ELCA Committee of Firms Professional excursion

HARJU STREET PARK

The space that opens up on Harju street is an in-between space, which each townsperson fills with his or her own content; it is sufficiently lacking of definition that it creates its own public space, seeing and being seen, averting its gaze and turning inward. With its openness, the Harju greenspace offers everyone that so rare a thing in Tallinn, the chance to be by oneself. The park is designed by Kivisilla OÜ Landscape architects Ülle Grišakov , Olga Borisik and Triin Järve.

Harju street has always been a place with a very strong sense of history and tragedy. This created the need for a new design concept that delicately deals with the notion of collective memory and manages to be a symbolic  commemorating place that is speaking of its history to the future generations. The area could be described as an urban palimpsest, composing an entity of buildings from different styles and eras. As the location of the park lies on the foundations of old buildings, there was a strong need to bind together the old and invisible with new layers. In such a way the history of the place is not overwritten and is clearly visible for those who want to notice it. The people are invited to create their own memories and from that a new sense of collective space will emerge.

The main objective for the park was to mark and expose the borders and capacity of the historical buildings that  were destroyed during the bombing in 1944. The base of the design solution was historically formed structure of the real estates in the 37th city block, that is marked with different design elements -walls, paving materials, planting areas and outdoor lighting during the nighttime. There were 9 real estates in this area and the division of the real estates is emphasized in the design of the park with 6 different gardens that form an integral whole together.

There are five entrances to the park. Different gardens are planned with a general principle that people could enjoy the green city space with all their senses. Water elements, light, sound, smell, color and surface structures have been used in the design of the park.

The first garden is called tree garden in the honor of the existing preserved big elm trees that are growing there. In the real estate at Harju street 40/42, the previous location of the hotel “Kuldlõvi” (the golden lion), lies a water garden. Pulsating water under the glass is the unifying design feature of all gardens on three different levels. The water features are with different sizes and covered with laminated glass. Clipped hedges help to create privacy in that garden.

In the areas between hedges and water features are deck-chairs. The light garden is situated on the site where former “Amor” cinema used to be. The light garden is most decorative during the darkness of the long nights, that are quite common in our climate for most of the year. The colored lighting on the wall is a hint to the former cinema screen. In addition to the wall lighting decorative “chair” lights are used in that garden.

On the real estate at Harju street 34 is designed an outdoor arena with wooden surfacing together with parallel gardens. It can be used as an outdoor cafe, for the events or gatherings of tourist groups. The upper level of the park is multi-functional. Ice cream cafe and toilets are stationary but the wooden terrace of the ice cream cafe is only for summertime use. During the wintertime the upper level can be used as a skating rink. Due to the skating rink the park attracts users all year round.