Architecture

Zaha Hadid Architects designs futuristic train station for Estonia

Zaha Hadid Architects designs futuristic train station for Estonia
The Ülemiste terminal is slated for Estonia's capital Tallinn
The Ülemiste terminal is slated for Estonia's capital Tallinn
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The Ülemiste terminal is slated for Estonia's capital Tallinn
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The Ülemiste terminal is slated for Estonia's capital Tallinn
The Ülemiste terminal was designed by current ZHA boss (and longtime Zaha Hadid collaborator) Patrik Schumacher
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The Ülemiste terminal was designed by current ZHA boss (and longtime Zaha Hadid collaborator) Patrik Schumacher
The Ülemiste terminal
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The Ülemiste terminal is slated for Estonia's capital Tallinn and will be part of the Rail Baltica system, which is a planned 870-km (540-mile)-long electrified railway that will stretch from Tallinn to the Lithuanian-Polish border
We've no word on a planned date of completion for the Ülemiste terminal yet
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We've no word on a planned date of completion for the Ülemiste terminal yet
The Ülemiste terminal will also feature a degree of sustainability as it's be slated for BREEAM certification (a green building standard)
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The Ülemiste terminal will also feature a degree of sustainability as it's be slated for BREEAM certification (a green building standard)
The Ülemiste terminal's design is informed by the interior layout which, ZHA says, will be easy to navigate
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The Ülemiste terminal's design is informed by the interior layout which, ZHA says, will be easy to navigate
View gallery - 6 images

Following an architecture competition, Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), working with local firm Esplan, has been chosen to create a new rail terminal in Estonia. Assuming the finished project lives up to the early renders released by the firm, it's going to be a futuristic and eye-catching addition to the northern European country.

The Ülemiste terminal is slated for Estonia's capital Tallinn and will be part of the Rail Baltica system, which is a planned 870-km (540-mile) electrified railway that will connect Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.

Information is light at this early stage in the project, though ZHA says the unusual-looking building's design is based around an easy to navigate interior and the integration of bus, tram, and rail lines. It also has a bridge for pedestrians.

We've no word on the expected date of completion yet, but it will comprise a modular structural system, meaning it can be constructed in phases to mitigate any disruptions to the area. It will also feature a degree of sustainability as it's slated for BREEAM certification (a green building standard).

The Ülemiste terminal's design is informed by the interior layout which, ZHA says, will be easy to navigate
The Ülemiste terminal's design is informed by the interior layout which, ZHA says, will be easy to navigate

"I have been constantly informed about the developments in the Ülemiste area and in light of the works presented to the public today, I am more than convinced that the area is becoming one of the most attractive and, in terms of infrastructure, synergistic in Tallinn," says Taavi Aas, Estonia’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure. "A true multi-modal transport hub is emerging, with rail, bus and air traffic coming together there in the future."

ZHA has designed a few train stations in the past, including the completed Napoli Afragola station and the Fornebubanen Metro Line Stations, which are due to begin construction in 2020.

Source: ZHA

View gallery - 6 images
4 comments
4 comments
piperTom
It's "futuristic"? Maybe, but as a token of the future, it fails because it's a Train Station! The future is automated driving, personal flight, and telecommuting. Here's a futuristic idea: don't build that.
Vernon Miles Kerr
Architecture can get a little bit TOO organic, IMHO. At first glance I thought this was a bit of intestine laid out on the operating table, waiting for a gastric section.
Bob Stuart
I'm getting the impression that Zaha Hadid is the only remaining architect. Is this so?
Hxy3000
Zaha Hadid died in 2016 so no.