A POPULAR PUBLIC SPACE

Kvintettino is a proposal for the Tartu Keskpark competition held in 2023. Referencing the Quintettino piece by Arvo Pärt, the single building has been deconstructed into smaller entities with intersecting five programs and spaces. The 20.000 m2 building design includes Tartu’s new Cultural Center, the Tartu Public Library, the Tartu Art Museum and a concert and event center. 

The cultural center, designed by Maxime Cunin & Thomas Krall from Superworld with Santtu Hyvärinen from Arkkitehtitoimisto SHY and Mohamed Bouzrara, draws inspiration from the human-scale volumes of the historic town center. Together with Novarc Group's expertise, we aimed for a low ecological footprint with timber and bio-based materials.

The landscape proposal by studio audal rediscovered the historic features of the site, incorporating the moat of the former town fortifications and the old merchants’ yard along the riverfront.

The Keskpark features five different biomes, each based on the historical traces of the site and tailored to the park users’ needs. These biomes ensure the comfort of all park users and consist of a specific palette of species for trees, shrubs, groundcovers and herbaceous species. Existing boundaries of the park were extended towards the surrounding buildings to create more space and allow for a rejuvenation strategy for the parks’ trees. 

5 BIOMES, 5 ATMOSPHERES

The traveling forest acts as an ecological buffer between the Toomemagi park and Emajogi river, fostering the migration of various flora and fauna while referring to a mythical and protected landscape within Estonia. 

The iris valley is an historic palimpsest of the fortress’ moat,  recreating an endangered habitat for amphibians and insects, storing rainwater and acting as a storm surge.

The cloud meadow complements preserved trees with new species and vegetation layers to enhance the park's ecological value and attract pollinators, promising an aesthetic quality throughout the seasons.

Part of the soil removed during construction is being used to create an undulating landscape around the Cultural Center, featuring a verdant picnic orchard where people can gather and enjoy sunny days under the flowering trees.

The waterfront is reactivated with an extended botanical splendor, connecting all the way to the market square. This new exterior tree library refers to the various exotic goods merchants brought into the city, offering shades to strollers and an educational experience, while recreating a connection between the riverbank and Central Park.

The New Central Park of Tartu represents a symbiosis and connection between these different biomes, preserving the past while creating the future.