Photos: Hiiu grain silo being turned into apartment building
The architectural contest for developing the territory of an old grain elevator in Hiiu, Tallinn's Nõmme district went to KOKO Architects and will see the area given a new look and turned into the heart of the urban area. The structure of the original grain elevator will be retained.
The post-World War II grain elevator will be turned into an office and apartment building, with business premises on the ground and top floors. The other floors will have apartments, and there will be an underground car park.
The plan prescribes developing 30 percent of the area for commercial use and 70 percent as residential. The existing civil defense shelter next to the elevator will be retained and fixed up for use.
The central square east of the grain elevator building, on the Pärnu maantee side, will see a community center erected for events and hobby classes. A tower to be retained will also be part of the community center.
The plan is to construct low, three-floor apartment buildings, with two to four apartments per floor, north and south of the grain elevator.
"The elevator is of symbolic value, a kind of Hiiu lighthouse. Instead of demolishing it, we will retain its volume and height, creating a shared public space on the top floor, with views of the Old Town and the sea," said Raivo Kotov, partner at KOKO.
The area is being developed by Reterra Estate OÜ.
The Hiiu grain elevator area was created following World War II. The shapely grain elevator, which has no practical purpose today, is its tallest building. The area borders the locomotives roundhouse of Peter the Great's Naval Fortress.
--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Marcus Turovski
