New ‘space-age’ transit hub coming to Eastern Europe

In an international design competition, British architecture firm Zaha Hadid Architects was chosen to design the new terminal station for Rail Baltica in Tallinn, Estonia.

Rail Baltica, Europe’s new electrified high-speed railway line, will span 870km and connect Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. This new station will be the starting point of the railway line.

 

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#ZahaHadidArchitects working with Esplan (Estonia) have been awarded first place in the design competition for the new terminal of the Rail Baltic railway at Ülemiste, Tallinn. . Rail Baltic is a planned 870 km electrified railway from #Tallinn in #Estonia to the Lithuanian-Polish border. The terminal will be the starting point of the Rail Baltic line connecting Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius with the European high-speed rail network. . The Ülemiste terminal is designed as a connecting public bridge used by the local community as well as multi-modal transport hub for commuters, national and international rail passengers in addition to air travelers using the adjacent Tallinn airport. . Circulation routes through the building have determined the station’s spatial geometry to aid navigation and the smooth integration of bus, tram and rail lines that intersect at the terminal. . Incorporating a modular structural system built in phases to enable ongoing operations on the rail lines throughout construction, the station has been designed and planned to BREEAM benchmarks and guidelines. . “I have been constantly informed about the developments in the Ülemiste area and in light of the works presented to the public today, I am more than convinced that the area is becoming one of the most attractive and, in terms of infrastructure, synergistic in Tallinn. A true multi-modal transport hub is emerging, with rail, bus and air traffic coming together there in the future,” said Taavi Aas, Estonia’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure. .

A post shared by Zaha Hadid Architects (@zahahadidarchitects) on Nov 7, 2019 at 12:38pm PST

The competition, hosted by Rail Baltic Estonia, sought sustainable and pedestrian-friendly design concepts for the transformation of an existing station in the city’s Ülemiste area. Once complete, it will include a hub for national, international and local rail services, along with buses, trams and coaches next to the city’s airport, according to Lonely Planet.

The transit hub is designed according to BREAAM guidelines, a sustainability assessment method for master-planning projects, infrastructure and buildings through third-party certification of the assessment of an asset’s environmental, social and economic sustainability performance. The architects will work with Estonian design company Esplan.

‘I am more than convinced that the area is becoming one of the most attractive and, in terms of infrastructure, synergistic in Tallinn. A true multi-modal transport hub is emerging, with rail, bus and air traffic coming together there in the future,’ says Taavi Aas, Estonia’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure.

The station is said to have a specifically ultra-modern, ‘space-age’ design and will grant easy, convenient access to neighbouring countries to local and international travellers.

Image: Instagram/ Zaha Hadid Architects