Pärnu selects project to expand historic Beach House
In Pärnu, Estonia, the winner of the architectural competition for the reconstruction and expansion of the Beach House was the “Alt Pernau” project by KAMP Arhitektid. It provides for the restoration of the historic structure, designed by Olev Siinmaa and completed in 1938–1939, as well as its integration with a new hotel section.
As ERR News reports, the competition was held in autumn 2025 because the building no longer met the needs of holidaymakers. The winning project was developed by Jan Skolimowski, Anton Andres and Kaspar Kruuze. Skolimowski called the Beach House a symbol of Pärnu, which it has become over nearly a century of existence.
Combining the old and new sections
The project’s authors seek to preserve the style and form of the historic structure while giving it new functions. The new section will develop the characteristic features of the old building: rounded forms, the motif of the so-called mushroom-shaped balcony, and small arches at the corners.
A separate task was to renovate the park-side facade, which the architects consider less expressive than the sea-facing facade. The old and new sections are not intended to be connected at street level, so the project includes an underground connection and a gallery at the second-floor level. The gallery is planned to be as open as possible so that the park can be seen from the beach, and the sea and sky from the park.
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White concrete and access from the beach
To restore the original appearance of the historic section, the architects consulted archival materials and old photographs. A Soviet-era extension damaged part of the original facade, and drawings have not survived for all sides of the building.
White concrete is intended to become the key material for the new section, echoing the characteristic elements of the Beach House: columns, beams, canopies and the mushroom-shaped balcony. On the sea side, a light canopy is planned to protect hotel rooms from the sun and create a new entrance.
The complex is also planned to be made more open to Pärnu residents and beach visitors. The project provides for a café, small beach services and the possibility for hotel guests to enter it directly from the beach. The landscape around the building is to be restored after the work, preserving the character of Pärnu’s beach environment.
