Zaha Hadid Architects Wins Competition to Revitalize Tallinn's Port

Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has won the international competition 'Master Plan 2030' to redevelop the Port of Tallinn in Estonia. The contest, launched in 2016, aimed to create long-term solutions connecting the city with its port and revitalizing the area. Three finalists were announced in May: Alver Architects (Estonia) with 'MMUF', ZHA with 'Streamcity', and an Anglo-Estonian team Kavakava and Alejandro Zaera-Polo Maider Llagune Architecture bureau with 'Tõus ja Mõõn'. Valdo Kalm, chairman of the board of Port of Tallinn, praised ZHA's innovative approach, highlighting a diagonal pedestrian path that creates diverse spaces and balances urban and port areas. The project features a new pedestrian promenade with civic spaces linking the historic city to the port, preserving views of architectural landmarks and the sea. The masterplan is expected to be finalized by the end of 2017, including detailed plans and a business case. New buildings will host cultural, entertainment, shopping, hospitality, and dining facilities for residents and tourists. This is ZHA's latest port project after the Salerno Maritime Terminal (2016) and the Port House in Antwerp. Meanwhile, Tallinn is preparing for the Tallinn Architecture Biennale 2017 (TAB) from September 13 to October 27, curated by Italian architect Claudia Pasquero, under the theme 'bioTallinn', with the main exhibition 'Anthropocene Island' at the Estonian Museum of Architecture.