THE STORY OF THE MUSEUM BUILDING

In the Middle Ages, the site at the end of Karja Street, near the south gate of the episcopal castle, was likely home to the Holy Spirit hospital and a small church. The town ended here, and on both sides of the road (now Posti Street) stretched the fields of Uuemõisa Manor. In the second half of the 17th century, the town’s almshouse was located here. In 1779, at the behest of the lord of Uuemõisa Manor, an inn known as the Laatsareti (Hospital) Tavern was established; by 1791, it was already referred to as the Haki (Jackdaw) Tavern. In the late 19th century, the Haki Tavern was owned by merchant Leopold Holmberg (1844–1895) and later his descendants. The tavern complex included a guesthouse (the present-day museum building’s ground floor) and a large stable. The one-storey tavern building was constructed with limestone exterior walls supporting massive wooden beams running the width of the house. Located along the main road, the tavern was undoubtedly an important local landmark and gathering place. By 1907, a wooden second storey had been added to the limestone structure. A memorial stone on the wall of the building marks this renovation. The complex was renamed Hotel Central. Around the same time – or possibly earlier – a single-storey gabled residence was built on the courtyard side, connected to the main lodging house.

In 1922, the hotel was purchased by the Jaanson brothers, known locally as Haki Tõnis and Haki Ants. In 1940, the building was nationalised. After the Second World War, the building at 24 Karja Street took on new functions: the ground floor housed a guesthouse and canteen, while the upper floor was used as a hospital. The large stable was no longer in use, fell into disrepair and was eventually demolished, making way for a green space at the corner of Mihkli and Karja Streets. In the late 1950s, the building was converted into a town nursery school. The layout of the ground floor was altered, the floors reconstructed and a stone staircase added. The nursery’s main entrance was moved from the street front to the park-side stone staircase. The nursery operated there until 1975. In 1988, after standing empty for some time and receiving only basic repairs, the building was taken over by Haapsalu’s children’s art school, which had previously operated in various locations. By 1994, it became clear that the building’s structure was dangerously unstable. Attempts were made to secure funding for a full renovation, but these were lean years, and the building continued to deteriorate. On 6 February 1999, an act of arson on the first floor caused further damage to the building. The local government could not afford the repairs, and the art school was relocated.

THE EVALD OKAS MUSEUM

Evald Okas first came to Haapsalu in 1999, on the occasion of a small exhibition at Kuke Gallery. At the opening, in conversation with gallery owner Aita Mölder and the artist’s granddaughter Riin Okas, discussion turned to the large, unused building on the main street that was waiting for a new owner. From this chance conversation grew the idea of realising the artist’s long-held dream of founding a personal museum here in Haapsalu. The family agreed, and Evald Okas purchased the property later that year. By then, the building had been vacant for some time, damaged by fire and at risk of collapse.

Aastatel 2000-2003 sai hoonele tehtud ehitusprojekt, et kohandada ruumiplaan ümber muuseumile sobivaks ja viidi läbi kõige tähtsamad esmased remonttööd.  Uuenduskuuri käigus taastati peauks Karja tänavale, korrastati fassaad, vahetati 1. korruse tänavapoolsed amortiseerunud aknad uute vastu ja restaureeriti 2. korruse algupärased aknad. Omal jõul jõudis perekond maja ehitusega sinnamaani, et 2003. aasta juunis avati muuseumi uksed suvegaleriina. Hoovile rajati lisaks katusealune kuumaklaasi ahjude tarbeks.

Over the years, the museum has hosted more than 100 exhibitions, organised international glass symposiums, ceramics and other workshops, various art courses, an annual summer school, children’s art days, concerts and many other events. From 2003 to 2021, the museum was open only during the summer months – intense, busy and short seasons. The exhibition programme during those years was led by Mari Roosvalt, in collaboration with Mara Ljutjuk and Üla Koppel. The main organiser of the Glass Days was Kai Koppel.

After nearly 20 years of activity and two reconstructions of the main street, it became clear that the building’s structural condition had worsened. Despite the family’s efforts to improve and maintain it over the years, time had taken its toll. By 2019, it was evident that things could no longer continue as they were – either a solution had to be found to renovate the three-storey building with over 850 sq. m of net floor space, or the museum would have to close.

DEVELOPING THE EVALD OKAS MUSEUM INTO A YEAR-ROUND ART CENTRE

In 2019, an opportunity arose to apply for support through the European Economic Area (EEA) and Norway Grants 2014–2021 programme “Historic town centres with cultural heritage protection areas” to renovate the Evald Okas Museum building.

Preparations to participate in the project began the same year – we developed a new preliminary design for the building and sought funding for the required co-financing. At this stage, the local government of Haapsalu was a vital partner and a strong source of support. As an NGO operating in the cultural sphere, we had never been involved in a project of this scale.

Haapsalu’s local government contributed €20,000 towards the required co-financing. Another €20,000 came from local entrepreneurs who joined the project as partners. The remainder was raised through the sale of artworks from the museum and Evald Okas’s family art collection.

After our application was approved in 2021, further research and design work continued in cooperation with architectural office Flux Arhitektuur OÜ. The preparatory period coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, the outbreak of full-scale war in Ukraine and a sharp rise in construction costs. Despite these challenges, we were determined to complete the project as fully as possible and sought additional funding options.

In addition to EEA support and its top-up funding scheme, we received support from the measure for implementing county development strategies to install modern utilities. The Estonian National Heritage Board contributed funding for reinforcing the building’s foundations, restoring the original first-floor windows and renovating the building’s historic staircases. In total, we covered nearly half of the costs of what became a project exceeding €1 million, through art auctions and countless volunteer hours.

Due to the complex situation, full-scale construction was postponed from 2022 to the summer of 2023. The main contractor was the local construction firm Resteh OÜ, who completed the first and second phases of the renovation in under a year. The major reconstruction of the building at 24 Karja Street took place between 2022 and 2024. The renovation included structural reinforcement: the foundations of the external walls were strengthened, new foundations were cast beneath interior load-bearing walls and columns, and new partition walls were built on the ground floor to support a stabilising metal framework running through the entire building. Wooden floors and partitions were reinforced, and the stone walls and lintels were stabilised. The building was insulated, its facade, decorative details, original windows and historic staircases were restored. The side of the building facing the park, added in the 1950s, was given a new appearance, complete with new windows and a new main entrance better suited to year-round use. All technical systems were modernised, and the building received proper heating and ventilation for the first time.

Since the summer of 2024, the Okas Museum has been open all year round. We celebrated the reopening on 20 July 2024 with a major exhibition of Evald Okas’s work. It was a beautiful, well-attended event that received wide media coverage. Public interest and visitor numbers have remained high ever since. We have received wonderful feedback – people have expressed genuine joy, support and enthusiasm for the building’s restoration and reopening.