Nordic Look 2012 – architecture and urban space

Nordic Look 2012 is taking place in Tallinn, Estonia organized by The Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Estonia, the Estonian Centre of Architecture and Creative Estonia.

We will create a city where the living environment is comfortable and pleasant, and not bad for your health. It is an architecturally playful and inspiring city that doesn’t necessarily present itself as the opposite of rural areas. We will not flee this city at the first opportunity to enjoy nature and spare ourselves from stress and noise. This city is characterised by squares, parks and streets that are swarming with people and surrounded by successful cafes, restaurants, shops and businesses. This city brings joy to present and future generations. This is OUR city and space.

It is the IDEAL city, and if we want to build it, we need to have a brave and open discussion in the urban space of Estonia that involves all stakeholders. The keyword is cooperation between stakeholders and on the international scale which considers success stories from urban spaces and the brightest new ideas in architecture.

Nordic Look 2012 will highlight the problems of architecture and urban space at various events held from 15-30 May, which will lead to discussions and create opportunities for closer cooperation between Estonia and the Nordic countries in this area.

The fourthcoming events include:

• Living City conference (15 May)
• 3 seminars: “Best examples of participation in architectural contests in Estonia and Nordic countries” (16 May); “Protection of intellectual property and resulting opportunities” (23 May); “Joint marketing of Estonian and Nordic architecture companies on the foreign markets” (30 May)
• roundtable for Nordic and Baltic centres of architecture
• an exhibition from Finland
• screening of Nordic films about architecture and a contest of ideas for short films about architecture

The following people are invited to take part in discussions and develop urban space:

• representatives of the public sector from local authorities and ministries;
• representatives of the private sector – entrepreneurs, property developers, universities governed by public law etc.;
• people interested in the design of urban space – city activists, students, teachers, politicians and local people; and
• specialists who design urban space – architects, landscape architects, interior architects, supporters of urbanism, city planners and builders.

As a result of Nordic Look 2012

• the urban space of Estonia and the Nordic countries will be more exciting, vivacious, structured, sustainable and economically profitable;
• cities in Estonia and the Nordic countries will share the same values, and detailed plans that consider all stakeholders as much as possible will be completed in future;

• contracting authorities will organise architectural contests that are more transparent and complex;
• architects will be more enthusiastic about participating in architectural contests and their intellectual property will be protected;
• Estonia will become more established as one of the Nordic countries – Estonian and Nordic architects will cooperate closely and enter the Asian and Russian markets together; and
• Estonian and Nordic centres of architecture will meet regularly.

Nordic Look will take place in Estonia for the second time. Last year, Nordic Look contributed to the development of an environmentally responsible and innovative fashion, design and textile industry as part of events organised to mark Tallinn’s status as European Capital of Culture 2011. The concept of temporary or pop-up shops became widely used in the country as a result of the event, and young fashion designers and companies in Estonia and the Nordic countries became interested in working together.