For my study I concentrated on a zone west of the old town centre, where the forces of commercialization and neglect converge. In the middle of this peripheral zone, behind the station, is the 'Russian market'. This is the gateway between the city centre and the area beyond. Its rough-hewn majesty makes it an intriguing place.

The market has a key part to play in Tallinn's public life, being one of the few places in the city to be marked by diversity and contrast. Its marginal character and the upgrading programme round about are a threat to its existence in its present form. The task I have set myself is to enlarge the range of the market and retain its special qualities without lapsing into romanticizing and gentrification. The market has to precipitate a concentration of urban activities. The design challenge lies in successfully integrating the model of an open-air market with its public identity in a 'shrinking' urban context. I took my inspiration from the model of a sponge when designing a three-dimensional structure that was to house the new market. The sponge serves here as both metaphor and example for the market's spatial structure. To translate this idea into a serviceable architectural design, I developed a three-dimensional matrix of slabs which I then hollowed out to receive the various programme components. The public arcades are fringed with recesses that can be used by individuals traders. A narrow, bazaar-like route lined with plots that can be rented on a monthly basis encircles cooperative market halls. The architecture is exhilarating in its scale and unfinished state, vibrant and tactile through its materials and use. I wish to present a space that is just asking to be appropriated, a space where the local culture can flourish. In short, the very opposite of the shopping mall. The plan offers an alternative to the developments dictated by the property developers, who have seized power in Tallinn. Their pursuit of profit is taking its toll of the city's public realm. After Estonia gained its independence in 1991 the country underwent a radical swing towards a neoliberal economy. This has brought enormous shifts among the inhabitants of the city's districts. Some areas have emptied almost entirely, the city centre has become disneyfied and new office districts are growing apace. There has been a violent outbreak of building construction and the growth figures are comparable to those of the Chinese economy. There is a genuine downside to all this. The social class least able to keep up with this growth is worse off than before, not least due to the deterioration of communal amenities in the post-communist era. Even institutes such as Tallinn's urban design office are having a tougher time of it, losing out to individual project developers who are only looking for profit. This makes it difficult for Tallinn's urban designers to draw up a masterplan or even develop a strategy. The upshot, among other things, is a loss of public space, which is disappearing into the interiors of shopping centres.

Place of education: TU Delft
Specialization: architecture
Tutors: Micha de Haas, Klaske Havik, Jan Engels