The Tallinn Architecture Biennale (TAB) is an international architecture and urban-planning forum organised by the Estonian Centre of Architecture. TAB is an architecture festival with a diverse programme that fosters local architectural culture. TAB encourages synergy between Estonian and foreign architects as well as between architects and the general public by way of creating contacts and exchanging ideas. TAB team is consulted by TAB Round Table, who also select the curator or curatorial team for each Biennale.
Each TAB consists of four main events and a diverse satellite programme.
In the heart of the programme is the Symposium - a two-day lively architectural discussion. Its lecture-based schedule boasts with practicing architects, urban planners, thinkers, etc. The colourful palette of concepts culminates at the end of the day with a roundtable discussion.
The Main Exhibition of TAB is the perfect platform for mediating the new and most exciting trends of the architecture field to a wider audience, while still being interesting to experts. The Main Exhibition is a showcase of currently relevant theories and built objects from Estonia and the world via mockups, installations, projections, etc.
The part of TAB that the Talliners possibly most look forward to, is TAB Tallinn Vision Competition. Tallinn city, one of the most important partners of TAB, is an ever-changing and fast-growing entity. Inspired by its continuous chain of change, Tallinn aspires to look into the future, comparing and analysing currently relevant ideas, from the world and from Estonia, in a concrete urban setting. Each Vision Competition will result in a large amount of possible future scenarios for a specific spot in Tallinn. When thinking long-term, vision generation can be considered as the most pragmatic approach – in a multitude of visions, there is more to select from. At the end of the competition, a catalogue and an exhibition will present the results.
The fourth main programme event of TAB is the Schools’ Exhibition, which in 2015 has morphed into a TAB-Lab Research and Development Exhibition, bringing together a selection of the most interesting technology companies matched to architecture schools for special projects. TAB-Lab is a great opportunity for any student interested in architecture to see, which architecture schools excel in which areas – it is really a sort of pocket-size exhibition fair. This exhibition is also an excellent opportunity for networking for students, teachers and professors.
TAB Satellite Programme includes a number of events for people with different interest in architecture: workshops, discussions, parties, film screenings, smaller exhibitions, etc.
TAB Club is where the heart of the Biennale beats - this is where all visitors can find out about the programme, meet presenters and participants, use the open stage to raise issues or get their own message across, or just enjoy a cup of coffee and listen to the busy Biennale heartbeat. There might also be a pop-up book shop involved.
TAB is Tallinn-centric, but there is a number of events scattered across Estonia - exhibitions, seminars and workshops, touching upon local architecture and urban planning topics.