The time has come for me to do this, as projects are picking up pace at the harbourside :). This is the Fjordcity or Orestad of Tallinn ;)
The area of it is bloody massive 500 HA, it includes parks, new city, and a nature reserve ;), and ofcourse harbours :).
Current situation overview of the designated "downtown" bit, (pic is a year+ old)
http://img475.imageshack.us/img475/8382/harbourfront0ta.jpg

now, the plans... heres the work of Architecture bureau "kosmos" (or Space), they are also doing the UC rotermanni quarter.

The "big picture", overview of the designated dense area:
http://kosmoses.ee/vanasadam/11.jpg
the northern pier:
http://kosmoses.ee/vanasadam/33.jpg
a vuew from a cruiseship to the northern pier, yes those are buildings :D
http://kosmoses.ee/vanasadam/20.jpg
another overview:
http://kosmoses.ee/vanasadam/12.jpg
northern pier:
http://kosmoses.ee/vanasadam/36.jpg
http://kosmoses.ee/vanasadam/34.jpg
the bit of the development that is near Kadriorg park and the New road Northern Pass. The big structure is the location of our very own Waterfront Opera
http://kosmoses.ee/vanasadam/39.jpg
some "streetscape" renders:
http://kosmoses.ee/vanasadam/35.jpg
http://kosmoses.ee/vanasadam/37.jpg
another overview:
http://kosmoses.ee/vanasadam/16.jpg
backside view, the blank area in the foreground is another more elaborate plan they did, i will feature it in a second:
http://kosmoses.ee/vanasadam/15.jpg
another streetscape:
http://kosmoses.ee/vanasadam/38.jpg

now to the more elaborate plan of the Admiraliteedi Basin quarter:
in their mind it would be a multilevel city, walk on different levels, there would be cafes, markets etc :)
http://www.kosmoses.ee/parkcity/16.jpg
WTF:D
http://www.kosmoses.ee/parkcity/03.jpg
http://www.kosmoses.ee/parkcity/15.jpg
http://www.kosmoses.ee/parkcity/07.jpg
http://www.kosmoses.ee/parkcity/05.jpg
http://www.kosmoses.ee/parkcity/04.jpg
http://www.kosmoses.ee/parkcity/02.jpg
http://www.kosmoses.ee/parkcity/06.jpg

All this is by Architecturebureau KOSMOS...
In later posts ill concentrate on what has been done, and what will be done :)

This is good stuff, ch1le ;)

Some wicked architecture there, especially on the northern pier!

Interesting. Are the plans from "kosmos" aproved, or is it just one out of more proposals? Do you know anything more about how much of it will be apartments, offices, retail, etc? What's going to be inside those buildings at the northern pier?

actually, seems like Kosmos just did the General plan for the area, individual buildings are for anyones pick.
The area near Linnahall and Northern pier recently got a more elaborate detailplan showing what how much so on...
if you want you can see the detailplan here (http://www.tallinnlv.ee/lvistung/bin/docview1.asp?docid=45730&UK=3BD98C9B70A2B9E6A533071CD8639E)
according to it the area will have 400 000 sqm of new space. 150 000 Residential space and 250 000 office and business space, that means there will be approx 1500 new apartments in that one area. The northern pier by that plan which is approved and will go like it is) will get a "roof" built overit making the entire thing 2 storeys high, on it, other buildings will be built, and along the whole thing a promenade :)

IF you did check the plan i gave the link for... the green area designated the pedestrian areas :)

Some of those houses are a bit.. weird.. ;)

But oh my god, will they really destroy all the cranes? One of my worst fears is that all cranes will disappear in Helsinki after Vuosaari harbour is completed, and the same will happen in Tallinn too.. The harbour city/seaside feeling will disappear in both cities, what a shame! :ohno:

But anyway, Reisisadam needs some development, currently the whole area looks a bit abandonded.

/\ "a bit" is an understatement times 100.
but im afraid those cranes will go :(

Looks very urban. But the street-level renderings so far are not very easy to understand. This is funny how architects around the world place those cheesy personalities in their renderings :) Why don't they render street fights, dead cats and communist demonstrations instead - just for a difference???
That's interesting about the Opera. Do you know more exact plans, when it would be built?

/\ hahaha dead Cats:D Awesome :D

Nop, i dont know any facts about Opera, i think more work will begin on its topic after KUMU is finished ;)

Totally brilliant plans, I like them!!! You get off the boat and what do you see now, derelict land...in 10 years time or whatever you get off the boat and think "Nice city!!!"

Looks really impressive! It will give Oslo Fjordcity and Orestad some serious competition! ;)

now for some projects that are UC.

1
Merikaru Hotel... started construction like half a month ago, the architectual quality is low, nothing special, too simple blah, me not like!
render:
http://img489.imageshack.us/img489/6052/merikaru2lu.jpg
Location(circled with red):
http://img490.imageshack.us/img490/7466/where2xy.jpg

2
New residential quarter next to Kadriorg, also next to the coast (almost next to it) Started construction some time ago, 6 buildings are ready, and rest are UC:
entire project will be finished by january 2007. total cost... some 300-400 mio € (not sure)
Overview:
http://www.skanska.ee/Kinnisvara/Liivaoja10/Images/AsukohtS.gif
buildings 14, 12 and 10 look like this: http://www.skanska.ee/Kinnisvara/Liivaoja14/Images/PageTop.jpg
buildings nr 2 look like:
http://www.skanska.ee/Kinnisvara/Liivaoja2/Images/PageTop.jpg
http://www.skanska.ee/Kinnisvara/Liivaoja2/Images/Pilt1.jpg
http://www.skanska.ee/Kinnisvara/Liivaoja2/Images/Pilt2.jpg
http://www.skanska.ee/Kinnisvara/Liivaoja2/Images/Pilt3.jpg
Location (red circle):
http://img493.imageshack.us/img493/504/whereliivoja9yz.jpg
I reckon the nr 2 buildings look okay, quite innovative, the other 3, blah, too simple.
The designs for the other buildings are not known yet, even though they are uc...
3
Rotermanni Quarter
Old factory buildings 100 - 170 years old, will get reconstructed into offices, apartments everything, also will get new buildings, ill concentrate on the new buildings:
http://www.rotermannikvartal.ee/upload/flash/avaleht_uus.jpg
location inside Rotermanni quarter, to the north is the harbour and Admiraliteedi basin (next to which is Merikaru)
http://www.rotermannikvartal.ee/upload/flash/asendiplaan_est(1).gif
view from top:
http://img495.imageshack.us/img495/1937/overofroter8yq.jpg
the dark building:
http://img464.imageshack.us/img464/8379/blackhouse4ro.jpg
the white building:
http://img464.imageshack.us/img464/3343/whitebuilding8ti.jpg
brown building:
http://img464.imageshack.us/img464/4595/brownbldng9bv.jpg
orange building:
http://img476.imageshack.us/img476/9485/orangebldng3ka.jpg

Status(couple of weeks old):
http://img457.imageshack.us/img457/8013/img2935s1ug.jpg

Awesome, just awesome. Buildings in northern pier look weird indeed, but they`re actually quite cool and differ from usual modern architecture.

After seeing such project, i admit that Tallinn is the boom-town of the S&B region http://skyscrapercity.com/images/smilies/runaway.gif

if i'd go to new zealand for a couple of years and then came back... i'd say: wait a minute, guys... this is the wrong city, i wanted to go to TALLINN.


or something :/

more news on the harbourfront:
http://www.postimees.ee/271005/gfx/224524360031a79300.jpg
The developers of the Admiraliteedi area: see the purple buildings lot:
http://img490.imageshack.us/img490/7466/where2xy.jpg
say they will start construction in the coming year - 2006. About 10 news buildings will be built there. construction will take 3 years. On the first floors of the buildings shall be offices, shops, cafes and onwards from there to the 6th floor (buildings are 6 floor high) apartments. According to the plan next to the admiraliteedibasin will be a 40 meter wide promenade, and through the quarter will go a 24m wide main pedestrian street, which will be awesome, will be lined by cafes, shops, trees. The plan also sees the crossing of the heavily trafficated Ahtri street - by galleries or something, so the new area will be connected with the "old" city centre and Rotermanni quarter. The plan calls for about 600 apartments.

in a related article:
Harbour area will drastically change in the coming years:
Speaks about the new huge building with a hotel, spa and the biggest waterpark in the nordics(?), which should be ready by 2007. Next to it is UC Rotermanni area, where 300 new apartments are UC. A first for downtown would be a 24 meter "street" running through the quarter and which will be covered by a transparent glass roof 16m high.



EXITING times!

"White house"? So, my prediction has been correct, Estonians are planning to take over the world, huh? What's next, Pentagon to Rotermanni? :|

/\ if it was a insulated case :D but nah ;) theres a black house and a brown house too :D

Can you tell me one thing: how many 4fl buildings should be built if you want to spend 300-400mln. euros? :|

Can you tell me one thing: how many 4fl buildings should be built if you want to spend 300-400mln. euros? :|

Penta*cough*gon...

Penta*cough*gon...

Me*don`t*understand.

@ShuMi

"White house"? So, my prediction has been correct, Estonians are planning to take over the world, huh? What's next, Pentagon to Rotermanni? :|

/\ if it was a insulated case but nah theres a black house and a brown house too

Estonians are too late with Pentagon now. Riga is building one next to Gaujas Street, for the needs of our police.

damn, those slow estonians! :D

The Ahtri spa buildings has been "uc" for a couple of weeks now, well U/C, as in the plot is beeing cleared by the building currently occupying a part of it:
rotermanni area cranes in the background:
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/2649/img4167s8dc.jpg
view from the south, looking towards the city:)
http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/4458/img4171s2lj.jpg

render, JUST A TINY PART OF IT! THIS BUILDING will be absolutely HUGE, biggest single building built in Tallinn to date. 58 000 sqm, 2 bio eek investment:
http://www.postimees.ee/070106/gfx/2603843bd9b554ceda.jpg

-------------
Tallink SPA u/c, first floor aboveground, first cornerstone officially places yesterday, pics from me from some days earlyer, well okay, you cant see the actual construction, just the cranes, investment 450 mio eek, SPA hotel 290 rooms:
(pic taken from the same point as the second pic i posted of the other HUGE building UC, just turned 180degrees :))
http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/7920/img4170s2uo.jpg
---------------------------------------------
Plots next to ROtermanni area, approved, will go uc any time now (if i understoond article correctly)
The area between this new development and Rotermanni, will be a pedestrian street/promenade, that in the future will lead to Linnahall (The huge monolithic building built at the seaside)
The building with the atrium (roadside) is a hotel, the building right next to it (green colour) Is another Hotel, the building to the right from it offices, businesses and some apartments at the top floor, the one above it - building raized on the first floor level to allow people to move under it :P, and finally another business/office/residential building. They also plan cafes.
http://www.postimees.ee/020206/gfx/2774443e1414d29514.jpg
build time... 1.5 years (like written in postimees)

the area has buildings on the sites atm, (except the big hotel with the atrium), those will get demolished i guess, but they are pretty poor architecturally anyway...
-------------------------

The winning idea was to transform the north-west jetty (an historic landfill site) into a concert (cultural-entertainment) island, by cutting it away from the mainland and accessing it by bridge and boat.

The facetted main buildings are glazed and highly illuminated forming a symbolic ’city lantern’.

Not necessarily an operahouse, one idea was to interest Frank Gehry to design it, to bring Tallinn onto the map of Europe like Bilbao.

http://www.tork.ee/projects/27/sadam%2001.jpg
http://www.tork.ee/projects/27/sadam%2002.jpg
http://www.tork.ee/projects/27/sadam%2003.jpg
http://www.tork.ee/projects/27/sadam%2006.jpg
http://www.tork.ee/projects/27/sadam%2007.jpg
http://www.tork.ee/projects/27/sadam%2008.jpg
http://www.tork.ee/projects/27/sadam%2009.jpg


AUTOHORS:
LEMBIT TORK, ERIK KONZE, INDREK POTTISEPP

from TORK architecture bureau

Very cool and interesting. Ch1le, do you know who is the author?

yes i do, and thanks for reminding me... wrote in the end of the post

AHTRI SPA

so.. i went to the "Late" public hearing of this "super structure" and finally got some renders, these are Shot by me from the paper so the quality is a bit shitty :P
its very finnish imo =). But hey, this is practically Helsinki! :D
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/8048/renderahtri2xv.jpg
http://img333.imageshack.us/img333/8733/renderahtri24jp.jpg
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/841/renderahtri39vr.jpg
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/7623/renderahtri40iq.jpg
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/34/renderahtri59aj.jpg

WTF my head will explode!

ARGHHHH
Do you remember Merikaru hotel? The hotel thats uc in the harbour area, and will be connected with Ahtri spa?
Heres to refresh your memory:
http://www.rand-tuulberg.ee/images/merikaru/mk2.jpg
I dont like it... whats worse, turns out that prior to construction a architecture competition was done for the place... and believe it or not... THIS DIDNT WIN:
http://site1.laborint.com/tmp/img_c/resize_19f0de3a3670607c01224fe7afca2420?cached=1150889702


IM MAD

Sh*t happens. Can post similar examples from Riga :D

oh well, on a positive side... mby the "Merikaru" design will better match with AHTRI spa design:(you can even see Merikaru, its the leftmost piece of the building)
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/8048/renderahtri2xv.jpg

I totally agree that "Tuuline Rand" version looks far better.

I dont like it... whats worse, turns out that prior to construction a architecture competition was done for the place... and believe it or not... THIS DIDNT WIN:
http://site1.laborint.com/tmp/img_c/resize_19f0de3a3670607c01224fe7afca2420?cached=1150889702


Hmm... I rather like the winning entry. The other one looks pretty "eastern" imo, whereas the other one is the very definition of typical modern Nordic architecture. Estonia is a lot more Western country than most ex-Soviet republics, and I think it should show in Tallinn's look.

/\ im so very confused!

/\ im so very confused!

What's there to be confused about? The building with the green facade looks very Eastern European.

http://www.rand-tuulberg.ee/images/merikaru/mk2.jpg
This looks like cheap commieblock hotel from late 1970ies somewhere in Soviet province - although I am sure that build quality would be a lot better. That's why @ch1le is not happy with this project. That looks a bit like ghost from our past.

Second (green glass) project may be is nothing gorgeous but it is more original and does not blend in among Soviet buildings. Regarding being Eastern European... I am sure that - although Eastern Europe may have countless tacky designs (f.e. still chewing on that old Postmodern, blue glass and small towers with round windows), overall attitude is more oriented towards searhing something unique, unusual and daring. It is easily seen on these forums.

Merikaru and this building unfortunately are opposite to this positive EasterEuropeanness. They will not add anything to city, they are just bland "nothing".

/\ my thoughts Exactly.
It does look like a commieblock, its sterile, boring....
The other designe had some nice smoothness do it, it wasnt boring and it wasnt sterile.. The harbourarea is promoting rich exiting architecture, this building Merikaru, will add nothing but density, just like the neightbour across the road from the same developer... (the commielike concreteboxwithcolourfulglasstiles)... Hopefully, it will be hidden amongts other nice ones...

edit: though there is one thing about merikaru hotel that isnt Eastern European... the magnetically levitating MERIKARU letters!

great

Well, three years have passed and the current area hurts the eye every time one walks by.

Is anybody here better informed as to what is planned in the area around Admiraliteedi and when might we see something built?

That land lot directly in front of Admiraliteedi basin is on (forced) sale due to owners bankruptcy,so I guess it takes atleast few years before we see any development there. Empty land lot between Linnahall and cruise ship quay should be owned by either Port of Tallinn or by state... not sure about development plans there. Former fishing harbour in front of Ilmarise quarter should be developed into yacht harbour (again,only a rumour....don't know deadlines or anything) Only real thing planned should be this :Ahtri 3 - multifunctional shopping and free time center. Project by Arco Real Estate, 13 911 m².
http://www.arcorealestate.com/upload/ahtri_3_vljast2__vaike_copy.jpg
Brochure in English - http://www.arcorealestate.com/upload/docs/Ahtri_3_presentation_.pdf
Floor plans - http://www.arcorealestate.com/upload/docs/Ahtri_3_floor_plans.A4.pdf

..and of course rebuilding and renovation of Rottermani quarter will continue. Maybe ch1le or Jarmo K can add more....

and dont forget http://www.navigator.ee/

Oh,and some residential buildings are built in Kadriorg,old tivoli area near the sea. I think they are doing prep. work there now.

Link > http://www.arcorealestate.com/?content=507

Render of it:
http://static.epl.ee/pildid/2009/normal/162811.jpg

^^
It seems that this development has run into a 'little' problem :D

http://i47.tinypic.com/4q4tpj.jpg

http://i50.tinypic.com/14jcjuo.jpg

See that large pond on those photos? Thats where those buildings should be built. That'll teach them to dig a hole during autumn (and wait all the way through winter & spring,until it's filled with water) :D

wow! they already dug a hole!

^ actually... there are two ponds there, see for yourself: http://kaart.otsing.delfi.ee/

and i have a suspicion they've been there since a long time. this particular plot is not part of the former tivoli but some industrial site... perhaps these are some sort of cooling ponds or something.

i'm not 100% sure. though i AM sure these holes are not recently dug.

^ actually... there are two ponds there, see for yourself: http://kaart.otsing.delfi.ee/

and i have a suspicion they've been there since a long time. this particular plot is not part of the former tivoli but some industrial site... perhaps these are some sort of cooling ponds or something.

i'm not 100% sure. though i AM sure these holes are not recently dug.

Well,I'm 100% sure,that this hole is quite recent. I'll check my photos (I think I even have few photos from autumn 2009,when excavators were digging there) :) Oh,and should I mention that there was one excavator still there,plus area has been cleared of trees? I think I have photo proof of that too,it will take some time for me to find them though.

Crap! It seems that I've deleted that autumn photo set which also included photos of excavators working on this land lot. So I dug out photo from early summer 2009,it ain't from that lot but from Bensiini or Filmi or whatever that short street running right next to area,is named,but you can see this land lot concrete wall on the right side of the photo (with trees behind it):
http://i48.tinypic.com/2dqszv4.jpg
^^
Those trees behind the wall are gone now.

..and here's photo from yesterday with excavator (it seems that even now they are digging there):
http://i46.tinypic.com/34jdcsi.jpg

I believe it is Tivoli housing project (or one other project,I think there was one more residential housing project planned there)

ahhaa! very interesting, and i'm glad to announce i was totally wrong about the holes :D

the best proof: http://www.taevapiltnik.ee/static/body/pildid/pilt_1898.jpg (:

for some reason i thought delfi satellite photo is from 2008, that's why i guessed what i guessed, but now that i checked - wow, it's quite up to date.

i'm kind of afraid to say anything now but still... to my knowledge the tivoli project (from 2007 and as presented on luhse & tuhal's homepage) concerns the area directly north of liivaoja and not the plot with those holes...

i would find out what's going on but i should really study now for my exam tomorrow :D

ok rather interesting news: opening the coastal areas has reached the former russian-baltic factory on the tip of kopli peninsula. the industry will stay but they're planning to basically reorganize the area so that some places would be open to public. also, they're planning some kind of a new higher education building. as of now the former administration building (http://deepthought.ttu.ee/ajaleht/tp1998/9veebruar1998/phoone.gif) of the huge factory houses the naval academy.

http://www.tallinn.ee/est/ametlikud_teated?id=7199

the area:

http://www.taevapiltnik.ee/static/body/pildid/pilt_1879.jpg

http://www.taevapiltnik.ee/static/body/pildid/pilt_1297.jpg

ahhaa! very interesting, and i'm glad to announce i was totally wrong about the holes :D

the best proof: http://www.taevapiltnik.ee/static/body/pildid/pilt_1898.jpg (:

for some reason i thought delfi satellite photo is from 2008, that's why i guessed what i guessed, but now that i checked - wow, it's quite up to date.

i'm kind of afraid to say anything now but still... to my knowledge the tivoli project (from 2007 and as presented on luhse & tuhal's homepage) concerns the area directly north of liivaoja and not the plot with those holes...

i would find out what's going on but i should really study now for my exam tomorrow :D


I kinda agree. The holes seem to be west of that Luhse&Tuhal development....