Uus-Veerenni Park
In the Middle Ages, this was the location of the pipe that supplied water to the city of Tallinn. This is where the Estonian name of the street Veerenni comes from. In the 18th century, the Luther family laid the foundations for the Estonian furniture industry here. A chair with a plywood seat was first made, a special veneering machine was built, and waterproof wood glue was invented at Luther’s factory. The innovative and high-quality products were sold all over Europe.
Storage area of A. M. Luther Factory, AM F 33008:150, Estonian History Museum, http://www.muis.ee/museaalview/2848933
Luther Plywood and Furniture Factory, AM _ 3606 F 3811, Estonian History Museum, http://www.muis.ee/museaalview/2033938
Yard of A. M. Luther Factory, AM F 33008:149, Estonian History Museum, http://www.muis.ee/museaalview/2848932
In 2018, Merko set about reviving the long-neglected industrial site under the name of Uus-Veerenni, with the same goal of innovation and excellence in mind, to pay homage to the aspirations of yesteryear. Now, you can find a cosy courtyard in the place where piles of material once stood tall. And there is now an inviting park in the place where noisy trucks used to do their work.
The architecture of the buildings in Uus-Veerenni has been carefully blended with the neighbourhood to create a diverse and high-quality urban space. Everyone can go for a walk and enjoy the public spaces in the quarter, such as the public Uus-Veerenni city park.
In the Uus-Veerenni Park, children can have fun in the playground and adults can relax in the fresh air. You can go for a walk or sit on a bench, grab a book from the reading corner, read or observe nature and the people passing by. Choose a book from the bookcase, read it on the spot or take it home with you. Once you’ve finished reading, put it back in the bookcase. And, of course, you can also bring more books to the bookcase. The kind that others might also enjoy reading. And to make life even more fun, animal heads created by Jass Kaselaan, i.e. an artwork collectively entitled “Toys”, has been set up in the park.
The park is based on the idea of sustainable landscape architecture. Tall concrete elements, a paved path and the concrete foundation of the building are reminders of the former plywood industry. The park, however, is characterised by spontaneous vegetation and an effort has been made to preserve it and complement it with trees and shrubs that are suitable for the urban environment.
The aim is to support natural diversity. The cut-outs in the asphalt mimic the natural crumbling of rocks and provide habitats for diverse vegetation. The semi-urban community provides shade and food for both insects and birds. Together, they make up a biodiversity worth seeing and getting to know.
Over the years, we’ll build ca 50 apartment buildings with nearly 1,400 new homes in the Uus-Veerenni Quarter. There will also be a pre-school and a commercial building.
View the homes