Tallinn Architecture Biennale 2026 to open access to abandoned Linnahall

The Tallinn Architecture Biennale 2026 is built around a question: what does architecture actually cost? As part of the event, the public will be given temporary access to Linnahall, a historic but currently abandoned building originally constructed during the Soviet period as a culture and sports palace.

Linnahall is one of many Soviet-era heritage structures that have lost their original purpose over the decades and now stand empty. By allowing visitors a rare look inside, the biennale's organizers aim to spark discussion about the value of architecture at a time when such buildings can become an unwanted burden, even as they retain historical and cultural significance.

The cost question

The biennale's central theme — the cost of architecture — extends beyond construction or maintenance expenses to a broader question of how society assesses and chooses to preserve or abandon its built heritage. Linnahall serves as a striking example of a building whose fate has long remained uncertain.

The event offers a rare opportunity to step into a space normally closed to the public, giving visitors direct exposure to the questions the biennale wants to raise: what becomes of abandoned buildings, and how societies decide the fate of their architectural inheritance.