National Archives’ Noora Building

The main building of the National Archives on Nooruse Street, with its intriguing architectural design, was opened in February 2017. The authors are Sander Aas and Illimar Truverk. Special attention is drawn to the labyrinth-patterned fabric covering the facade of the building, called “Uure” (by Fred Kotkas and Carmen Lansberg). The interior architectural design was created by Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla and Urmo Vaikla, for which they received the Estonian Association of Interior Architects award in 2017. Inside the six-story archive block and the five-story office building, visitors can explore various interesting places, from exhibitions and repositories to escape rooms and research laboratories.

Visitors to the archive also have the opportunity to see one of the oldest documents found in Estonia, dating back to 1240, in which Danish King Eric IV confirms the obligation of North Estonian vassals to pay church tax. What makes our tours special is that they are led by experienced archive educators. Welcome!

Photo: Rahvusarhiiv