Instead of confectionery, dream homes are now being produced in an old factory in Tallinn, Estonia. The modern three-part residential complex is an innovative mix of historic and new buildings.
According to architect Ra Luhse from the Luhse ja Tuhal architectural practice, the very idea of living in a candy factory was so appealing that he was determined that his team would be the one to design this extraordinary project. It is a residential complex on the premises of the old Klausson candy factory in the Estonian capital of Tallinn. During this refurbishment project, two old factory buildings were redesigned, a new three-storey building was built and a private courtyard was created.
The site of Rudolf Klausson’s confectionery factory, founded in 1920, is one of the oldest inhabited areas in Tallinn. The original boiler house, brick chimney and limestone buildings lining the street have been preserved. Until 2017, the factory was used by various companies for producing confectionery. The property was eventually bought by Endover, a property developer specialising in converting industrial period buildings into modern living spaces.
By this stage, the building was in very poor condition. Some extensions from the Soviet era had to be demolished due to poor quality, while valuable old parts were carefully restored. “The details of the wooden structure were restored with great effort. In this way, we created very special living spaces”, recalls architect Ra Luhse.
Due to their former use as a factory, the buildings feature high ceilings and large, irregular rooms. “This presented us with the exciting challenge of finding atypical design solutions”, says Ra Luhse. For instance, they designed loft apartments spanning two floors and huge glass panels that direct light into the core of the building. “The old limestone walls that hold the historical value of the building were exposed as much as possible in the interiors”.
The roof and façades of the new building were constructed using the ceramic roof tile Pottelberg 301 in anthracite engobe. Combining the old fabric of the buildings with new, natural tiles has retained the antique flair of the factory and upgraded the quality of the living space. The planted inner courtyard and an underground car park provide the necessary infrastructure and harmoniously connect all the buildings together.
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