TALLBaltic Bearings: Relaunching the Tallinn Coastline

Baltic Bearings: Relaunching the Tallinn Coastline
Bałtyckie związki. Odnowa linii nabrzeża Talina

miejsce / location: Tallinn ES
daty / date: 2010
typ / project type: strategic study, public space programming, urban renewal
autorzy / authors: Piotr Bujas, Monika Konrad
współpraca / cooperation: Michiel van Kloop
status / status: competition entry and committed study
program / programme: placemaking, urban interventions, 
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Baltic Bearings project puts Tallinn back on course for the coming decades, by re-establishing the city’s age old relationship with the sea. In recent years, the municipality of Tallinn made an effort to shift the centre of gravity of the city towards the coast. The transformation of the project site into an exciting, attractive and well connected public space will be the next step in this direction – we however, would like to take one step further.

Taking a broader look at the city, we identified the main composition lines, located the most important views on the site and Tallinn Bay, and identified the landscape interiors of the city. Subsequently, we selected the most important attractions. This produced a theoretical network, which was adjusted to the existing urban corridors. After doing this, we identified eight key locations, where small interventions could produce dramatic results. The interventions provide three different types of solutions which solve traffic problems and access, create new public spaces, and bridge divisions between neighbourhoods – patching up the holes in the urban fabric. Relatively small investments work as catalysts in the urban environment, creating maximum effect, and allow for flexible and speedy implementation – fitting in with the programme for 2011, when Tallinn will be a European Cultural Capital. Developing the idea of the Cultural Kilometre, we defined thematic clusters of sites and attractions in the coastal area, which are linked to form a Chain of Attractions, relaunching the Tallinn coastline.

The development of the fish harbour could bring an organised, and exciting public space to the Tallinn reformulated waterfront. It will raise the quality of the coastal districts, and will create new opportunities for 21st century ‘urban life’ with in- and outdoor activities in all seasons, during the daytime and in the evening. Public transport and attractive pedestrian pathways will create new mobility for citizens, who can leave their car in the garage.

Development of the project site, in our view, should re-establish Tallinn’s ancient connection with the Baltic. Reconnecting the city to the sea will significantly enhance the sustainability of the city, preparing it for the decades to come – not only from the environmental point of view. The creation of an attractive ‘maritime leisure zone’ could transform the city from a 'simple' historical tourist attraction – 'a place to see' – into a Baltic cultural focus point – 'a place to be'. The development of the Tallinn 'docklands' could bring new, and diversified economic activity, not only attracting bars and restaurants, but ateliers, studio’s and workshops – a new economy.

In our view, all of this can be achieved with a fairly modest investment, with the use of local, recycled materials.The development of key locations in the vicinity of the project site will dramatically enhance access to the sea, drawing, if it were, long imaginary lines: a 'chain' of public spaces’ from the historical city centre to the bay, and along the coast. But intervening in these locations is not only about linearity. Small interventions can initiate bigger things. If carefully picked, the intervention sites could serve a catalysts for urban development in the vicinity.

Urban analysis
If you leave the famous medieval city centre of the Tallin, go north through the Harjumaa gate, you run into an asfalt noman’s land. Beyond the oversized streets lie the coastal districts of the city: once the economic heart of the city, now a grey zone of derelict housing, crumbling shipyards and brownfields. The traffic nodes north of the city centre, built in the eighties, form a big divide between Tallinn and its waterfront. But the coastal districts are also fragmented by roads, harbours and and private properties, which cut up the continuity of the coast line. Different morphologies create visible and invisible borders within the waterfront.
The Cultural Factory on Pöhja Puiestee is an island between new settlements, the run down fish harbour and the unfinished Linnahall ‘megastructure’. In our attempt to solve these problems, we took a broader look at the city, first finding the main composition lines, locating the most important views on the site and Tallinn bay, and identyfing the landscape interiors of the city. 
Subsequently we selected the most important attractions, rating their importance using a ‘subjective’ analysis. This produced an abstract, theoretical network, which we adjusted to the existing urban corridors. After doing this, we pointed out eight key locations where small interventions could produce dramatic results. The locations were chosen because they demonstrate the problems we analysed, and hold enough potential to solve them.
The interventions provide three different types of solutions:

1. Connections
Reorganising the traffic node on the northern ring creates new access to Tallinn Bay. West of the city walls, Rannamäe tee will be transformed into a local road after Central Station. Traffic will be diverted on a new recessed northern road in an open tunnel. Footbridges lead pedestrians to and from the coast. Prospectively a new tramline along the coast will concert Pöhja with the Pirata neighbourhood.

2. New public space
A series of new public spaces will enhance the quality of life for residents and attract visitors.

3. Patches in the urban fabric
Small interventions at key locations can serve as catalysts of urban development, and bridge divisions between neighbourhoods, 'patching up' holes in the urban fabric.

4. A Chain of attractions
Developing the idea of the Cultural Kilometre, we defined thematic clusters of sights and attractions in the coastal area, which are linked, and form a 'Chain of Attractions', relaunching the Tallinn Coastline.