Second place in the competition for the Fisherman's Port in Estonia
The subject of the competition is the spatial development of the Fisherman's Port in the city of Tallinn. The port is currently undergoing intensive revitalization, and the area covered by the project is part of the waterfront promenade in the center of Tallinn. The concept of the detailed urban plan envisages opening the capital of Estonia to the sea. The existing area of the fisherman's port, an informal fish unloading and trading place, is located in the city center with a view of the Creative Hub and the Old Town. Direct neighbors include the Linehall Sports Hall built for the 1980 Summer Olympics and the Estonian Museum of Contemporary Art. The adjacent plot is being developed into the Kalasadama 10 hotel and Creative Hub. On the other side of the port basin is the residential district of Kalaranna, with additional areas of the modernized port connected by a seaside promenade.
The competition project involves the construction of a fisherman's port with port captaincy buildings and a fish market. The port basin will accommodate a marina for yachts and motorboats, as well as a movable pedestrian bridge ensuring continuity of the waterfront promenade.The project envisions a multifunctional solution for two buildings for public and commercial use integrated with each other and the waterfront promenade, external terraces, pools, and a plaza. The idea of the project is to create a horizontal spatial layout of the interiors and external parts of the buildings, forming an architecturally coherent whole. The functions and space of the facility are arranged in the form of layers and terraces descending from the northern corner of the site towards the center of Tallinn. The tallest elements of the development - the roofs and terraces of the port captaincy building - descend towards the pools and the terrace covering the fish market located at ground level. The space of the yacht port intersects with the plaza area.The layout of the site and elevations fit into geometric forms inspired by a fishing net. Starting from the construction layout through the floor plan, facade geometry, and small architectural elements such as benches or visual information. The net serves as the basis of the project, which can be found everywhere, creating a kind of megastructure; its form grows as it delves into the site space. Initially, at the corner of the market building at the entrance to the boulevard, the shape of the fishing net is indicated in the form of benches and loose floor lines. Then its form densifies in the floor plan of the boulevard and in the ceiling elements of the market hall. The market's roof, with landscaped greenery in geometric planters, takes its form from the seaside dune. Sloping planters with dune vegetation allow for a play of shadows visible from the higher terraces of the port. The geometry of the roof elements and the vegetation growing on it is a free interpretation of the form of a fishing net disappearing in the sand filling it, lying on the seaside dune. The plaza, as a central element, organizes the drawing and allows to perceive its unambiguous geometry. The culmination is the port captaincy building, where the net is transformed into a plastic form of the facade, ultimately defining the form of the project.The proposed marina-port building is multifunctional, housing port service facilities, restaurants and cafes, as well as commercial rental space. The roof is equipped with terraces for restaurant guests and sauna users. On the ground floor level, there is a spa complex with saunas opening to the south towards the outdoor pools. The entire building is connected by a wide staircase belt climbing along the pools towards the north to successive terraces up to the roof of the building.
In accordance with the detailed port plan, the fish market building utilizes the differences in terrain levels and water levels and is located at ground level. The extensive open space allows for convenient layout of the market intended for fish trade. The modern, open interior is filled with natural light through numerous skylights in the roof, part of which also serves as one of the promenade's terraces. Rental retail spaces are equipped with counters, refrigerators and freezers, as well as appropriate ancillary and utility rooms. The waterfront promenade, fish market, and marina-port building form a coherent urban spatial whole with a semi-public and semi-private bathing area opening onto a public plaza. The project includes the location of a pedestrian bridge over the Kalasadama canal.The project provides access to floating boats and parked boats to the marina located along the promenade. Access to the beach promenade is provided from both sides for cleaning, operational, and service vehicles, as well as for the supply of the fish market. Parking spaces are located in the shade of the port captaincy building and along the ramp located on the southern side of the plot, transitioning into the promenade.
We would like to thank the project partners Sirkel&Mall, Przemysław Kaczkowski, Andrzej Gomułka, Michał Leszczyński, Rafał Zelent, Jan Radwański, Piret Pallast, and Lembit Tork.