The work of architects Sille Pihlaku and Siim Tuksam “Sindlinahk” was nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Prize for Contemporary Architecture of the European Union. In the entire history of the competition, this is only the second time that Estonian architects have been awarded.
Pihlaku and Tuksam’s work “Sindlinahk” is a light-traffic intersection on Vaksali Street in Tartu, which consists of a bridge and two tunnels and creates a smooth connection between the two districts of Tartu. According to the authors of the work, the general idea of the project was to create a soft and sinuous skin for the urban space, which creates a fluid continuity of movement paths.
“Our goal was to create a building that is easy to use and creates a high-quality environment. Movement in the city should be smooth and unobstructed and offer varied experiences. In this way, cognitive distances are shortened and people walk more more. I heard that people come not just to pass by “Shindlinahka”, but also just to look,” Siim Tuksam said.
According to Tuksami, the necessary experience in the road junction is created from brick, a building material specific to southern Estonia, which represents both traditions and craftsmanship. Namely, the building is covered with one hundred thousand strong and concrete clinker bricks, similar to shingles. According to the analysis of the UV radiation of sunlight, the stones also change colour: inside the tunnel warmer tones prevail, while in the external space a greyish tone becomes predominant, to avoid excessive contrast with the concrete elements and to give the object a holistic effect.
Sille Pihlak cited continued collaboration with developers as one of the reasons for the success of “Sindlinaha”, when the project received the green light from the city of Tartu. “We dared to test technical construction solutions that have not been adopted in Estonia so far. Thanks to the load-bearing handrails and post-tensioning, the bridge even seems incredibly slender at times. However, the tunnel bodies were built using the ramming technique , which was the first time in Estonia, thanks to which rail, car and pedestrian traffic did not have to be interrupted.”
From the shortlist of finalists for the awards, which are awarded every two years, the 40 best architectural works from all over Europe were chosen, guaranteeing “Sindlinaha” a place in the EUmiesaward catalog and in the traveling exhibition. So far in the history of Estonia only Koko architects with their Rotermanni Laudsepatöökoja entered the top 40 in 2009. The finalists of the final round will be announced in February.
For Pihlak, who heads the Faculty of Architecture at EKA on a daily basis, the award nomination is a signal for local architects to address spatial issues on a larger scale. “Even if it is just a railway bridge on the surface, it is an example of how architecture makes urban space and infrastructure objects more inclusive and its inhabitants more active. This is one of the main challenges of 21st century architecture , which we also deal with students every day,” Pihlak said.
2024-01-20 15:14:00
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