Subtle in volume, minimal in aesthetics, and stark in its black-painted steel cladding, the new entrance pavilion has been harmoniously integrated into the existing masonry sections and appears to be peeking curiously from behind the entrance wall. Set within the central courtyard the pavilion functions as a hub connecting the ground level with the exhibition spaces in the basement of the west wing and a series of terraces above.

Occupying a series of austere, barrel-vaulted, stone-built spaces, the exhibition plunges visitors into the castle’s medieval world and presents an overview of Haapsalu’s history through a rich collection of artefacts and numerous interactive exhibits. In contrast to the dimly-lit, compartmentalized exhibition spaces, the reception area above is an open-plan, light-filled space, whose minimalist concrete interiors act as a sort of decompression room between the subterranean exhibition rooms and the exterior areas.

Accessed via an external staircase cleverly integrated into the pavilion’s prismatic volume, visitors walk along a series of interconnected terraces, including an outdoors café, that takes them around the courtyard and onto the cantilevered pathway that reaches the top of the battlements. The pathway, which apart from panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, also offers visitors the chance to experience the ruins from different viewing angles, is made of sheet steel to reduce its weight, and is cantilevered from the battlements in such a way as to minimize damage to the historic stonework, making use for example of existing anchorage points that were introduced in a previous renovation in the 1990s. Painted black, the stark, calligraphic geometry of the metallic pathway is a bold yet respectful architectural statement.

It’s a long way from the castle’s underground vaults to this viewing platform, but the fact that they both form part of the same exploratory route is what makes this renovation so successful.