The long history of the St. Nicholas Church probably began in the 13th century, and the church was first mentioned in 1315. Along with the long and complicated history, there are many additions, demolitions and expansions. Gradually rising, St. Nicholas Church reached its final height in 1695. After being destroyed in the war, the church was restored as a museum-concert hall, which was completed in 1984.
The tower of the dignified church has been closed to visitors for a long time. The tower has been used as a service passage and through it the path leads to many attics and balconies of the church.
The goal of the St. Nicholas Church tower project was to restore the former glory of the tower and move the St. Nicholas Church museum to several floors.
The project’s standout feature is the glass lift ascending to the tower, equipped with the world’s highest-rated fire protection curtains. These advanced curtains are engineered to remain completely concealed and unobtrusive for visitors, only deploying in case of fire. This innovative integration prioritizes safety without compromising the visual experience, allowing guests uninterrupted views as they move through the structure. The lift is uniquely designed to meet the specific needs of this historic church, blending seamlessly into its architectural context. Enclosed in a transparent glass cabin, the lift offers visitors an immersive experience as they ascend through the open space to the top of the tower, creating the sensation of being inside a glass sphere.
Working with historical buildings always creates a special mood for the projects, but also leads to complex heritage conservation and historical-technical restrictions. So you often have to deal with a situation where you need to create something truly new inside an old shell, while at the same time preserving the building's timeless character.
An important part of the concept of the St. Nicholas Church tower project was that everything added would be light and transparent, still focusing on historical values. This principle was extended, for example, to the choice of materials and became a guide in the design of a special elevator shaft.
Another major update is in the mezzanine of the small chapel, where the goal was to maintain a clean space for the exhibition hall and to avoid the creation of posts and unwieldy support structure. The cables and fixtures of the lights were inserted into the floor structure. Thus, the result is a truly clean room, where there are no inappropriate modern constructions and technology.
Photos: Tõnu Tunnel