EUR 10 mln more needed for overhaul of national library building

TALLINN – According to Minister of Culture Heidy Purga, 10 million euros more needs to be allocated to complete the reconstruction of the building of the National Library of Estonia, which will be found, because it would not be reasonable to leave the project unfinished. 

"For 2024, almost 21.9 million euros has been earmarked for carrying out the renovation works, this is the framework we need to act within. We will find the additional 10 million euros needed to complete all works, because it is clear that leaving things unfinished is not reasonable," Purga told BNS.

She said the Ministry of Culture is working with the Ministry of Finance, the state real estate management company RKAS and the National Library of Estonia to seek solutions. They are taking one step at a time, and at the moment it is not possible to reveal any sources of funding. If the need should arise, any reduction in the volume of works must be agreed jointly by all parties, the minister added.

The building of the National Library of Estonia at Tonismagi, Tallinn has been undergoing reconstruction since the beginning of 2022 and is expected to reopen in 2026. The construction quality of the building, erected in the late 1980s, has made the process difficult and has repeatedly pushed up the price tag.

The news portal of public broadcaster ERR reported in late August that compared to the initial estimate of 53.2 million euros, to which the cost of furnishings and IT solutions were to be added, the amount needed to complete the building now has hit 91 million euros.