After an extended hiatus, once again there is a clear spatial landmark on Laine Street by Võsu’s beach. A new residential building and restaurant established on the plot formerly occupied by the legendary restaurant Neptun was designed with respect for the Lahemaa National Park’s environmental milieu and the different architectural layers in this coastal village. Reute Residences are well suited to Võsu’s beach-oriented history.
The beach apartments seek balance between local-first ethos, functionality and the beach atmosphere. The new building does not leave a massive impression, it is easy to parse its structure and the volumes are compact, avoiding excessive height or width. The spacious glass surfaces, segmented partition walls and facades of light wood studs give the building an ethereal, clean look characteristic of beaches. The units that line the street look out on landscaped front yards, while the ones closer to the sea have large terraces where the evening sun highlights the warm relief of the wood surfaces.
In the interior architecture, the luxuriousness of modern-day beach living meets Nordic cool and restraint. Pastel tones, the warmth of timber and carefully chosen details make it seem as if the beach and pine forest continued growing inside the room. Reute Residences also leaves a momentary impression that you are somewhere else or in several places at once, such as some archipelago in Scandinavia or still in home-like Võsu. The interiors are refined, steering clear of the anonymousness of hotel rooms. The rooms are compact, with even tiny details carefully thought through to make the visitor feel that they are in a cosy and home-like atmosphere.
The restaurant gives the building one more important dimension. It isn’t just a food service area but an organic extension of beachside living. Materials and imagery that refer to the sea have been brought indoors, creating a tie between mooring and being at sea. At the centre of interior architecture, landscape and the exteriors are spaciousness, light, wind and the shade of pines. The outcome is a building that does not clamour for attention but offers a dignified presence. Reute Residences offers high-quality lodging, top-flight cuisine and a spatial experience that makes you feel that the sea is truly only a couple steps away.
The building is located in the limited management zone of Lahemaa National Park, the oldest built-up area of cultural and environmental value in Võsu as stated in the protection rules of the park.
Over the years there have been several restaurants on the site. The most recent of them called “Neptun” (architect Mai Šein) was visited by people from all over Estonia. Particularly famous was the restaurant orchestra and even more famous the barman and last owner Leon Grabe. The place burned down on 18 January 2000.
After that, the plot stood unused waiting for a new owner. Nobody dared to buy it due to the strict heritage and nature protection restrictions.
However, starting with the concept design in 2021, our experience was surprisingly positive. During discussions with the local government officials, it seemed that Võsu should be excluded from Lahemaa National Park so as not to slow down its development. That was all talk, of course.
The completed building contributes to the local beach life that has been revived in recent years by offering catering and accommodation and extending the holiday season. When designing the project, it was our aim to make sure it did not clash with the historical context and did not visually or spatially dominate the area. We also assumed there are enough visitors interested in relaxing in a beautiful setting and enjoying their dinner at a good restaurant instead of mowing the lawn at their summer house. During the design process, the apartments were merely called units as neither the client nor the architects could predict their exact use in the future – whether they would be private residences, rental homes or hotel rooms. All options are still open.
The façade is made of timber with no surface treatment that should age gracefully over time. At this point, the hat is off to the builders of Mape Parkett from Rakvere for their cladding skills.
Text: Emil Urbel
Estonian Architecture Awards 2025
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TAGASI
