Renovation of 200-Year-Old Laimjala Manor Completed on Saaremaa
The municipality of Saaremaa in Estonia has completed the renovation of the Laimjala manor house, which is more than 200 years old. €3.4 million was spent on the work. The renovated building now houses a community center, a library, a school and a kindergarten.
As ERR News reports, builders discovered hidden wall paintings more than 230 years old during the work. The discovery required adjustments to the initial renovation project.
The paintings changed the project
Liis Koppel, an adviser to the National Heritage Board on Saaremaa, said that the painting belongs to the first decorative layer created during the construction of the manor. Due to the value of the images, planners changed the layout of the rooms in the central part of the building and moved the planned showers to an outbuilding.
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Mehis Kallas, a construction engineer for the Saaremaa municipality, explained that an elevator connects the basement and the first floor. However, its extension to the second floor had to be abandoned because the paintings needed to be preserved.
School and kindergarten in the manor
Saaremaa previously had 160 manor complexes. About 10% of them remain today, and only one-third are in good condition. Heritage protection specialists consider every successful restoration important for preserving these sites.
Starting next year, four children will study at the manor school, although the institution is designed for 30 pupils. At the same time, the municipality announced its intention to close the Laimjala branch of Orissaare Secondary School in the coming years due to demographic changes.
