On May 4, 1992 limestone was granted the official status of ESTONIAN NATIONAL STONE.
We are used to thinking about limestone as a monochromatic grey material. Actually Estonian limestone is much more than that, being diverse and polychromatic, revealing different structures and exposing various surfaces. It can be expressive and beautiful, the limestone walls forming splendid architecture, however it can also be plain and unimaginative, when it is mechanically crushed in broken stone -- road metal -- for forming the surfaces of macadamized roads.
A significant part of our architectural national heritage is built of limestone, starting with stone burial places (cairns) dating from 800 BCE and ending with the building of the National Library in Tallinn in the past decade.
The keynote idea of the exhibition ESTONIAN LIMESTONE is to portray the limestone as a geological matter and as a building material having inspired architects through ages.
The exhibition is based on the manuscript "Estonian Limestone" (1992) by HUBERT MATVE (unpublished). Excerpts of the text have been used as commentaries to the exhibition. The Museum of Estonian Architecture is much indebted to Mrs DAISY MATVE, the widow of the late Hubert Matve, for making the manuscript available to the Museum.

The photos were taken by PEETER SÄRE, a photographer.
The exhibition was designed by EMIL URBEL, an architect.

The exhibition was organized by: Museum of Estonian Architecture / Estonian Limestone Union

The exhibition was open:
3rd July - 7th September 1997: Rotermann's Salt Storage in Tallinn. 
22nd June - 9th August 1998: Kuressaare castle in Saaremaa. 
21st April - 31st December 1999: Sagadi Forest Museum.