Arhitekt11 wins Liivalaia Quarter interior architecture design competition
The architecture firm Arhitekt11 OÜ won the Liivalaia Quarter interior architecture design competition, organised by Kapitel, with the work titled “Liiva valley”. The business and residential quarter, situated on Liivalaia street in central Tallinn, comprises two office buildings, including Estonia’s highest office building, a residential building and a parking garage connecting them. Participants were tasked with working out the quarter’s lobby space, an area for restaurants, which connects the three buildings, a parking lot, meeting rooms, elevator halls, and a standard interior architecture solution for office space and apartments.
“We are happy with the decision to raise the Estonian real estate development process to a new level in terms of quality and to find the interior architecture solution for the quarter in the competition. The winning work by Arhitekt11 differs clearly from the other contestants in both its idea and integral concept. Previous notable projects, a well assembled team of interior architects and building information modelling capability also bode well for the eventual winners,” said Kapitel’s development director and board member Indrek Moorats.
“With our large team we are thrilled to face the challenge offered by Estonia’s highest office building, a highly professional client and good architecture,” said Birgit Jaanus, head of interior architecture at Arhitekt11.
The concept of Arhitekt11 OÜ’s project “Liiva valley” is inspired by the historic location of the area, which is characterised by a sand-rich landscape and between the sand, the Härjapea River with the surrounding greeneries. The contrast between small sand dunes and the lush valley plays out between various themes, uses of material and lighting solutions.
“We are planning a distinguished, high-level and multifunctional environment for the quarter, and that in both inside the buildings and around them, allowing people to also spend quality time outside their offices. The interior architecture solution devised by Arhitekt11 carries the historic heritage of the area and continues with architect Martin Aunin’s “Lightpark” concept, bringing a movement-guiding lighting solution to the indoors. The solution uses light to direct people towards the main locations intuitively. The central restaurant area and passages, which Arhitekt11 has designed as an inner park with a warm, intimate atmosphere, deserve special mention,” said Rait Riim, Kapitel’s project manager.
Kapitel’s investment into the development is an estimated 100 million euros. Currently, the design phase of the project is in process with construction planned to begin in the end of 2019. The first stage of the project is planned to be completed in 2022.
The multifunctional quarter going up in the city centre of Tallinn, at the intersection of Liivalaia and Juhkentali streets, will consist of three buildings: a 28-storey and 15-storey office building, a nine-storey residential building and a parking garage connecting them. The highest building is planned to stand at 111 meters, making it Estonia´s highest office building and fourth-tallest building after St. Olaf’s Church and the twin Tornimäe towers. The gross area of the quarter is close to 80,000 m2 and leasable area is 39,000 m2, which includes 32,000 m2 of prestigious office space, 3,000 m2 of apartments and 4,000 m2 of retail space, cafes, restaurants and a sports club. In addition to the new buildings, two new access routes will be built, with cooperation with the local neighbourhood association, a public park on the river bed of the historical Härjapea River and another plaza-style greenspace next to the Kazan Church.
