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THE THREE SISTERS HOTEL TALLINN, ESTONIA |
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| ARCHITECTURE / INTERIOR DESIGN |
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Martinus Schuurman
Külli Salum |
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The opportunity presented architect Martinus Schuurman and designer Külli Salum was both thrilling and perplexing: how to turn three 14th century buildings, each a maze of different levels and staircases, into a fluid design concept and hotel.
The answer the pair came up with has become one of the Three Sisters’ greatest charms. The 23-room hotel in downtown Tallinn, which opened in 2003, is an interconnecting flow of galleries, walkways and staircases. The organic nature of its design is mirrored in the materials, like the oak and limestone floorboards, used in the buildings’ refurbishment. In overcoming the legal restrictions imposed by the buildings’ vintage, the owners drew on traditional Estonian designs. In order to keep within regulations that limited the amount of chrome, glass and plastic that could be used, carpenters were commissioned to construct entire wooden staircases, window shutters and doors by hand.
In tackling the interiors, Salum, who was guided by the theory that no three sisters are truly alike, created rooms that reflect three different tastes. The bohemian whims of the youngest sister, evident in the mix of old and new and a love of photography is offset by the classic chic of the middle sister, reflected in the antique furnishings in her seven large rooms. The eldest, and by far most contemporary of the three, is ready to entertain with livelier designs and furnishings from Casamilano and Le Corbusier. Try one of them out – or all three. If there’s anything the Three Sisters guarantee, it’s a new perspective gained with every single visit. |
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