T1 Mall of Tallinn reaches maximum height

New-generation shopping and entertainment centre T1 Mall of Tallinn and its main contractor AS Merko Ehitus Eesti held a topping-out ceremony to celebrate reaching the building’s maximum height. The centre will open to public in October 2018.

“Under Merko’s skilful conductorship, the construction of T1 Mall of Tallinn shopping and entertainment centre is well on track and on schedule,” noted Pro Kapital’s management board member Allan Remmelkoor.

“T1 will introduce a completely new shopping centre concept – we will combine the shopping centre and the surrounding urban area into a common space complete with streets and atriums designed as city squares, so people can simply sit and listen to music, meet friends or spend quality time at restaurants in addition to shopping,” said Remmelkoor.

All this is made possible by extensive leisure and entertainment areas, featuring a number of new exciting brands, as well as Estonia’s biggest food and beverage area, a discovery centre and movie theatres. At the heart of the building are 36-metre high atriums crowned with huge glass domes, with shopfronts up to 6 metres high throughout.

AS Merko Ehitus Eesti’s management board member Jaan Mäe said Merko Ehitus and Pro Kapital have worked together for over 20 years. “A number of developments in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been completed over the time. Our cooperation has always been positive and based on mutual support. Only few clients have such a clear vision of their needs right from the start of a contract. T1 shopping centre is among the largest construction projects in Merko’s history and its timely completion requires efforts from both sides. We hope the cooperation will continue on the same track to the future,” said Mäe.

T1 is an architecturally extravagant structure, proposing serious challenges to builders with its almost 6-metre high ceilings and shopfronts, glass domes the size of basketball courts above the atriums and an escalator rising through three floors. Preparing for installation of the rooftop Ferris wheel also involves extensive work – the whole building is specially reinforced from the foundation up to provide a solid base for the wheel structure.

For the first time in a project of such magnitude, Merko uses 3D design modelling throughout the process to facilitate work for all the parties involved, improve efficiency and help meet the deadlines.

To date, the project has consumed over 53,000 cubic metres of concrete, delivered in 2,000 truckloads. The building has more than 150 km of pipelines, including for ventilation, heating, cooling, water and sewerage. 165 builders are on the site daily.

T1 Mall of Tallinn will apply for a green building certificate.