Merko opens Erminurme Park in the vicinity of Tartu’s Raadi airfield
We have completed construction on Erminurme Park and handed over the 7,000 m2 illuminated area to Tartu Rural Municipality. It marks a new use for a historical bunker at a site that was a military airfield more than 30 years ago. The attractions for children of various ages and a recreational area for grown-ups are open to both residents of Erminurme development and visitors.
The homes in Erminurme (merko.ee/erminurme) are located near Europe’s biggest and most modern museums, the Estonian National Museum and the Raadi manor complex. To accentuate the military history importance of the area, the residential development’s new park makes maximum use of the Soviet-era military airfield bunker arranging various attractions on the old fortification. The modern park was designed by landscape architect Tiina Tuulik from the practice of Järve & Tuulik OÜ.
The 7,000 m2 illuminated park area offers diverse recreational possibilities. The park has a children’s playground, with a hammock swing, spring-based swing for smaller kids, a slide and fort, jungle gym, various climbing and spinning features and a carousel. The park also has table tennis and benches.
“The ideas behind development of the homes stemmed from the notion of a whole. We do not build merely buildings but shape a living environment. Thus, we put in particular effort to make the apartment, building and vicinity equally enjoyable for new home buyers,” said Juhan Varik, the head of Merko Ehitus Eesti’s southern Estonia department. “We’re very pleased that Tartu Rural Municipality puts value on development of public space, will take the park area into its use and ensure its future maintenance.”
Tartu Rural Municipality Mayor Jarno Laur commented: “The quality of the public areas connected to the developments being completed in Raadi is praiseworthy. What stands out in the case of Erminurme is that the design is well adapted to the bunker, which had to be preserved according to the detailed plan. While the rest of the former air base is characterized by a larger-than-human scale, the fortifications themselves at the heart of this development are a more manageable size and create a safe and secure, somewhat sheltered area. Being centred on people and the human scale is something we want to bring to the rest of new-look Raadi.”
Tartu Rural Municipality architect Egle Nõmmoja stressed the broader context: “Erminurme Park is an important part of the entire area’s green and recreational area network, making up a key core area. The number and location of access points ensure smooth use and cohesiveness with other recreational areas and the street grid. The playground here was based on the idea that the nature of the elements should supplement the possibilities of the existing playground in this part of the Tartu area.”
Erminurme is a residential environment with a warm ambience that is well adapted to its environment on the boundary of Tartu Rural Municipality and the city of Tartu. It will ultimately have 12 new two- to three-storey buildings. The architecture of this harmonious development was designed by OÜ Põldme Arhitektuur. The location of the development makes it convenient to enjoy cultural events and the surrounding fields and forests as well as being closely connected to the heart of Tartu.
We started building Erminurme about a year ago. The first residents have already moved in, and the next two buildings will be ready by the end of the year, and three more in June 2022.
Over 30 years, Merko has built over 8,500 homes and created a better living environment for thousands. To ensure quality and apartment buyers’ comfort, we manage all stages of apartment development from planning and design of the new project to apartment construction, sale and service during the warranty period. For information on our active and future development projects in Estonia, visit merko.ee/kodud.