and four laboratories, and a competence centre intended to allow pupils from across Tallinn to carry out practical work.

The building also has a separate floor for younger pupils, terraces and a courtyard for sports. Sound-absorbing ceilings and surfaces were included to reduce noise as younger and older pupils share the school. The new underground gymnasium replaced the former gym, where a library was built.

Kaasik said the school’s goal for the next two years is to settle into the new environment and make the best use of its rooms.