The Architecture & Design Museum conducted change negotiations in November 2025. The background of these negotiations is a cost-saving target of more than half a million euros for 2026. As a result of the negotiations, six employment contracts will end, and the employment terms of 13 employees will change.
A wide range of measures was considered during the change negotiations to achieve the savings target. At the start of the negotiations, it was estimated that the savings measures could result in up to 20 employment contracts being terminated. Full terminations were not required, partly due to changes in employment terms.
In addition to the six contracts ending, the employment terms of 13 employees will change. For example, customer service staff will be offered on-call employment contracts where applicable. The aim of the negotiations was to ensure that the number and structure of personnel will support the organisation’s operational objectives in a purposeful and efficient manner in the future.
The museum’s difficult financial situation is influenced by several factors, including the merger of the two museums in early 2024, the expected reduction of public grants in the coming years, and the decline in visitor numbers and other self-generated income.
‘Our visitor numbers have not met expectations, although the autumn exhibitions have attracted a strong audience. In addition, we consolidated our operations into a single museum building this year. For this reason, we encountered a need to reduce staff working during museum opening hours,’ says Museum Director Pilvi Kalhama.
Kalhama notes that the savings measures implemented by the museum will not affect the progress of the new museum project. The museum’s finances are expected to improve in 2027, which will enable the development of museum operations in the future.
‘At present, we are managing and developing the museum’s current operations while simultaneously building the path toward the new museum. In the future, the scale of museum operations will be larger than today, but we have had to reassess the timetable for growth. We are keeping our feet on the ground and focusing on the present and on stabilising the financial foundation,’ Kalhama says.