The Riigikogu Building 100

The Riigikogu building was completed by 12 September 1922, designed according to the projects of architects Eugen Habermann and Herbert Johanson. A modern avant-garde style – expressionism – was chosen to emphasise the building’s uniqueness. To this day, the Riigikogu building is the only expressionist-style parliamentary building in the world.

The most prominent room in the house is the two-story Session Hall with its blue walls and curved ceiling, accented by rust-coloured zig-zag patterns on windows and doorways. All the furniture was made according to the architects’ designs at the Luther factory in Tallinn and it had to match the architecture of the building.

The ceiling of the vestibule and Session Hall of the Riigikogu building was made of reinforced concrete, which was not yet widely used in construction at that time. In 1922, it was the first public building in Tallinn where the architects had electric lighting included in the design.

After the restoration of Estonia’s independence, the Riigikogu building has been thoroughly renovated to restore the original colour and lighting solution.