67 
TAGASI
The riverside area is where the sea meets the river, the city life meets the summer beach, where people hang out, play sports and go for walks in all seasons and in all weathers. Some of the most special moments are on summer evenings, when sailboats glide by with the skyline of Tallinn in the background and the golden evening sun shining over the sea and riverbanks.
Inspiration came from the local ambience – I wished to turn the tarmac square into a modern and urban recreational area. In addition to preserving and highlighting the values of the place, the main challenges were its resistance to extreme weather conditions, heavy usage and possible vandalism. The choice of materials was based on the location open to the sea and the desire to create a natural overall look, so we mainly used wood, stone, sand and rusted metal. With the new design, we added options for various activities such as table tennis, pétanque, chess. There are floor games, tic-tac-toe and stepping stones for kids, but also natural play is encouraged by boulders, bike racks and pebbles.
The arrangement of the street furniture is densely urban, and thanks to the clever placement of the seating, the park can be enjoyed by different groups at the same time, without feeling that they are in a crowded public space. The terrace is for sunbathing, reading, acroyoga, picnics or just hanging around. We used 26 different plants suitable for seaside conditions – grasses, catnip, sage, wormwood, stonecrop etc to make it durable and low maintenance. We believe that meaningful design in a small space can create change on a larger scale.
