The opera house on Wednesday announced a procurement for drafting the extension's space programs and volume studies — a step preceding an international architectural competition.

The winning bidder will develop three scenarios: building a new hall and stage as an addition toward Uus turg; reconstructing the existing hall and expanding the stage while complying with heritage‑protection requirements; or constructing a new hall and stage in a separate building at Teatri väljak, connected to the current building.

Each option must include a space program, volume analysis, massing proposal with visualizations, and an assessment of its impact on public urban space. The analysis must outline the advantages and drawbacks of each scenario.

For the first scenario — an extension toward Uus turg — the conditions require that the entire street‑facing façade include publicly accessible functions, with sufficient pedestrian space that also allows for outdoor cafés. Existing tall greenery must be preserved as much as possible, and the design must maintain visibility of the Estonian Drama Theatre. Logical pedestrian access from the Laste Maailm crossing toward Solaris must also remain.

The second scenario involves reconstructing the existing hall and expanding the stage within the current building and courtyard, with expansion possible on the side facing the Reaalkool and the Drama Theatre.

The National Opera has expressed a critical view of this option. According to its assessment, it would not be possible to achieve a modern‑standard stage or auditorium with adequate support spaces. Construction would halt the organization's work for three to five years, and the lack of temporary facilities would fragment operations.

The third scenario proposes a new hall and stage in a new building at Teatri väljak, connected underground to the existing opera house. The extension would occupy the current parking and bus‑stop area.

Tallinn's chief architect's office noted that this option should create two small urban squares on the sides of the new building.

The National Opera has also raised concerns about this scenario: the narrow construction site would require abandoning side stages (though one proposal suggests placing side stages above adjacent roadways at about five meters height), and the two halls — one in the existing building and one in the new one — would be too far apart, requiring duplication of dressing rooms, wardrobes and storage areas.

For the first and third scenarios, the land needed for construction belongs to the City of Tallinn.

The deadline for the space‑program procurement is mid‑September.

The National Opera has also completed heritage‑protection special conditions for the Uus turg extension, which have been submitted to the National Heritage Board for approval.

The Estonia Theatre is located in Tallinn's Old Town heritage area, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is itself a protected architectural and historical monument. The Heritage Board has issued special conditions for its expansion.

In 2021 the Riigikogu approved a list of nationally important cultural buildings to be built or renovated, including the extension of the current Estonia opera house. In 2024 the Riigikogu asked the government to find a solution for constructing the extension.

A few years ago, the opera house's future‑concept commission examined three extension options on the Pärnu maantee side, shown in the accompanying gallery: one large extension toward Uus turg, and two directing the extension toward the Drama Theatre and Otsa Street.

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