SAUE RIMI

Saue Rimi is a supermarket in Saue, Estonia, designed by Tõnis Savi for Stau and completed in 2021. Based on a standard retail plan, the project makes no attempt to disguise the fundamental nature of the building: it is, quite simply, a box.

That honesty became the starting point for the architecture. Rather than introducing unnecessary formal gestures, the overall volume remains deliberately minimal, with its character concentrated in the treatment of the façades and the precision of the detailing.

A limited material palette creates variation within the simple form. Transparent mesh, perforated metal and corrugated surfaces introduce different degrees of transparency, depth and texture, allowing the elevations to change subtly with viewing distance and light.

Particular attention was given to the points where these materials meet. The architectural quality relies not only on the materials themselves, but on the precision of their junctions, edges and transitions. Close collaboration with the contractor allowed several of these details to be refined during construction.

The result retains the straightforward logic of the supermarket typology while giving it a more considered architectural presence. The volume stays deliberately simple; what gives it identity is the contrast of materials, the texture, and the precision of its details.