Tallinna Linnahall [Tallinn City Hall] and Patareisadama piiripunkt [Patareisadam border crossing point ]
Original name
V. I. Lenini nimeline Tallinna Kultuuri- ja Spordipalee [V. I. Lenin Palace of Culture and Sports]
Original use
Culture/leisure/tourism/Concert Hall and Sports/Sports venue
Current use
Unused / Vacant . The pedestrian roof is still used as a urban space
Architects
Riina Altmäe, Raine Karp
Concrete by reinforcement
Concrete is a relatively brittle material that is strong in compression but less so in tension.
To increase its overall strength, steel rods, wires, mesh or cables may be embedded in concrete before it sets. This reinforcement, often known as rebar, resists tensile forces. By forming a strong bond, the two materials are able to resist a variety of applied forces, effectively acting as a single structural element .
Construction method
In this case, the concrete can be made by mixing the components directly on site, or it may be transported from a production plant in concrete-mixer trucks.
This method has the disadvantage of leaving the concrete exposed to the elements while it is setting. Whereas, with other methods, the environmental conditions can be controlled during setting, providing greater control over the outcome, with cast-in-place concrete a series of tests and protocols are necessary to verify its final strength.
PRECAST ON SITE:
In larger and more complex construction projects, a concrete production plant may be installed on the construction site or nearby. The precast elements are moved into place once they have reached their maximum strength. This reduces transportation costs and ensures the concrete will set in the same environmental conditions as the building site. This may be more necessary with structures that combine cast-in-place concrete with prefabricated elements.
PRECAST IN FACTORY, WORKSHOP:
Any concrete element can be manufactured ahead of time and transported to the site once it has set. In this case, the control over geometry, appearance, finish and strength can be as strict as necessary. It can also be ensured that the pieces will be exactly identical to one another.
Prefabricated elements can be of any type: from façade panels and pavements to decorative elements (such as cornices or capitals) and structural elements (columns, slabs, beams, etc.).
These elements may be part of a commercial catalog or specially designed for a specific project. A series of pieces may also be sold as a coordinated and interconnected system to build a complete structure or even an entire building.
Architectural concrete
- textured walls
- wooden formwork finish
- stamped concrete
- exposed aggregate concrete, colored concrete, etc.
State of Conservation
Description
This huge building was built for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, when Tallinn was chosen to host the sailing trials. Its program, now in disuse, was focused on sports, culture and leisure, including a 4,200-seat auditorium and an indoor ice-skating rink.
The exterior, rather than looking like a building, is reminiscent of the ancient architecture of the pyramids or the bastions of the old walls and fortresses that surround the city. Its immense terraces, which are accessed by monumental staircases, combine concrete borders and walls imitating large carved stone blocks. The absence of compositional elements to indicate the scale of the building accentuates its massive and infrastructural appearance.
The urban expanse of the complex, almost half a kilometer in length, shapes a public space – linear and elevated – that connects the perimeter of the historic city with the sea. It ends directly on the water, at a series of wharves for yachts and cruise ships, and a privileged overlook to watch sailing races. Its arrangement, distinctly horizontal and semi-sunken, aims to avoid competing with or obstructing the view of the old city in the distance.
The abandoned state of the interior is compounded by the scarce use of the public spaces located on the roofs: the sheer scale and harshness – without any defined uses or elements to qualify the spaces – has failed to promote their use or occupation by the city’s residents.
The Linnahall in Tallinn was defended at the 2012 Venice Architecture Biennale as an example of good architecture from the communist period in Estonia. The exhibition warned of the lack of appreciation among citizens for the architecture from this period, which has contributed to the state of abandonment and deterioration of many buildings like Tallinn’s Linnahall. This could lead to the disappearance of an architectural heritage with great significance in Estonian history.
Estonia
Sadama tn.1
Harju (County) 10415, CQW3+JC Tallinn
Commission
1975
Completion
1980