Central Pärnu poised for tallest buildings yet, transforming skyline
Pärnu's new Rääma Bridge has sparked a wave of development in the summer capital's city center, with plans for commercial and residential projects of up to 15 stories.
Developers are eyeing areas near Port Artur, the bus station and the Pärnu Hotel.
"With the completion of Pärnu's third bridge, development in the city center has really picked up," said city architect Siim Orav. Some projects are already in planning, while others are still in earlier stages.
Port Artur 2 has long planned to expand and now aims to add six floors to the shopping mall's newer three-story wing near Rääma Bridge. Owner Viljo Vetik said the addition will include space for a lodging facility.
"Whether that will be a hotel or hostel ... depends on how things are going in the global economy," he said. An architectural competition will be announced for the addition.
Next to Port Artur, another developer is planning a mixed-use project with 11- and 15-story towers — Pärnu's first buildings of this height.
Tõnu Korts of Heven OÜ said the current low-rise blocks feel bulky, and new towers should help break up the skyline rather than add to a uniform mass.
"Pärnu's city center already has really poor examples that should be avoided," he said.
Vetik agreed that Central Pärnu needs more density and a more organized layout, but noted that the area's current uniformity stems from past heritage protections.
All the long buildings here ... have created a kind of city wall," he said, recalling the former linen and salt warehouses that once stood there.
Under Pärnu's master plan, high-rises — buildings over nine stories high — are only allowed in the city center. Orav said studies will examine the potential projects' social, economic and traffic impacts.
"The goal must be to increase the area's attractiveness," he said, adding that the design should make it clear that when you cross the bridge, you've really arrived downtown.
Even so, the city wants new buildings to remain below Pärnu's tallest structure, the 54-meter St. Elizabeth's Church, in height. "We still want to maintain the limit that we won't go higher than this historically significant landmark," Orav said.
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Editor: Johanna Alvin, Aili Vahtla
