Tallinn to renovate Lembitu Park and install smart lighting
The City of Tallinn will fully renovate Lembitu Park in central Tallinn, installing Estonia's first multifunctional direct-current lighting network to boost energy efficiency and celebrate the area's history.
Lembitu Park is located in Tallinn City Center district, in an area bordered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Radisson Hotel Olümpia, and Lembitu and Lauteri streets.
According to the city government, the park will become a place where innovative solutions meet respect for greenery and community life. It will also serve as a test site for a lighting solution designed to make street infrastructure more cost-effective.
The central idea of the winning design — by architecture firm Eek & Mutso, which won the 2025 architectural competition — is to highlight the area's historical layers. The locations of the former Õuna Street and prewar buildings will be marked by low red walls that outline the structure of the former development on the ground.
A new Õuna Square will be built in the heart of the park. It will serve both as a daily gathering space and as a venue for fairs, concerts and other events. In summer, hidden fountains will bring the square to life. Around the square, distinct zones are planned for activities such as reading, playing chess and exercising. Some areas will be designed with community involvement, with plans to use recycled materials in their furnishing.
In terms of landscaping, all viable existing trees and shrubs will be preserved, while additional shrubs and smaller trees will be planted to increase biodiversity and make the park more suitable for urban nature.
In addition to the spatial redesign, an innovative street lighting system will be developed as a pilot project in cooperation with researchers from Tallinn University of Technology's (Taltech) FinEst Smart City Center of Excellence. The DC-powered network will allow not only lighting but also electric vehicle charging through a single cable. It is also expected to enable more efficient and lower-cost street lighting.
Public feedback on the preliminary design for Lembitu Park is open until June 9. A public presentation of the project will take place on June 2 at 5:30 p.m. in the Estonian Business School auditorium (Lauteri Street 3, Tallinn).
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Editor: Mari Peegel, Argo Ideon
