Tallinn's Reaalkool opens new €32.7 million school building, about €10 million over budget

Tallinn Secondary School of Science (Tallinna Reaalkool), a prestigious school in the centre of the Estonian capital, formally opened its new teaching building on Saturday, as the school marked its 145th anniversary. The municipally owned building cost about €32.7 million, roughly €10 million above the planned figure.

Pupils and teachers have used the new building since the start of the current academic year, but the official ceremony was held only now.

Interior and facilities

The interior is light and calm, with plenty of oak veneer and walls and furniture in pale tones or terracotta. The same colour appears on the floor tiles of the 142-year-old main building, linking the old and new parts. Teachers helped the architects with the design.

Daniel Kaasik, the school's head of studies and a physics teacher, said functionality was the most important aspect for him. Physics teachers had a say in what they wanted in their classrooms.

For the first time, the school has enough space for all its pupils. Kaasik noted that the older building was built for 300 pupils, while the school now has 950–1,000.

The new building has three physics classrooms and four laboratories, sound-absorbing ceilings, a separate floor for younger pupils, terraces, a courtyard and a new underground gym. The school canteen is also located there and has been designated smartphone-free.

Why the budget was exceeded

The City of Tallinn's property department said the original 2024 estimate of €22.3 million covered only the new extension. Restoring the historic main building and archaeological excavations pushed the total up. The excavations were budgeted at €300,000 but cost about €1.4 million.

The construction was preceded by a major archaeological dig that yielded many finds.