In the 2006 architectural competition, we asked ourselves: How can we create a building that is both a library and the heart of the Tallinn University of Technology campus? Our answer grew out of an organic way of thinking – the created building resembles a tree, but not decoratively, but conceptually.

The concept of the “Brain Tree” stems from a deeper analogy: a library is like a large tree, the trunk of which is communications – stairs and elevators. The branches are different areas located on the floors according to topics. The roots become underground repositories where knowledge is preserved for the future. Books and paper also come from wood, but we add to it the brain activity that accompanies the processing of books by people – and the “Brain Tree” is created.

The most innovative element of the building is the facade covered with weatherproof composite fabric – known to be the first library in the world to use such a solution. The fabric (Ferrari Stamisol) produced in France has a tree-like pattern printed in Estonia that forms the annual cycle, which is also repeated in the interior design of the library. The choice of facade material was not just aesthetic – it practically solves the problem of reducing heating costs and the energy efficiency of the building, while creating an unparalleled outdoor lighting effect. In the evening, the entire building turns into a shining pearl of the university campus, visible from afar.

Spatial solution in the service of science

The building has five above-ground floors and one underground floor. The 2nd-5th floors are open to readers, where there are rooms with dark walls and white floors that go well with black metal bookshelves and snow-white desks. The first floor houses the Institute of Health Technologies, a museum, a café and – in a modern way – a 24/7 open workshop.

The building is connected to both the engineering and economics buildings through galleries on the 2nd floor. The underground level houses the library’s storage and parking spaces – the tree’s roots that support and nourish the entire structure.

The National Architecture Award-winning building demonstrates how nature-inspired thinking can create a completely new approach to functional building. The “Brain Tree” is not just a library – it is a metaphor for intellectual growth that has become a physical space.