EUROPAN 9, TARTU

:::Concurso

SERPENTINE

ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS
diversity of spaces and functions
an entire new city district for the site of project
different from the neighbouring Annelinn city district
pedestrian walkways, bicycle paths
public space with nature
provide the area with a living environment that meets the needs of today and the future
new solutions for public space and landscape

PROBLEMS TACKLED

uniting housing and the nature
traffic -- separate and connect

SOLUTIONS & BACKGROUND

BETWEEN CITY AND NATURE & NEW PUBLIC SPACES

The competition area is an example of the European areas that are neither entirely urban, nor entirely nature or countryside. The site is a recreational field and wetland area practically without buildings, but it is situated next to the largest and most densely populated residential neighbourhood of Tartu, Annelinn with 29 000 inhabitants on 5.36 sq km. In Annelinn, typical soviet-time housing of prefabricated concrete apartment buildings give a solid but mechanical residential district.

The plan offers an innovative type of residential area with more diverse functions and activities and more sensitively approached built environment that works as a connecting bridge between the recreational areas and the neighbouring district.

In the proposal, the limit between the housing and the green area is maximized. The diversity that characterizes the project is embodied in the forms and scales of the buildings and the landscape. The spaces function in the levels of the large open space nature park with birdlife, the medium size parks in between the buildings that have recreational areas and smaller urban spaces in the terraces and balconies of the residential buildings. The space unites different building forms as the idea highlights the empty recreational space that is of open access to everyone, and semiprivate leafs of the flower formed by the lines of buildings lead to the private terraces and balconies on the buildings.

Connecting - hybridization of uses and spaces. The new public spaces are in the inner part of the round buildings that are half covered and thus provide area for activities all year around. This space unites private housing with elements of public use of the vicinity and neighbouring districts, as the school, the kindergarten and activity centre for culture and sports, whit the facilities of recycling centres, and
covered car and bicycle parking.

Serpentine and the city - various opportunities. The limits of the district simultaneously connect and protect: the market functions as a nucleus connecting the district with Annelin and the buildings limit the commercial spaces to the north and motorized traffic to narrow urban spaces. The bicycle and walking ways by the sides of the market feed the recreational areas inside the district and are connected further with the canal and the river. The main way of light traffic is directed underneath the heavy traffic roads by subway crossing.

The water is conducted to channels that provide recreational opportunities as well as ditch network for controlling the humidity of the area. In the piazza a recreational lake connected to the Anne canal is built.

The diversity of the division of spaces and opportunities for mobility can be seen in the organization of traffic. The light traffic walking or bicycle routes run by the Anne canal or crossing the river Emajogi with a nature view in 10-15 min. The public transport and private cars on the main roads or water vehicles on Anne canal can also be used to reach the centre.

CONSTRUCTED SURFACE

The housing, together with private and semi-public spaces and parking, makes ca. 35% of the project site. There are ca 1,00 residential units and about 3,000–4,000 inhabitants. The planned buildings should be of various types. There are 84 units in the towers, 425 in the nodal buildings and 850 in the linear buildings. The businesses that will serve the residential area located in the business and service area located along Kalda Road and some in the ground floor of the nodal buildings and between and in the linear buildings along the Ihaste road.

The space for a school and kindergarten are in the nodal buildings together with other recreational activities. This creates a diverse but unified humane and functioning living environment, where necessary services can be reached on foot.

More than 60% of the project area is public space. This includes the natural area left as it is in order to provide recreational area for the inhabitants and also to preserve protected plant and animal species as the great snipe – that has disappeared from other wetlands in Europe due to scrub invasion. Tartu is actually the only city in Europe where this species nests. Observation towers for birdwatchers are located at the top floor of some buildings.