29.6.2025 | Culture

Siuru Cultural Centre Plan Receives Approval of City Council

Text Susanna Poikela
Photos 3+1 arhitektid, City of Tartu, Tiit Grihin

Tartu’s City Council has approved the local plan for the Uueturu 1 plot and its surrounding area, which will enable the construction of the Siuru cultural centre. Siuru will bring together the city library and art museum, as well as a new event centre, under one roof. Construction work will begin either at the end of this year or at the beginning of 2027. The total cost of the construction project is currently estimated at 92 million euros.

The cultural building, which will be built on a 4.5-hectare plot, will better enable the organisation of international art exhibitions and cultural events in Tartu. Siuru is also believed to significantly increase the number of visitors to the art museum and library. The number of visitors to the art museum is estimated to increase tenfold.

The planning process, which was launched in December 2022, has been one of the most central topics of the current council. In its various stages, the location of the cultural centre, the area’s green zones, traffic arrangements, the future of the playground, the planning of the banks of the Emajõgii River, and many other issues have been thoroughly discussed.

“The construction of the Siuru Cultural Centre is undoubtedly a very ambitious project that will affect the development of the entire city. I am pleased that one stage of this long process has now been completed, and that we have laid the foundation for the creation of a high-quality, culturally enriched public space in the heart of Tartu,” says Kaspar Kokk, Chairman of the City Council.

Check out the video about Siuru here.