Tallinn city government issues detailed plan for Juhkentali barracks development
The City of Tallinn is redeveloping the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) barracks plot in central Tallinn, to include several new buildings while preserving older, historic buildings.
The site, located south of the city center and in a bend made up of Filtri tee, Juhkentali tee and Masina tee, is also home to the EDF headquarters.
Under the plan the new barracks will incorporate two defense, one production, and six transport-designated plots, with building rights granted for up to 19 five-floor buildings and one single-floor building for construction or reconstruction, across the 12.4 hectare plot.
The plan aims to clarify the property boundaries of plots owned by the Ministry of Defense and the Estonian Defense Forces, and to set building rights for the construction of national defense facilities. Concentrating defense infrastructure into one block ensures greater security and functional connections with surrounding blocks and the street network, the city government said.
Deputy Mayor for Urban Planning Madle Lippus (SDE) said with the changed security situation, it is also important to support the EDF's operational capabilities via urban planning.
"The EDF has long operated on the territory of the historic Juhkentali summer manor, but understandably their spatial needs change over time. With this plan, based on the EDF's needs, the possibility has been created to concentrate more defense activities into the one block," Lippus said.
Since the Juhkentali barracks is designated towards national defense, the area will remain largely closed to the public.
The new buildings are planned for the side facing Filtri tee and the plan takes into account the former Juhkentali military hospital's main building, which is under heritage protection. An existing pond system and tall greenery in the area will also be preserved.
The street-facing line of the buildings is defined according to the former military barracks, creating a uniform street "wall" along Filtri tee, planners say.
The layout will also leave view corridors that allow sightlines towards the former military hospital main building. The length and width of the new buildings also follow the dimensions of the former barracks building.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
