Deadline in Estonian Natl Library reconstruction tender postponed due to supply problems

  • 2021-08-24
  • BNS/TBT Staff

TALLINN – Citing extended delivery times for building materials, the Estonian state real estate management company RKAS has postponed from Aug. 23 to Sept. 8 the deadline for the submission of tenders for the contract to reconstruct the building of the Estonian National Library in Tallinn. 

"The need to extend the construction deadline stems from repeated feedback received during the tendering process that the delivery times for construction materials are significantly longer than in previous years," Raivo Toom, project director at RKAS, told BNS on Tuesday.

"Since this is a large and complex renovation project, getting a high-quality and compliant building as the result is more important than speed here," Toom added.

RKAS announced a public procurement in July for the contract to renovate the building of the Estonian National Library at Tonismagi in Tallinn. Under the state budget strategy, a total of 53 million euros has been set aside for the reconstruction of the National Library in 2022-2025. The work is scheduled to start next year, and 7.8 million euros is earmarked for the works in 2022.

After the renovation, the Tallinn-based units of the National Archives of Estonia will also move to the building at Tonismagi. The renovated building at Tonismagi is expected to open in 2025, while for the time in-between, the National Library will relocate to an office building at the address 11 Narva Road.  

Construction of the building of the National Library began in 1985 and the building was completed in 1993. The project design documentation of the building dates back to 1984.