In the high-level architectural competition of the ambitious complex of schools, homes, and offices to be built in Ülemiste City, the Estonian office 3+1 Arhitects reached the finals together with the top London office Zaha Hadid Architects.

The future development of the Valukoja Quarter in Ülemiste City, covering more than 30,000 square metres and connecting three different registered immovables, will be the first multifaceted complex of its kind in the region, where several different functions should be comprehensively ensured – homes, offices, and schools. 

According to Ursel Velve, the Development Manager of Mainor Ülemiste that is developing Ülemiste City, the work of Zaha Hadid Architects with the best design for the quarter, reached the finals among the two companies. ‘The complexity of the solutions for the future city to be established in Ülemiste most certainly lies in the organisation of movement and traffic, and this was the most well-thought-out in their work,’ Velve noted. She said that the London office also prepared thorough lighting analysis in its work, which is extremely important in our latitude from the perspective of both environmental sustainability and occupational health.  

Velve highlighted that the Estonian 3+1 Arhitektid stood out with the best comprehensive solution for the educational complex. ‘The underlying logic functioned well from the perspective of the users of the buildings, taking into account the wishes and needs of pupils, parents, academic staff, and people living and working in the corresponding area,’ Velve explained, adding that, as a result, the work caught the eye of both the heads of school and contracting authorities the most. 

Mainor Ülemiste will start negotiations over the further development of the preliminary sketch project with both offices, coordinating its choices with the Urban Planning Department of Tallinn as well. ‘We want to use these works to design detailed plans for the entire area,’ Velve confirmed, adding that it is already planned to open a new educational complex for the 2022/2023 academic year in the City.