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# DGT Architects Transform a Former Soviet Military Base into a Museum
- URL: https://www.protein.xyz/dgt-architects-transform-a-former-soviet-military-base-into-a-museum/
- Published: 2016-05-27T09:45:00.000Z
- Updated: 2016-06-15T15:20:46.000Z
- Author: Maude Churchill
- Tags: SEEDS, Art & Design, #protein, #Import 2024-06-11 13:25

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fc/71/fc716215-5729-441a-bd07-e2b50bc413b1/content/images/S3/protein/12844/5b7fa93d-f562-4510-9196-e3236ce06310.jpg)

Repurposing former buildings blends the past and the present into a rich architectural structure. Renovating old, abandoned or unused buildings is something we discussed at length in our profile on Amsterdam's [De School](https://www.prote.in/profiles/de-school-of-life?ref=protein.xyz). Not only does it breathe new life into somewhere, but the history of the building contributes a narrative which no new architecture can compete with.  
  
Paris-based DGT Architects have taken a former soviet military base in Tartu, Estonia, and converted it into a spectacular national museum. The architecture firm discarded the original location proposed in the brief and instead opted for a 34,000 sqm disused hangar nearby, utilising its rich heritage.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fc/71/fc716215-5729-441a-bd07-e2b50bc413b1/content/images/S3/protein/12844/e4bc82ff-e588-44e6-916f-cd90a31f1d66.jpg)

The refurbishment purposely considered the building's legacy, maintaining the overall structure with the addition of contemporary touches. The front roof lifts and opens outwards onto a sprawling vista of the surrounding countryside, which contrasts and complements the brutal concrete structure.   

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fc/71/fc716215-5729-441a-bd07-e2b50bc413b1/content/images/S3/protein/12844/8e5ba0d5-ef0f-4d9b-b505-cd3b60c2d188.jpg)

The museum is set to house over 140,000 objects with the aim to create "a place of gathering and interaction, bringing people together to celebrate a rich and deep-rooted history." Honouring the past through a renovation of its buildings allows a new perspective on the future to flourish.   

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fc/71/fc716215-5729-441a-bd07-e2b50bc413b1/content/images/S3/protein/12844/2c913903-bd4b-4b7d-bd90-8c8a2308fa40.jpg)