Baltic Station Market
Vibrant renewal – Baltic Station Market
In Tallinn, Estonia, just north of the city center, lies a famous market that has long been a destination for locals and tourists alike. Housed in a series of two-story limestone buildings from the 1870s, the Baltic Station Market has offered visitors a mixture of unique soviet-era merchandise and modern goods and services since it opened in 1993.
In 2016, it closed for renovations and award-winning KOKO architects was tasked with creating a contemporary and diverse new market. Of critical importance was preserving the historic character, without losing the vibe of the market or disrupting the lives of vendors and customers.
The result has not gone without notice. In May of 2017, the renovated Baltic Station Market opened to much acclaim. Since then, it has been awarded the 2017 Construction of the Year Award by the Estonian Association of Architectural and Consulting Engineering Companies (EAACEC). It is also shortlisted for the prestigious 2018 World Architecture Festival (WAF) Award in the category “Old and New”.
The new roof of the market is a unique, central element of the building that helps to define the entire construction and underlines the sustainable angle of the building. KOKO architects included a cross-section of a large saw-tooth roof with a gradual longitudinal section that follows the shape and size of the original buildings. In order to make the roof stand out with clean angles, long strip panels of sustainable GreenCoat® color coated steel were chosen.
This allowed for a very visual roof. In addition, it also provided significant environmental benefits. The used product GreenCoat Pro BT features a Bio-based Technology (BT) coating with a substantial portion of Swedish rapeseed oil instead of fossil based oils, which are traditionally used. Additionally, GreenCoat® products are strongly resistant to corrosion, UV radiation, buckling and scratches, for a longer product life.
Construction of the roof went according to plan, with GreenCoat® receiving praise for its easy handling and low thermal expansion, which helped to preserve the clean lines. The Mountain Grey color was chosen from a wide color library and helped to create a look that harmonizes with the wide range of other materials used in the striking new Baltic Station Market.
Baltic Station Market – GreenCoat® in award-winning architecture
Andrus Kõresaar, KOKO Architects
In May of 2017, the renovated Baltic Station Market opened to much acclaim. Since then, it has been awarded the 2017 Construction of the Year Award by the Estonian Association of Architectural and Consulting Engineering Companies (EAACEC). It is also shortlisted for the prestigious 2018 World Architecture Festival (WAF) Award in the category “Old and New”.
Baltic Station Market is currently awarded and nominated for:
- 2019 Mies van der Rohe Award /Nominated
- 2018 World Architecture Festival (WAF) / Old and New / Shortlisted
- 2017 EAACEC Construction Project of the Year
7 questions for Andrus Kõresaar
What is the inspiration for this project?
One source of inspiration came from a saw blade - the rhythm of the saw-teeth. We united the original warehouses with a roof-landscape that forms a row of saw-teeth and also creates the gable roof covering the limestone walls as well as the outside area of the market.
What were the challenges you had to overcome while designing the Baltic Station Market?
The challenge was designing a functional program on three levels and not building out to the maximum volume of the surrounding area. We take pride in the successful outcome that, on the ground level, the whole area is car free and very convenient to walk around.
With the roof being such a central element to the design, why did you use GreenCoat® steel for the roof of the Baltic Station Market and not other materials?
The saw-tooth roof is specific due to its scale as well as the large surface needed to endure big storms, heavy rains and the weight of the snow that accumulates during the winter – all without extra maintenance. In addition, it was highly important for us that the material was produced in a sustainable way.
To what extent did sustainability play a role in the design and construction of the Baltic Station Market?
Sustaining the original character of the market, while introducing modern and environmentally friendly building techniques was the goal. Therefore, sustainability has been the keyword in every aspect of this project.
What do you think about having selected sustainable steel with Swedish rapeseed oil in the paint?
To see that the production of paint and color coated steel is going in this direction is truly the best innovation there can be.
The form and the color of the saw-tooth roof create a contrast to the light grey limestone walls. With the roof, we wanted to create a dual color solution with the wood-strip ceiling underneath and the darker steel on the roof.
How do you feel about being shortlisted for the 2018 WAF Awards?
We were positively surprised because this is our second time shortlisted. We are proud and very happy that WAF is also looking towards projects that are dedicated to harmony within urban environments.
Summary
PROJECT: BALTIC STATION MARKET, ESTONIA
PRODUCT: GREENCOAT PRO BT
TARGET: RENOVATE A HISTORIC MARKETPLACE WITH A CONTEMPORARY DESIGN USING SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS.
COLOR: MOUNTAIN GREY, RR23 / SS0036
ARCHITECT: KOKO ARCHITECTS, ESTONIA
HEAD CONTRACTOR: MAPRI EHITUS OÜ
ROOFING: KATUSEFIRMA OÜ
PROFILING: WECKMAN/ESCO AS
PHOTOS BALTIC STATION MARKET: TÕNU TUNNEL, ESTONIA
COPYRIGHT: SSAB
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GreenCoat® proudly presents Baltic Station Market