Estonia's capital Tallinn is in the process of reinventing itself - at least that's the way two major infrastructure projects in the city can be interpreted. For both the plans of Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) from London won the contract for the design.
Futuristic, they are a contrast to the cobblestone flair for which the medieval city is famous. On the one hand, there is a new station for the northernmost of the Baltic capitals and, on the other hand, the redesign of the port.
It was recently announced that the British architectural firm was in first place in the competition for the design of Tallinn's new station . The drawings for the "Ülemiste Terminal" are more reminiscent of a bridge meandering over the tracks than of a massive building.
And behind it hides the idea for the design: It should be a connecting element, a bridge that should be used by the "local community", ie the local people, as well as travelers from home and abroad.
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New architecture: Tallinn is smartThe proposed train station is said to consist of two strands that are at right angles to each other - similar to a cross. The basis for the "generous geometry" were the traffic flows that will pass through "Ülemiste", according to a statement by the architects.
"This is where a multimodal transport hub will emerge that will be the future of rail, bus and air transport," said Taavi Aas, Estonian Minister of Economy and Infrastructure.
Connecting countries and people - and travel destinations
Tallinn's new train station is set to be the starting point for a 870-kilometer-long railway line that has been in the planning stage for several years. Under the name "Rail Baltica" it will one day make it easier for city travelers to commute between Tallinn in Estonia, Riga in Latvia and Vilnius in Lithuania. The trains will run every two hours, according to the Rail Baltica website. "Linking nations, people, places" is the slogan. One wants to connect countries and people with the railway project - and worth seeing travel destinations.
A combined trip to the three capitals of the Baltic could become a comfortable travel experience in the future. However, it is not yet clear exactly when the Rail Baltic operation will start. In the past, the project, involving Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, has stalled several times. Most recently there was talk of a completion of the network until 2026.
However, the design for the new station is not the only one in Tallinn where Zaha Hadid Architects has worked successfully. Already in 2017, the company won the competition for the fresh-cell treatment of the port .
The Old City Harbor is to receive by 2030, among other things, a cruise terminal with walk-promenade on the roof, as well as a movable pedestrian bridge and extensively expanded to a so-called smart port: Passengers with vehicle, for example, should be able to check in automatically.
