Open House Tallinn 2024 partner, Reterra, answered our questions and shared their thoughts on urban spaces and accessibility.
In Your opinion, what does a people-centered urban environment look like?
Urban spaces are meant for people, so everything planned for the city should reflect this. There’s much to learn from different places around the world, but we already have some great examples here, like Tallinn’s Telliskivi Creative City or Ülemiste City. These areas have a comprehensive approach, meaning they are lively both day and night, offering spaces for both businesses and residents. Work environments, grocery stores, cafés, and other essential services should be within walking or biking distance from home. This is the approach we are taking at Reterra with the redevelopment of the Hipodroom Quarter and its surrounding area, blending residential and business spaces. Where people move, higher expectations for infrastructure arise. The Hipodroom Quarter will become a pedestrian and cyclist-friendly area, with cars traveling through an underground tunnel, but still within easy reach of homes or business spaces. As developers, we must always be aware of our responsibility to create spaces that are more comfortable and people-friendly.
What’s an interesting fact about Your company that many might not know?
Almost every year, we organize study trips for our entire team or leaders from different fields to various countries and cities, such as Dubai, Copenhagen, Venice, Swedish cities, and other architecturally inspiring places. These visits provide inspiration for our projects. For example, after a recent visit to Copenhagen, we were inspired to incorporate more green roofs into Reterra’s projects.
We have already created over 700 homes in both Estonia and Latvia. Our commercial real estate portfolio includes around 70,000 m² of rentable space, with clients such as Telia, Pipedrive, Yolo Group, Leonhard Weiss, Selver, Coop, Synlab, Fitness 24/7, and others.
This year, Open House Tallinn focuses on inclusion and accessibility. How does Reterra contribute to these aspects?
At Reterra, we believe that everything we create becomes someone’s real home—a home for people, their pets, and also a home for businesses. We currently have some incredibly exciting developments underway that we’re eager to keep open until construction demands closure. For example, the Nõmme Elevator area, once a grain dryer, will soon be open for guided tours, and disc golf can be played at the Hipodroom site. Until construction fences and cranes take over, we won’t close off future urban spaces unnecessarily.
As mentioned before, where people move, there are high expectations for infrastructure. This applies not only to the Hipodroom area in Tallinn but to all our developments. For instance, Tartu’s Raadi district will feature abundant green spaces between residential buildings, ensuring children can play safely and pedestrians and cyclists have more space—far more than older developments from decades ago allowed.
Thank you!
More interesting facts:
Reterra is a real estate development company based on local capital, known for its commitment to creating unique and high-quality urban environments. Reterra prioritizes harmony between buildings and their surroundings, sustainability, and functionality, with projects that require thoughtful planning and open a new chapter in Estonia’s architectural history.
The Reterra team draws inspiration from various parts of the world, exploring top-tier architectural solutions both nearby and further afield. In collaboration with leading architectural firms such as KOKO, PIN, Kadarik Tüür Architects, KUU, and others, Reterra develops solutions that exceed local standards and bring world-class architectural quality to Estonia.
A key focus of Reterra’s activities is sustainability. By utilizing modern technologies and materials, Reterra creates environments that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also energy-efficient and human-friendly. For example, Reterra is developing the Hipodroom business and residential quarter, connecting Tallinn city center and Kalamaja. Next year, the former grain elevator in Nõmme, Tallinn, and the Aviator district on the former airfield in Tartu will come to life. Reterra has also led the development of projects such as the WoHo building in Tallinn, and the Pipedrive and Yolo Group buildings. These are well-thought-out, sustainable environments that will remain valuable for years to come.
Reterra’s extensive real estate portfolio includes approximately 70,000 m² of rentable commercial space, and over 700 apartments have been completed in Tallinn, Tartu, and Riga.
Reterra – Open to New Possibilities!
Learn more about Reterra and their activities here.