Voting for the people’s favourite of the central market architecture competition has begun!
Welcome to the popular vote of the central market architecture competition!
The new owner of the central market Astri Grupp wishes to give the market area a new and modern appearance. An architecture competition was organized for that purpose in which three competition entries took part. A jury consisting of the urban planners, architects and Astri Grupp will choose the winner of the competition. At the same time, Tallinn City Centre Administration will find out by means of online voting which design the people like the most. The people’s favourite will receive a prize of 1,500 euros. Online voting is not binding for the jury.
Please find below three competition entries which you can examine and then choose your favourite entry. Each person can vote only once. Voting will be open until 6 October. The people’s favourite and the winning entry chosen by the jury will be made public on 15 October.
FIRST COMPETITION ENTRY
KADARIK, TÜÜR. ARHITEKTID
MARKET
The market is a modern trade and leisure centre, which comprises several activities and premises suitable for these activities. The market is situated by the Lastekodu Street, because this way it can be seen, accessed and serviced in the best way. The spatial identity of the market will be created through the colonnade of wooden structure arches. The arcade resembles public spaces with an arched ceiling which have been used at different times for bigger spatial programmes – such buildings have been made for markets, places of worship, railway stations and castles. A large covered multi-layered area opens to the neighbouring streets, while it is possible to walk inside and around the area.
The market building consists of five levels, from which two are under the ground.
The parking floor is situated on lower or on the second floor. Grocery stores, warehouse and small rental premises intended for services are located in first or the upper floor.
The first floor is the market floor. The market building consists of the indoor market area, the street food area and the outdoor market area which remains between these two areas. The indoor market area consists of the meat and dairy products hall, the fish hall and the vegetable section, which is conveniently situated at the intersection of streets taking into account the availability of goods. The outdoor market area could be also surrounded by single glass to protect it from windy weather.
Street food area forms a separate market area, which is situated on two floors. The first floor of the market building is passable, the entrances open on to different sides on the building so that the indoor and outdoor premises of the market would be connected for the visitors’ movement. The logistic centre of the building is situated in middle of the building so that both the grocery store on the lower floor and the upper floors could be conveniently accessed from the outdoor part of the market. A loading area is situated at the back of the market building which is connected to the freight elevators of lower and upper floors.
Other commercial premises, clothing products and handicraft goods are situated on the second floor. The building volumes of the indoor market and street food area are connected with roads providing a good view of the outdoor market and where additional stalls can be added.
The sports club and a roof terrace for various activities are situated on the third floor. There is also a café or a restaurant volume here which is connected to the roof terrace with swings, a playground and green area.
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
The residential buildings are mainly grouped west from the square. The buildings are traditional sectioned apartment buildings with staircases, an underground parking lot and a commercial floor opening to the street. Varying heights enable to build roof terraces. The balconies opening to the pedestrian area are attractive both in terms of the sale and use of the apartments.
COMMERCIAL BUILDING
The commercial building can be built as a separate volume. It should have a public function at least to the extent of the first floor and open as many entrances as possible to the square and the streets. In the event of successful start-up of the commercial function, a part of the second floor could be used also for stores and service facilities. The building has been solved in terms of volume and for illustrative purposes and would require a clear initial task for a more specific solution.
PEDESTRIAN AXIS OR LINEAR PARK
According to the draft detailed plan, a pedestrian path runs through the block which connects mainly the Tartu Road, the square to be build and conveniently also the existing Keldrimäe residential area. The entrances of commercial premises and apartment buildings open to the axis, which turn it into a lively street space. There are both trees and green areas along the street, many places to sit, bicycle parking lots and play areas for children. As rental premises are situated on the ground floors of the apartment buildings, these are ideally suited for cafés and bars which interact easily with the linear park and the people walking there. The rental premises of the street are services at certain times of the day when vehicles have access to the area, at other times this area serves only as a pavement and a cycle track.
CENTRAL MARKET SQUARE
The square is the centre both for the residential block that is being built and the entire Keldrimäe. The market, commercial premises of the office building and business floor entrances of apartment buildings are turned in the direction of the market. The market square is multifunctional enabling both to run the market and trade from the vans and street food trucks. The square also enables to hold fairs, organize events and even open a skating rink during the winter period. The furniture and plant boxes of the square are movable and can be relocated. An active market square creates good possibilities for the rental premises of the lower floors of the commercial building with the windows and entrances opening to the square. The activities of the square:
• Market – movable stalls for trading with seasonal goods
• Trading from vans and light trucks
• Seasonal fairs and entertainment
• Seasonal outdoor attractions – for example, a skating rink
• Outdoor cafés
COURTYARD AREAS OF APARTMENT BUILDINGS
The courtyards of apartment buildings are turned towards the direction of other apartment buildings to form a more peaceful atmosphere of the backyard. The courtyards have been currently solved as a passable area which is divided into zones but it can be also divided into more private courtyards. This way, the inhabitants of lower floor apartments could have their own little gardens and terraces. There are also children’s’ playgrounds in the same courtyards.
LANDSCAPING
The central street of the new residential block and the streets of Keldrimäe are lined with trees. Trees have also been added along the cycle and pedestrian track situated in the western side of the plot. Small squares covered with grasses and lawn alternate under the trees to the extent of the entire street, i.e. the linear park. Small trees and plants are in the fixed boxes in front of the market building. Movable plant boxes with colourful plants like different Heuchera plants and grasses are on the market square. During the winter, the plant boxes can be used for seasonal plants (small spruces or firs) or for attractions like light or ice installations. The roof of the market building is covered with goldmoss stonecrop mats. The roofs of apartment buildings can be similarly covered with this plant. Goldmoss stonecrop is evergreen and colourful and changes its colour according to the season of the year. The plant is maintenance-free, long-lived and resistant to wind, drought and cold. The roof of the commercial building is covered with sun panels.
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SECOND COMPETITION ENTRY:
KAMP ARHITEKTID
MARKET
The Central Market, just like its name says, is an important and central place in the city. A completely new urban space will be built instead of current market stands. There will be new pedestrian streets, a new square, new residential building and of course a new market building with an open market. Although everything is new, the arch motif refers to a traditional market and should be easily recognisable in urban space and found without any signposts. The abundance of the Oriental bazaar and joy of trading could be found also at the Central Market.
HOUSING
The housing will be quite large-scale instead of the currently mostly empty square. That is why the volume of the market building by the Lastekodu Street has been made lower, making it consistent with the surrounding buildings and letting the sun shine onto the street. The buildings around the inner square of the block will be built higher step by step. The outdoor market will extend from the Lastekodu Street until the central square, its canopy will become joined with the market building. The pedestrian street under the roof can be used as a solution of outdoor market. To accentuate the spaciousness and height, the canopy is light and has many cupolas on the roof.
PEDESTRIANS
Pedestrians can walk through the block in two diagonal directions, which coincide with the direction of main streets and accesses. The main entrances of the market building are situated in the corners from the side of the Lastekodu Street. The second floor of the market opens directly to the square in the form of terraces and stairs. The open market can be extended in case of good weather. Different commercial premises, cooperation offices and a sports club have been placed on the first floors by the street and the square. The visitors of the market have a good possibility to park bicycles on the street.
CARS
Cars have access to the market from the direction of Torupilli. Entrances into both into the market building and the square and the open market are in the visitor’s parking lot on the second floor. Service transport can drive in along the same ramp and the exit is to the Keldrimäe Street to disperse traffic and simplify manoeuvring. The loading of goods and waste collection takes place under the ground on the first floor because the market warehouses and the food store as the area with the highest impact of transport are situated there. Freight elevators to the market building and the open market are situated in the loading area. The access of vans to the outdoor market is from the Keldrimäe Street. Places for tourist buses and taxis are in front of the market building on the area with slowed-down traffic on the Lastekodu Street.
LANDSCAPING
Landscaping follows the main pedestrian paths. In order to create permanent landscaping and plant big trees, the first floor under street has not been built up and has been filled with topsoil. It has been intended to use container planting only the preserved park with trees in the southern part. The trees are surrounded by curved concrete benches. The area of the square has been left empty so that different events could be organized there. The fountain is also situated in line with the trees on the side of the square. The big area of the canopy of the open market could be grassed or planted. As an additional possibility, seasonal rental offices or meeting rooms could be placed there. There is an opening in the outdoor market roof to preserve the valuable tree. An ice rink can be opened under the market roof for the winter time.
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THIRD COMPETITION ENTRY:
KOKO ARHITEKTID
ACCESSES AND FORMATION OF HOUSING
Generally, the area is divided into two parts in the north-south direction. Lastekodu Street, Keldrimäe and the market near the Mardi Street are in the east and the apartment buildings are in the west. The main reasons for such division are the following:
•the directions of pedestrians approaching from the Tartu Road and Juhkentali Street (public transport stops) must taken into consideration as much as possible;
• to create free movement of people through the market area, so that it would become a natural part of moving through the residential block;
• to distinguish clearly the area of apartment buildings from the market and offices;
• to enable the development of the area step by step in two stages, so that the old market could partially function while the new market is built.
The inside of the block is designed car-free (exc. service transport) and so that it can be passed well in different direction. The streets inside the block, which run through the block, are connected to the surrounding streets – to the Torupilli ots Street and the F.R.Kreutzwaldi Street in the north, the Jakobi Street in the east and the Mardi street in the west, all these streets inside the block lead to the square. Entrances to the block are just like gates – the space, which narrows in the direction of the square, is filled with container planting and street art. The cantilever volume of the market building covering the open market is a gate for those who come from the direction of the Torupilli ots Street. Coming from the direction of the F.R.Kreutzwaldi Street the people entering the area are greeted by a water sculpture. There is a park and the market in the direction of the Jakobi Street and a landscaped pocket in the western corner.
PERIMETER OF AREA
The perimeter of the area is designed to be as green as possible with recreation areas and playgrounds. A square will be built inside the residential block which integrates the market and the rest of the housing. The square is visually connected to the roof gardens and viewpoints located on the roofs of the houses. A sculpture/water element has been designed as a gate into the block for those who come from the direction of the Tartu Road/Stockmann.
The second gate is the market building itself.
CENTRAL AREA – SQUARE
In terms of urban construction, the central market area has a potential to become the centre of the community. Juhkentali and Keldrimäe communities see namely this areas the centre of their urban regions, because there is enough urban density and activity here. The market is a centre of attraction which attracts people across the city. An important space, which characterises or defined the centre, is the square. The square will be built in the centre of the area, which integrates the market and the remaining housing and connects different movement directions as a meeting place. The square is visually connected to the roof gardens and viewpoints located on the roofs of the houses. It is possible to organize events here and install café terraces. There is a sculpture – the market sparrow – in the centre of the square.
PARK
An important accent is also the park planned in the intersection of the Jakobi Street and the axis of the market where trees can be planted and which is open to the evening sun.
MARKET BUILDING
The outdoor market, the indoor market, a big food store, market warehouses and a loading area, an underground parking lot and different offices are under the same roof in the market building. The market is characterised by a large roof area, in this solution it is an underbelly of the office, which runs through the whole market function with its flowing form and wooden surface.
OUTDOOR MARKET
The outdoor market is a square, which is situated under the cantilever part of the building so that it seems to be like a true gate. The indoor market and the central square (where the outdoor market can be expanded in special cases) can be smoothly accessed from the outdoor market. The outdoor market is lighted, equipped with stalls and an area has been reserved here for selling goods from vans.
INDOOR MARKET
The indoor market consists of various sales areas, street food area and sitting areas. The atrium in the centre of the building and different intermediate floors of the indoor market (the part near the Mardi Street is higher) open views to the food store on the first floor. Movement between different levels takes place by escalators and moving walkways. The building has lifts and stairs. The indoor market has three big entrances:
•from the outdoor market;
•from the central square;
•from the park.
The whole market is serviced by the loading area by the Keldrimäe Street. The loading area provides easy access to the market hall, the outdoor market and the warehouse premises on the first floor (freight elevators, scissor lifts). Waste collection and sorting takes place in the loading area.
PARKING
Parking in the residential block has been taken underground. Parking places for two buses and taxis have been designed by the Lastekodu Street. Underground parking lot has been divided into two parts according to the construction stages. When its construction has been completed, it will form one parking area. Entrance into the market parking lot has been designed from the roundabout of the Lastekodu Street and the Torupilli ots Street. The parking lot is situated on the second floor and it has 216 places. The apartment building parking lot is on the first and on the second floor with entrance from the Lastekodu Street and the Mardi Street. In total, there are 233 places in the apartment building parking lot. Entrance into the parking lots have been lifted out from the building volumes, as close to the street as possible, to save the first floor area and enable its use.
STRUCTURE AND FINISHING MATERIALS
The structure of the market building is very ambitious and outstanding, which is also understandable in case of a public building which is important for the whole city. Figuratively, the building leans on three feet. The entire structure of the building resembles rather a bridge and can be built as a steel space frame. The underbelly of the building is finished with wood. Mainly glass is used in the façades.
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GIVE YOUR VOTE TO YOUR FAVOURITE ENTRY
Choose your favourite entry, enter the data and click on the “GIVE YOUR VOTE” button. The winner will be made public on 15 October 2019.