Hotel Lydia

Hotel Lydia, with its modern and minimalist design, sparked passion and controversy among the people of Tartu from the outset, during and after a competition aimed at finding the best architectural solution. The building partly occupies the space of an old structure where, between 1865 and 1868, the schoolmaster and leader of the national movement, Johann Voldemar Jannsen, and his daughter Lydia Koidula lived. The building also housed the editorial office of the Estonian newspaper Postimees.

The building, reconstructed in the early 20th century in a historicist style, has now been expanded into a hotel complex that incorporates elements of both the original structure and the surrounding built environment. The new wing, finished in a restrained and sleek style with light gray fiberglass-reinforced concrete panels, houses 70 rooms, a spa offering various sauna and relaxation facilities, a sports club, restaurant, and event center. The names of the hotel and restaurant were inspired by the writer Lydia Koidula and the beloved grandmother of the hotel’s founders, Lydia Leonore (Grünmann) Holm. The architects of the building were from Allianss Arhitektid, including Tarmo Teedumäe, Paco Ulman, Tõnis Savi, and Indrek Tiigiga. The interior design of the hotel was done by Kaire Kemp Tišler from ArtAku Interior Architecture. Hotel Lydia has received awards, including the City of Tartu’s recognition as the Best Building of 2016 in the renovated and expanded business category, and was the audience favorite at the Estonian Architecture Awards 2017.

Photo: Jorma Suumann.