Based on the conceptual idea of the entire area, the starting point for the architectural solution was to avoid excessive grooming, prefer a green living environment and preserve the earlier features. In terms of volume, the solution amplifies the building’s existing landmark image: the extra floor added onto the roof has distinctly different aesthetics and volume, clearly indicating that the quarter is marked by new life, exciting spatial experiences and fresh functionality. Both the exterior and the interior make the most of the existing features, it was decided to use “interior finishing without interior finishing” with the crumbling layers removed and the preserved layers exposed. Balconies with a simple steel structure have been added to the north-west side of the promenade in keeping with the strict window pattern. The whole building is covered with a delicate mesh for creepers, making it change with time and acquire an increasingly greener image over the years.
A two-storey extension is designed on the roof with the arched volumes playing with the pattern of the existing factory halls. Then again, they are significantly smaller signalling the new human scale of the area. For people walking in Kopli Street, the roofscape also acts as a landmark invitation to the area. The north-western part of the roofscape includes a common area for the residents and a spacious roof terrace with a greenhouse in synergy with the central square below.
Text by: Karli Luik, Johan Tali