Uudised

The architectural design of Roheline Park was revealed

The winner of the architectural competition for Roheline Park, also known as the one-minute city district, is the architecture firm Arhitekt Must with its concept of a continuous multifunctional outdoor space. At the same time, Tartu’s tallest commercial and residential building will rise in Roheline Park, designed by Salto Architects.

Deputy Mayor of Tartu Kertu Vuks emphasizes an environmentally conscious approach. “The City of Tartu is pleased to see new developments that take into account both environmental protection and the need to adapt to climate change,” Vuks notes. “For us, it is important that urban space is high-quality, sustainable, and accessible to everyone. One that supports both today’s and future residents of Tartu,” she stresses.

According to Ott Alver, architect at Arhitekt Must, the design of the apartment buildings was based on a continuous, people-friendly outdoor environment that ties all development in Roheline Park into a unified whole: “Higher density is placed at the ends of the planned area, allowing an airy environment with smaller residential buildings to emerge in the center. Existing and newly added tall greenery forms the backbone of the block.”

Alver adds that living spaces are closely interwoven with the outdoor environment: “All apartments have a strong connection to the outdoor space, either through a large terrace or a covered balcony. A continuous outdoor corridor runs between the buildings, offering ongoing sightlines and connections. In the open spaces formed between the buildings are playgrounds, picnic areas, outdoor gyms, or community greenhouses.”

According to entrepreneur Raul Jeets, one of the goals, alongside developing a contemporary urban environment, is to become a center of business and innovation for Tartu and Southern Estonia, and also for the Baltic region. “We are Tartu’s green calling card. The core idea of the new residential and business district is the one-minute city — everything necessary is within arm’s reach, and most importantly, the living environment is people-centered and based on environmentally sustainable innovation. All the companies located here are internationally competitive,” the entrepreneur explains.

Proposals were also submitted by Pluss Arhitektid and the Swedish architecture firm Wingårdhs. Due to the strength of the entries, the selection process took place in several stages, seeking solutions to different conceptual challenges. The starting point was the business park solution created by Wingårdhs in 2022, whose human- and nature-centered approach forms the basis for today’s winning design.

Roheline Park is a modern and diverse residential and business environment being developed in Tartu, based on sustainable solutions. The development focuses on high-quality urban space and accessibility, taking into account both wheelchair users and residents with strollers. Top European green innovation solutions are being used in planning the district. On a nine-hectare area, housing, offices, services and public urban space come together.

The developers’ goal is to create an environment based on the After Five principle, a people-centered setting where life continues after the workday. The spatial solution will support a lively and diverse urban environment that integrates work and everyday life into a cohesive whole.

The district is compact and easily accessible both within Tartu and for visitors coming from farther away. From Tallinn, Tartu can be reached by bus or train in about two hours. By plane, it takes 45 minutes from Helsinki and 2 hours and 25 minutes from Brussels.