Ville Lausmäe says that other countries have public spaces that can be used in winter as well. But Estonia lacks such places.
Many people don't realize that Estonia lacks public indoor spaces. We have very beautiful parks, like Reidi tee and Tammsaare park in Tallinn. But there are no indoor spaces, and no one even knows to miss them.
Shopping centers fulfill this function, but they are not neutral or human-friendly. Lausmäe hopes the National Library can become such a public indoor space.
The entire building doesn't have to be just a library. It also includes a planned public indoor space. Interior architects play an important role in building restoration.
When modernizing the National Library, the goal was to understand what is valuable and worth preserving. The aim wasn't to replace the old with the new, but to create the best version.
The restoration of the National Library cost over 100 million euros. The center will fully open to visitors next May.