Zaha Hadid Architects wins the Masterplan 2030 competition for the Old City Harbour in Tallinn's Port

The Port of Tallinn launched the competition for ideas for the development plans or Masterplan 2030 for the Old City Harbour in 2016. With the aim of finding a comprehensive, long-term solution to connect the city and its public spaces with the functions of the port, Masterplan 2030 will form the basis for the redevelopment in the port area into an urban space that is both attractive and easy to traverse.

As one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe, Tallinn's Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while the Estonian capital is a global leader in advanced digital information technology, establishing one of the world’s most connected societies. The new masterplan celebrates this diversity and links together disparate districts of the city, creating a vibrant new community near the city centre that will provide an alternative to the city’s Soviet-era housing stock.

While contemporary in concept, the new masterplan deliberately preserves the city’s urban fabric, its vistas to historic landmarks and its views to the sea. Tallinn is one of the fastest growing ports in Europe, meeting an increasing demand for its services due to its success as a growing hub for cruise ship and ferry passengers as well as cargo. The masterplan consolidates and improves all the vital activities of the port while also offering land for civic use and development. 

Valdo Kalm, the chairman of the management board of the Port of Tallinn, said “Zaha Hadid Architects have very skilfully created a balanced connection between urban space and the port area with some carefully considered access roads and traffic solutions”. “What stands out in their designs are the diagonals running through them of the pedestrian footpaths, around which a very diverse and memorable city space has been established.  Interesting details include the water features they’ve designed along Reidi Street and their partial – and very smooth and effective – raising of the areas for pedestrians up to another level.

All images are Render by VA.

The Port of Tallinn and Zaha Hadid Architects aim to complete the masterplan for the Old City Harbour by the end of 2017. On completion, detailed plans will be commissioned and suitable business models elaborated for development implementation.