Alar Kotli

Alar Kotli (august 27, 1904 in Väike-Maarja, Estonia - october 4, 1963 in Tallinn, Estonia) was an Estonian architect. He studied sculpture at the art school "Pallas" in Tartu during 1922-1923 and mathematics at the University of Tartu. He graduated from the Gdańsk University of Technology in 1927 as an architect.

Among the most famous and influential Estonian architects, Kotli has created several important landmarks in Tallinn. Those include the Estonian Song Festival Grounds (1957-1960, with Henno Sepmann & E.Paalmann), the main building of Tallinn University (1938-1940, with E.Nõva), the Art Fund building (1949-1953) and the administrative building in Kadriorg park (currently the residence of the president of the Republic of Estonia) in conjunction with architect Olev Siinmaa (1937-1938). Kotli has also created many experimental apartment building projects, which were widely used after World War II when there was a serious need for new dwellings. Smaller buildings (for two families) were used in the 1950's as lottery jackpots.

Kotli's style has varied over the years. He has designed many functionalistic buildings in the 1930's, for example - schoolhouses in Rakvere (1935-1938) and Tapa (1936-1939). The Presidential Palace, also from 1930's, can be categorised as historicism, while his 50's and 60's style is similar to brutalism.

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External links

* [http://www.lauluvaljak.ee/eng/main/pictures/lv/ Photos of the Song Festival Grounds.]