Tallinn's Kalma Saun property to be redeveloped into hotel, sports hall
An iconic Tallinn public sauna is to be converted into a spa hotel, following the filing of a detailed plan to that effect by city authorities.
A high school sports hall is also to be built adjacent to the building, on Vana-Kalamaja 9/9a.
The three-floor Kalma Saun building in Tallinn's Kalamaja district will be renovated under the terms of the plan, while a four-floor building will house the new spa and hotel development. Additionally, a sports hall is to be built, to be used by the adjacent Gustav Adolf School (Gustav Adolfi Gümnaasium) (see gallery above).
A joint-stock company, TTP, had submitted a request for the detailed plan in fall 2020; this initial plan did not include the school development – an addition requested by the City of Tallinn's education board.
TTP told the city that they would finance a joint detailed plan in respect of both properties, ie. Kalma saun and the Gustav Adolf School.
The district is undergoing major renovation in any case, as Vana-Kalamaja is being redeveloped to provide a landscaped thoroughfare from the harbor side of the neighborhood to the gates of the Old Town, bisecting the Balti jaam train station area.
Vana-Kalamaja will become a one way street, while the development will mean limited parking spaces (around 10) available on both properties combined, once the work is done, ERR reports.
The Kalma Saun building was erected in 1928 and while somewhat dilapidated, it still functions as a public sauna and is under heritage protection, meaning special conditions apply to the detailed plan.
The art deco-influenced building was designed by noted architect Aleksander Wladovsky.
M. Pressi architects prepared the planned hotel and spa center design, while the Salto architectural office designed the school sports hall.
The initiation of the detailed plan is on Tallinn City Government's agenda for Wednesday morning, ERR reports.
Editor's note: Saun is the Estonian term for sauna, itself a Finnish word. That there is a Sauna street in Tallinn's OId Town shouldn't be taken to mean the Finnish word was chosen in preference; street names often use the genitive (omastav) case, which in the case of saun is in fact sauna...
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
