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).
"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
