Rewilding the Abandoned: Theory by Andrea Tamm

Estonian Academy of Arts Interior Architecture Department

Master Thesis

Rewilding the Abandoned

Author: Andrea Tamm

Supervisors: Keiti Kljavin, Leena Torim, Hannes Praks, Edina Dufala-PĂ¤rn, KĂ¤rt Ojavee

Tallinn, 2016 / 2017 1

Author’s declaration

I declare that: 1) This Master’s thesis is the result of my personal work, it has never been submitted (for defending) by anybody else; 2) All materials (works) and major opinions of other authors used during preparation of the Master’s thesis and any data originating from other sources have been duly and correctly referred in the Master’s thesis; 3) I authorize the Estonian Academy of Arts to publish my Master’s thesis in the repository, where it will become available to the public via internet. Proceeding from the above I explain that: - Personal copyrights related to the preparation of this Master’s thesis and creation of any works included and/or described in the Master’s thesis belong to me as the author of the Master’s thesis and material rights related to the Master’s thesis will be handled pursuant to the procedure established in the Estonian Academy of Arts; - As a Master’s thesis published in the repository will be available to unlimited number of persons, I presume that any person revising my Master’s thesis will follow the law, any other legal acts and good practice in good faith, honestly, with due care and respect towards the rights of other persons. Copying, plagiarizing and any other use of this Master’s thesis and any works included and/or described in the Master’s thesis that can be considered violation of copyrights will be prohibited.

„ .... ” ......................................... 2017

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Name and signature of the author of the Master’s thesis

Foreword The idea of working with combination of nature and artificial space came from questioning the borders between the disciplines of interior design, architecture and urban design. Introducing layers of nature into a built environment creates a physical link between landscape and interior architecture, which may question the borders of these disciplines. The evolutionary development of our sense of space happened in wilderness without unequivocal borders; therefore I believe that breaking out from the predetermined borders of today's urban environment encourages freedom of spatial interpretation and imagination.

Table of Contents Abstract

Resümee

Introduction

Research Question

Aim of Thesis and Tools Used for the Research

1. Ruins and Abandonment

1.1 The Meaning of “Abandonment” and the Potential of Overgrown Vacant Spaces

1.2 The meaning of Ruins from 18th Century Until Today

1.3 Estonian Landscape of Modern Ruins

2. Wilderness, Nature and Urban

2.1 Understanding “Wilderness” as Trend of Aesthetics of Disorder

2.2 The Values of Wilderness

2.3 The Relationship Between Natural and Artificial Elements in Urban Environment

2.4 The Difference between Urban Wilderness and Urban Park

2.5 Spontaneous Landscape Design as a Concept for Creating a Balance Between Design and Urban Wilderness

2.6 Self-sufficient Vegetation in Ruins and Abandoned Spaces

3. Current Urban Theories Integrating Nature

3.1 Architecture Inspired by Nature vs Natural Architecture?

3.2 The concept of Third Generation City – City from the Original Soil

3.3 Intermediate Use and the Role of Nature in Temporary Planning

4. Thesis Design Project “Rewilding Linnahall”

4.1 History, Present and Future of Tallinna Linnahall

4.2 Intermediate Use Concept for Ice Arena Wing of Tallinna Linnahall Using Demolition as a Design Tool

4.3 Growing Space - Architecture Making Way for Natural Processes in Linnahall

Closure

Legal acts

List of references

Abstract Master thesis â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rewilding the abandonedâ&#x20AC;? explores the qualities of different natural layers in urban context, examining unmaintained abandoned spaces as a ground for urban wilderness. Inspired by natural processes that are taking place in ruins regardless of human interaction, the focus of this thesis is to emphasize the growth of urban wilderness in unused spaces. The poetry of ruins and abandoned spaces has inspired artists and architects since the 18th century as they are a perfect ground for the unplanned uses. Furthermore, as things fall apart, out of their remains emerge new forms of life as natural overgrowing slowly starts seen happening on the artificial ground. I believe that the vacant spaces that are seen as mistakes of planning and are closed for public have the potential to improve our living environment with greenery in dense urban landscape.

Contrasting urbanisation the concepts of green thinking, 0-energy building, reusing, reducing, recycling are becoming increasingly popular in architecture and design. This thesis is having a similar motivation - to create a more natural cityscape by rewilding the problematic artificial spaces. The term rewilding1 is generally used to refer to big-scale conservation efforts to protect, restore, and connect wilderness areas. By using spontaneous landscaping methodology, involvement of fast-growing ruderal plants that need minimum amount of maintenance I am focusing on the opposite for overgrowing - the decaying of abandoned buildings. Inspired by growth and decay happening simultaneously - architecture working in collaboration with nature, the thesis is introducing a designed demolition as a reverse approach to reconstruction and a tool for opening vacant buildings for the public. Phase-by-phase demolition emphasizes natural and spatial changes in urban landscape, offering visitors different experiences throughout the seasons, overgrowing and decaying processes. 1. Rewild (term) - Restore (an area of land) to its natural uncultivated state by Oxford English

Dictionary https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/rewild

With the aim of boosting the natural processes and creating a new typology for indoor urban green areas, the design project offers an alternative intermediate planning approach for Tallinna Linnahall – a symbolic abandoned concert hall in Tallinn, Estonia. The thesis project is focusing on a Ice Arena wing, that is meant to be fully demolished and rebuilt in same volume. As the natural process emerge, the plants become a the tool for demolition. The concept of “Rewilding Linnahall” is from the start designed to be impermanent – the processes of growth and decay implement on changes in time, rather than creating a fixed spatial solution. This also corresponds to the fact, that today the future of the building remains indistinct and the start of the reconstruction project is postponed. Therefore, the offered intermediate use follows the special restrictions for Tallinna Linnahall by National Heritage Board, written originally for the reconstruction, in case the temporary project turns up to be permanent.

Resümee Magistriöö “Huljatud ruumi uus elu” (“Rewilding the abandoned”) tegeleb mahajäetud hoonete problemaatikaga. Võttes eeskuju looduslikest protsessidest, mis toimuvad varemetes iseeneslikult, proovib magistritöö leida huljatud hoonetele uut kvaliteeti ja kasutust nii tihe- kui hajaasustes leidub investeeringute või planeerimiprotsesside ootuses tuhje, kasutuseta ja hoolitsuseta ohtlikuks muutunud hooneid ning hoonetekomplekse, nn kummituskinnisvara, mis vajavad rekonstrueerimist või sootuks lammutamist. Käesoleva projekti kontseptsioon on vastupidine tavapärasele rekonstruktsiooni ideele ja pakub elluäratamiseks hoopis kontrollitud lammutusprotsessi.

Magistriprojekt “Linnahalli metsistamine” (“Rewilding Linnahall”) tegeleb Tallinna Linnahalli jäähalli osa lammutusprotsessi 2-5 aasta perspektiivis kavandamisega. Antud perioodil muutub olemasolev hetkel kasutuseta keskkond järk-järgult eriliseks loodusmaastikuks (metsistumine ehk rewilding), olles samas pidevalt avaliku ruumina kasutatav. Nähtavad ruumimuutused toimuvad nii aastaaegade kui ka aastate lõikes, hoone järk-järguline lammutamine mõjub loomuliku ja orgaanilise ning pigem arengu-, mitte hävinguprotsessina. Taimede valik ja biotoobi kombineerimine toimus koostöös bioloogidega vastavalt asukoha eripärale, ideeprojektis on kasutatud vähenõudlikke ja kiirekasvulisi ruderaaltaimi. Linnahalli jäähalli tiib on tänaseks amortiseerunud, samuti pole võimalik ruumi umberkavandamine konverentsikeskuseks, kuna betoontribuune, mis on hooneosa tugikonstruktsiooniga uhenduses ei ole võimalik hooneosast eraldi välja lammutada. Seetõttu on kavas jäähall täies mahus lammutada ning vastavalt Muinsuskaitse eritingimustele endises mahus taastada. Lahendusi Linnahalli renoeerimiseks on otsitud juba selle sulgemisest saati (2012. aastal),sh on jäähall olnud suletud juba pea 10 aastat (al 2009. aasta kevadest), mistõttu on konkreetse lammutus-ehitustegevuse algust raske ennustada. Projekt “Linnahalli metsistamine” muudab loodusmaastiku võimendamise kaudu Tallinna lahe kaldal muutub eelnevalt suletud siseruum osaks avalikust ruumist.

Introduction Master thesis “Rewildng the abandoned” opens up topics like symbolism and poetics of ruins and wilderness, nature in built environment, processes of decay and overgrowing in abandoned buildings, order to express the qualities these urban landscapes carry. Exploring the ways ruderal plants make their way through artificial surfaces, in spaces that have been left out of human maintenance, I started questioning, if naturally happening processes could be emphasized and seen as a quality. And, if wilderness could be a part of man-made environment at all, would it not be the case of overgrown buildings, pavements, surfaces, abandoned spaces? What intrigues me about this topic are the contrasts of artificial and urban natural landscapes, where both the decay and growth are happening simultaneously.

Research Question The Master Thesis is examining the possibilities of wilderness in urban context and asking whether self-sufficient vegetation could offer an “useless”/ abandoned, not functioning space a new quality or even offer a intermediate use in longer planning process.

Aim of Thesis and Tools Used for the Research The aim of the thesis is to emphasize value of the freely growing local plants, that need minimum amount of maintenance. Inspired by natural processes that are taking place in ruins regardless of human inaction, the aim of the thesis is to design an intermediate use concept to vitalize the abandoned buildings. Design project is focusing on the Ice Arena wing of Tallinna Linnahall, offering temporary use, a partial demolition project, to open the interior and open it to public use. The project that integrates interior and landscape architecture practices uses native plants as a medium and demolition as a design tool. The idea is to design a space that would grow, decay and change in time, rather than create a

ready-made project.

During the research phase for my thesis project I used 3 different work tools: observation, mapping and small scale interventions. First, the natural overgrowing of vacant buildings and ruins in Tallinn city centre was mapped. The cases were narrowed down by the interest of free growing urban vegetation, which is more apparent on abandoned concrete and stone structures than on wooden buildings During the development of this thesis I also worked with specialists from different fields: - In the first phase of the thesis, autumn 2016 I consulted with Finnish architect, urbanist and professor Marco Casagrande, whose works have also inspired this thesis. In January 2017 I organized a one-day workshop in Tallinn called “Urban Acupuncture”, that was built on the concept of Third Generation city (explained in the chapter 4.3) - With the help of architecture photographer Tõnu Tunnel the today's situation in Ice Rink was captured (2017) - The biotype for the indoor-outdoor park for the former ice rink was formed with the help of biologist from Tallinn Univesity, Tiiu Koff (2017). 2

In addition to the supervisors, critics and before-mentioned specialists I also consulted and worked with Veronika Valk, Eik Hermann, Karli Luik, Ralf Tamm, Riin Ehin, Anna-Liisa Unt, Rachel Armstrong and Ahti Sepsivart (2016-2017). Thank you!

2. The research material for this thesis is gathered together in logbooks and reference book. Available online: https://issuu.com/2ndrea 10

1. Ruins and Abandonment

1.1 The Meaning of “Abandonment” and the Potential of Overgrown Vacant Spaces

Vacant buildings and empty lots in cities are referred to as abandoned spaces. Space is an abstract concept with undefined social or urban connotation. French anthropologist Marc Augé uses phrase "non-place“ to refer to anthropological spaces that do not hold enough connotation to be considered as "places" (1995). According to philosopher Yi-Fu Tuan, „space can be described as a location in which no value has been added to yet“ (1977, p 164). Defined functions or rules of the location, assigned to location by human experience is what makes „space“ a „place“. Spaces that have no function are sometimes also referred to as non-places. For Tuan, the difference between space and place is that „Space is freedom, place is security“ (1977, p 3). Abandoned spaces have been left to decay and in time become ruins of urban landscape. What intrigues me about ruins is especially the freedom of these so-called non-places. Abandonment, any building that has been left without human control and care, is usually seen as problem, less often taken as an opportunity. Vacancy can be a consequence of many different factors – most commonly the problem lies in financing, ownership dispute or the building has become outdated and is not able to serve its initial purpose anymore. Examples like abandoned Linnahall concert hall and former Patarei prison are the most discussed and difficult cases of Tallinn3. Vacant spaces are often dangerous for human health and the maintenance of abandoned buildings is expensive. Around the world, many urban social movements are dedicated to find a new purpose for abandoned spaces through either guerilla gardening, flash mobs or artistic interventions 4. The intentions are to find a more or less practical use for the spaces left unused. These 3. Linnahall concert hall and ice rink were built for the Olympics in 1980. The ice rink was closed in 2009 and the concert hall in 2012. Patarei neoclassical fortification in the centre of Tallinn was working as a prison from 1920 - 2002. Since closing down, the city of Tallinn has tried to find investors and new uses for both of the cases. 4. 1. Artistic installations made on the abandoned Linnahall site: 1. A viewpoint installation “To the Sea” by Tomomu Hayashi on the roof of concert hall. (2011) 2. A sound installation “Helin” by Joel Kopli, Koit Ojaliiv, Juhan Rohtla in the railway bridge (2011)

interventions might be site specific but are usually defining a space by giving it a fixed practical use overlooking the qualities the non-places already carry – freedom to fill the voids with personal imaginations and meanings. In the middle of over-designed spaces of the city ruins evoke aesthetics of disorder, surprise and sensuality, offering ghostly glimpses into the past and a tactile encounter with space, materiality and nature.

Sanne Kanters, a young architect who wrote a thesis of post-industrial ruins, stated in an interview for Failed Architecture platform: „I think our tendency to have everything ‘make sense’, to turn things into “rational wholes’” that have a clear and coherent form and function, has become too dominant — and I see the way in which we organize our built environment as a concrete manifestation of that. I think the ruin has much to offer, exactly because its spatial organization is different than that which we’re used to” (2016).

Overgrown abandoned buildings in Tallinn (Rotermanni 6, PĂ¤rnu mnt 158 lots) by author (2016)

1.2 The meaning of Ruins from 18th Century Until Today

In 1767 Denis Diderot declared: "The ideas ruins evoke in me are grand. Everything comes to nothing, everything perishes, everything passes, only the world remains, only time endures." Urban and architectural decay often appeals to the imagination. Decaying buildings, derelict places, abandoned lots have inspired many artists, writers and architects. Obsession with ruins dates back in the 18th century, as the aesthetics of decay started to inspire mostly visual arts. Ruins inspired for example romanticists like Piranesi’s depictions of Rome5, Hubert Roberts's vision of the collapsed Louvre’s Gallery 6 and Joseph Gandy's painting of the Bank of England after its fictional destruction 7. By Lapin, ruins in German romantic paintings were painted onto the background of sunset glow, bringing the “decaying matter onto the background of eternal and majestic emptiness.” (Lapin, 2004, p 288). The notion of decay has also inspired architects. Most grandiose example is probably the Ruin Value theory (German: Ruinenwert8) of Albert Speer, Hitler’s master architect. The concept emphasized that grand architecture should decay staying graceful over time. When planning Germania, the massive renewal project for Berlin during the times Nazi Germany, Speer was already picturing how it would look as a ruin, as a historical monument that could resemble to the greatness of the Roman empire. Although the attraction for ruins was already a cliché in the 18th century, the obsession with ruins is still relevant. As the writer and a critic for The Guardian Brian Dillion states: “the history of ruin aesthetics tells us that it would likely resurface in time, charged again with artistic and political energy, and we would find ourselves looking once more at blasted or burned cities with a visionary or melancholy eye” (2012). All in all, the attraction of ruins has been gradually shifting from classical manors and castles to modern, post-industrial ruins - the leftovers from industrialisation and urbanisation from the 19th century and onward. The post-industrial sites have inspired for 5. Piranesi, G. B. (ca 1775) “Vedute di Rome (Views of Rome)” , medium: etching. Rome:The Elisha Whittelsey Collection 6. Robert, H. (1797)“Imaginary View Of The Grand Gallery Of The Louvre In Ruins”, oil on canvas.Paris: Musée du Louvre 7. Gandy, J. (1830) “Soane's Bank of England as a ruin”, London: Soane Museum London 8 Speer, A. (1937) "The Theory of Ruin Value" (Die Ruinenwerttheorie) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruin_value 15

example Gilles Clement‘s writing9 on the third landscape and Marco Casagrande's theory of Third Generation City 10 (theory explained in paragraph 3.2), which explores postindustrial landscapes, but also the problems of polluted ecologies and damaged nature. This coincides with some of our recent fascination with the dirty – focusing on wastelands, post-industrial landscapes, vacant plots and buildings, and other nontraditional sites. Modern ruins also draw photographers and installation artists who often use abandoned buildings as canvases for their artwork. 11 Much literature has been written about the attraction, imagination and nostalgic feelings ruins create in people. I n “Explore Everything” (2014), Bradley Garrett explains that the attraction is mainly driven by the fascination with dereliction and the thrill of illegally entering the abandoned buildings. “Ruins may be decaying, they are not dead, they are filled with possibilities for wondrous adventure, inspiring visions, /.../ and artistic potential,” Gardett (2014, p65). Vacant spaces, which do not carry their initial purpose anymore are not just problematic left-over spaces but also a perfect ground for experimentation, and unplanned intermediate uses. The non-places have an interesting meaning in architect Simone Pizzagalli's Archiprix-winning essay “Space, Poetics and Voids” (2009). Pizzagalli writes that in speech “silence becomes a space more than a real void, a pause that is absence of sound but enriched by a tension of meaning, in itself as silence, or in relation with what was before and after” Similar applies for the written language where voids between words, paragraphs and chapters can be filled with readers own thoughts (2009). Voids allow to experience the discovery of the unknown. “Void is the place of tension of something that will be, a space in power, but also the only place where the recollection of reality, the composition of the parts, fragments, of life can happen” (Pizzagalli, 2009). Ruins and abandoned buildings are the voids of urban landscape that enrich the city with the freedom of unfixed meanings. These places can be compared to undiscovered wild nature. Moreover, these are the places, where life literally sprouts – without maintenance the signs on urban wilderness slowly start to appear in the abandoned places.

9. Clement, G. (2003) writing on the third landscape. http://www.gillesclement.com/art-454-tit-The-ThirdLandscape 10 Casagrande , M. (2010) theory of Third Generation City http://thirdgenerationcity.blogspot.com.ee 11 http://theconversation.com/artists-installations-raise-questions-about-abandoned-buildings-32191 16

voids of cityscape by author (2017)

1.3 Estonian Landscape of Modern Ruins Estonian cityscapes are being developed as fast as left behind. After many different changes in administrative laws during the 20 th century, the urbanisation is growing. Already back in 2012, over 102 totally abandoned villages were mapped in Estonia according to the data of Statistics Estonia (2012).

People are moving to the bigger cities but even in

the center of capital Tallinn, there are numberous vacant buildings. My field of interest is the buildings where natural layer is already visible, buildings that have been abandoned for 5 - 25 years. These buildings are usually either post-industrial, military ruins or big monofunctional complexes that have lost their initial funcionality, use. Many of these were abandoned after the of collapse of the Soviet Union.

Some already show the signs of the

overgrowing nature, e.g Linnahall concert hall, the main builidng of Volta Factory (Tööstuse 47F), Patarei prison, factory complex buildings in Rotermanni Quarter (Rotermanni 6 and 8), Kopli penisula or former Lutheri Factory buildings (Vana-Lõuna 6, Tatari 51a) . Eventually they will be renovated or demolished 14 but until that day these buildings represent just an unapplied potential in a valuable area.

“The absence of the feeling of ownership and the fact that people are not accustomed to looking after buildings are attitudes from the Soviet era that linger stubbornly – dealing with commonly owned property was always somebody else’s business” (Suits, 2012, p 157). After Estonia regained independence in 1991, the changes also took place in property ownership - the land, that had so far belonged to the state was privatised (Kurg, 2012). Still, a significant amount of the Soviet structures are today in ruins. The abandoned industrial and agricultural facilities and kolkhozes, like Hara submarine factory, Viivikonna village or Tsooru and Kiirovi kolkhozes, we see in rural parts of Estonia were last actively used during the time Estonia was part of USSR. Most of the abandoned estates were to serve the planning economies of Soviet Union and due to their large scale it is often difficult to find them a new purpose. A big amount of buildings were also torn down because of the mindset to erase all kind of representations of the Soviet era (Kurg, 2012). 12. Statistics Estonia Population and Housing Census 2011 Results (2012) http://www.stat.ee/pressiteade-2012-158

13. Abandoned buildings of Estonia virtual map (started in March2017): https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer? mid=14osOa-msrIinTXs5OCrJZau1GCY&ll=59.36172587903557%2C24.75062177050779&z=11

14.1.Volta detail planning no: DP016580, https://tpr.tallinn.ee/DetailPlanning/Details/DP016580 2. Lutheri detail planning no:DP032760, https://tpr.tallinn.ee/DetailPlanning/Details/DP032760

By Urmo Vaikla the problematic of the question of abandoned Soviet modernism do not root only in the Soviet era or in the change in the system of government but abandoned modernist architecture is everywhere in the world (Vaikla, 2012, p 185). Another problem is the building quality of Soviet Estonian heritage. Due to poor construction work and aging materials, a large portion of the post-industrial, 20th century buildings now require restoration. The modern day materials like concrete may be more problematic to restore than the traditional building materials that restorers have been working with for centuries. Also, modern materials performance is unpredictable as they age (Suits, 2012). The ruin-demolition funding program initiated by Environmental Investment Centre (EIC) in 2012 proves that the problem with abandoned buildings in Estonia is serious. EIC is funding the demolition and waste management of unused agricultural, industrial, or military buildings to clean up the scenery and promote the recycling of building materials. The funding money comes from the sale of Estonia’s CO2 quotas and the European Union’s structural funds. It is controversial that the program is only funding the demolition of certain abandoned buildings. By not dealing with the problematic apartment buildings, the program is silently taking a statement on what type of buildings and history is worthless and needs to be destroyed. The matter of ruins and abandoned spaces is difficult – every case should be approached separately and in compliance with our cultural traditions. But when looking at today's urban landscape critically, we are not building any valuable “future ruins” today either. According to Leonhard Lapin: „The scale of Estonia has changed, as well as the scale of new buildings, and if we could compare these old Soviet monsters to anything in our current republic, then only supermarkets – where we have replaced pig breeding and war fare with consumption, our spiritual heritage to following generations will probably be the ruins of supermarkets,“ (2004, Lapin, translated by Mari Ets. p 289). That is, we can never know, what kind of history or value modern ruins could carry for the future generations. Of course, not all ruins worth to be reconstructed, as well as not all ruins need to be demolished. On closer examination it could be noticed that in many cases nature has started to demolish the buildings in its own way. The aim of my thesis is to detect and employ ongoing natural processes of vacant ruins as a way of rewilding useless artificial spaces. 19

Photos of vacant post-industrial buildings in Tallinn by author (2016). Bottom two pohotos by Maria Derlõs (2013) retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/Mahajäetud-majadEestis-880118195334960/ and Kerlin Õunapuu (2017) retrieved from: http://heesti.blogspot.com.ee/2017/04/noblessneri-laevatehas.html

2. Wilderness, Nature and Urban

2.1 Understanding “Wilderness” as Trend of Aesthetics of Disorder The word „wilderness“ by its origin means „the land inhabited only by animals“ and originates from „wild deer“ in old English. This definition draws a clear border between human and wild environment. Wilderness was where human was not – an untouched uncertainty. Referring to human's fears of the unknown landscape, word “wilderness” is also used to describe a dangerous place where one went only against the will or for hunting food, a place of danger. Raw and rough wilderness itself had no quality it the eyes of civilized men and women. During the nineteenth century the idea of wilderness shifted from a wild place haunted by darkness, danger, and desolation to a romantic get-away that we encounter, and enjoy. Over the past 50 years, “wilderness” has become a place to be valued and protected.15 According to environmentalist William Cronon (1995), for romantics like Immanuel Kant and Edmund Burke wild landscapes were sublime places where one could be reminded of one’s own mortality and see the face of the God. But for them the sublime was far from a pleasurable experience. Romantic attraction of primitivism, the belief that the best antidote to the ills of an overly civilized modern world was a return to simpler, more primitive living, also raised the quality of wild nature. Wilderness, that had once represented uncertainty and was worthless, opposing to everything that was under control and valuable became an attractive bliss, it became a highly attractive natural alternative to the ugly artificiality of modern civilization, a place where one could find peace and quiet. But as the tourism to wilderness became more and more popular, it started to lose its sublime essence (ibid). This transformation of the meaning of “wilderness” is part of a process that still continues, as we reconfigure nature from a threat into an escape from the pressures of urban life. Either we see wilderness as a get-away from our fast-paced, industrialised society, a space where we can seek relief from the noise, haste and crowds that too often confine us or just a personal connection, it can be said that wilderness is in a way attracting most of us. 15.The shift in wilderness protection reached a pinnacle in 1964 with the Wilderness Act, that allowed for parts of U.S. National Forests to be designated as "wilderness preserves". Similar acts, such as the Eastern Wilderness Act in 1975, followed. https://wilderness.nps.gov/document/wildernessAct.pdf

The freedom of disorganisation, is the main quality that distinguishes wild space from artificial space, is slowly starting to make its way to the man-made environment. Although the trend is yet not so popular in Tallinn, the value of free growing ruderal plants and weeds in urban planning is raising. For example, a document by philanthropist John Ingram, “When Cities Grow Wild – Natural Landscaping from an Urban Planning Perspective” (Ingram, 1999), questions the value of the current urban landscape ethic, examines its associated environmental and economic problems, and makes the case for the adoption of naturalisation, or natural landscaping as an alternative design approach that better reflects current ecological and fiscal realities. Gandy (2013) is also referring to aesthetics of disorder as a new trend – being difficult to accept by the majority, but a growing interest among people involved in designing urban space.

2.2 The Values of Wilderness The values of wilderness can be divided into four main categories: social, economic and e t h i ca l value (Cordell, Bergstrom, Bowker, 2005). Wild areas clearly carry an environmental benefits, protecting air and water quality, the wildlife habitat and unique plant and animal species. Wilderness can provide social values such as personal growth, spiritual pleasure and it can stimulate inspiration. Researches have shown that being in wilderness is also beneficial for reducing aggression, youth crimes and domestic violence16. Other studies are stating, that spending time in wilderness changes our personal values. “The wildness of wilderness shows us the falseness of the standardised ideas and beliefs. This wildness also causes us to forge new habits, and new beliefs about our relationships with others. These new habits are social benefits, especially once we allow them to reform our identity,” Michael Joseph Aloi (2009, p 3/ii). Next to the rather measurable characteristics, aesthetic value, a rather controversial topic, is often brought up. Aesthetic value forms the feelings that one gets from interacting with 16 Kuo, F. E. Sullivan, W. C. (2001), Study about violence: Aggression and Violence in the Inner City. Effects of Environment via Mental Fatigue. First Published July 1, 2001. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/00139160121973124

the environment. But as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the aesthetic values are rather personal, resulting from intimate contact with wilderness. For all the values wild nature could offer, elements from wilderness are also being integrated to urban environment. The planning document for green areas in Tallinn (Tallinna rohealade teemaplaneering, 2008)17, brings out that the classic note, “in a good location”, describes valuable real estate near green areas and parks in a quiet neighborhood. By ornithologist Meelis Uustal,

attractive nature can, among other benefits, be a marketing tool for an

area, also the creator of local identity and heritage (Uustal, 2010). The statement has truth to it but the question is what is an attractive nature? According to De Groot and Van den Born the differences in aesthetic views are in relation to the differences in anthropocentric and ecocentric views – the ethical standpoints towards nature. When people with anthropocentric views tend to prefer artificial landscapes like parks or gardens, then people with ecocentric views prefer more freely formed landscapes, where natural forces rule over the design decisions. (De Groot, Van den Born, 2003). At the same time, the essence of wilderness and freely-growing vegetation is exactly the opposite that design and planning are trying to do - forcing nature to take unnatural shapes. “Wilderness is the natural, unfallen antithesis of an unnatural civilization that has lost its soul. It is a place of freedom in which we can recover the true selves we have lost to the corrupting influences of our artificial lives. Most of all, it is the ultimate landscape of authenticity.“ (William Cronon, 1995, p 11). It is crucial that people were always conscious about being a part of the natural world, even if their lives follow only the paths which are called artificial. By Cronon it is also crucial to recognize and honor nonhuman nature as a world we did not create, a world with its own independent, nonhuman reasons for being as it is (ibid).

Cronon sees wilderness as something that could become a solution for our environmental questions when adapted to urban context by keeping the typologies of parks and gardens the nature human has created. On the other hand, there is a threat creating a bigger distance between human and nature. Saying that nature must be wild and believing that wilderness is a place that has been left untouched by humans we are stating that human 17 https://www.tallinn.ee/est/ehitus/g6479s42710

and wilderness cannot exist together. As he states: “By teaching us to fetishize sublime places and wide open country, these ways of thinking about wilderness encourage us to adopt too high standard for what counts as “natural”” (Cronon, 1995, p 17). Cronon believes that if we considered wild nature and urban parks both equally natural, it would improve the coexistence of our natural and artificial environments. “If wildness can stop being (just) out there and start being (also) in here, if it can start being as humane as it is natural, /../ not just in the garden, not just in the wilderness, but in the home that encompasses them both.'' (Cronon, 1995, p 20).

I would only argue that the nature

created based on human ideals could ever be as natural as wilderness.

Urban nature should not be corrupted or designed by ideals and trends. It follow the characteristics of the wild landscape the city was built on, seasonal changes, natural processes, local vegetation. It is important to encourage cities to develop different concepts of nature in urban context to promote the idea of wilderness as a part of manmade environment. When opposing human existence to wilderness we might actually become more distant from the idea of natural environment. If the core problem of wilderness is that it distances us too much from the very things it teaches us to value, then the questions we must ask are: What are the qualities of wilderness we can bring in urban context and how much can wilderness be controlled without losing its essence? How to integrate the humane order and irregularities of natural layers in one landscape?

2.3 The Relationship Between Natural and Artificial Elements in Urban Environment Cities are full of human and non-human diversity. On the human scale, a city is a mix of cultures, experiences and differences in attitudes. Importantly, cities also include great biodiversity - the native and non-native flora and fauna. In ecological terms, the combination of human and non-human symbiosis defines a diverse and changing nature that could be called urban nature. Cities today are often referred to as modern wilderness – chaotic and noisy jungles. Although having chaos as a common aspect, terms 25

“wilderness” and “city” are still seen as the opposites whilst wilderness is an uninhabited area and city is a large and permanent human settlement. If wilderness and human civilization are opposites that exist separately, could we also talk about wilderness in urban environment? We are led to believe that the two exist in mutual exclusivity. Since cities are human products, this belief is an overestimation of our own abilities and endurance. Unmaintained spaces are a the example of wilderness showing its power in built environment.

Nature works in all scales by author (2017

The so called “mistakes of urbanity” could be spotted everywhere in the artificial cityscape. Wilderness is not only appearing in the urban wastelands, but can also ““take over” where human rule has weakened” (Uibopuu, 2014, p 8), that is, the abandoned buildings. Our surroundings are affected by heat and cold, humidity, wind, rain, and other forms of nature that we live with yet protect ourselves from. Buildings protect us from weather, complex cleaning and extraction systems clean the air of the interiors, concrete walls define borders of spaces by fending off nature. Maintenance - keeping surfaces clean from natural overgrowing and carrying out weed control of the streets are costly tasks of modern cities18. Richard Sennett wrote in “Conscience of the Eye” (1992) that cities are man’s attempt at mastery over nature. Indeed it could be seen just as an attempt. The fact that destruction is always inherent the artificial is often overlooked. Once a city is created, man’s superiority is never entirely in place and remains Utopian, because urbanisation is a continuous battle with ecological processes.

Architecture, which by nature promises progress, initially already carries the source of destruction. Besides destroying structures and landscapes that existed before the built space — architecture also holds the seed of its own destruction, either by socio-economic processes or by ecological forces. Neglected buildings that become ruins contrast the aesthetically and socially regulated spaces and when new life moves in, nature starts rewilding those spaces.

Even in the congested cities empty lots and buildings uncontrolled by human can be found. The artificial ground that residents have left behind is actually perfect ground for natural occupation. And the unused non-places become places of urban wilderness. The ruderal plants that start growing from the cracks, small insects, bugs and animals that have moved into the abandoned spaces represent the contemporary wilderness in urban context. The spaces abandoned by humans are closest urban landscape can get to the essence of wilderness, that by its original meaning excludes human activity from itself and are even more natural than the built parks. According to Gandy, the importance of aesthetically problematic urban spaces is also growing, including spontaneous urban nature, driven by the changing characteristics of cities themselves and the proliferation of 18 Tallinna haljastute hoolduse nõuded https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/416042013031 28

abandoned or â&#x20AC;&#x153;emptyâ&#x20AC;? spaces (Gandy, 2013). In Estonia generally, the designed urban green areas assert that ruderal plants have still little value.

Nature breaking the artificial borders - Abandoned buildings as ground for urban wilderness by author (2016)

)

2.4 The Difference between Urban Wilderness and Urban Park The urban landscape can be viewed as natural, unnatural or as ‘semi-natural’. The last category describes plants on the artificial ground, that seem to exist “somewhere between totally natural and totally artificial” (Niemelä, 2012, 149). In contemporary city, the focus is predominantly on developing artificial not natural components. However, urban vegetation is valuable for raising the quality of life in urbanized society. When nature is incorporated in the city planning, it is usually confined to the controlled spaces of parks and gardens. Controlled in a sense, that man creates clear borders around designated urban parks, designing nature in geometric shapes. Building parks might be considered as a tool to bring nature to urban environment. To my mind, those strictly planned and trimmed parks can not be considered are rather artificial than natural. We create our cities with rules and logic, so that they would “make sense”, we are even “building nature” according to regulations. It seems like people are afraid to lose control over the environment they live in. Of course, city parks that are representing “a green urban living environment” raise the value of neighboring lots, buildings and apartments. A research from Austria has confirmed that apartments near to the greenbelt Vienna, are more expensive compared to otherwise similar apartments in that city. Researches from cities in England and in Canada, also from North Korean capital Seoul have drawn the same conclusions 19. Before-mentioned planning document for green areas of Tallinn 20 brings out, that outdoor spaces are socially important for communal rendezvous. The open public areas are multicultural and shape the identity of the city. The outdoor spaces – smaller and bigger parks and green areas, playgrounds, promenades, lively city squares – should be accordingly diverse. These spaces are valuable, they are a natural part of an active city, whereby independent and natural components are considered waste by only by primitive economic efficiency standpoint. 19 1. Herath, Choumert, Maier (2015) The value of the greenbelt in Vienna: a spatial hedonic analysis 2. Gibbons, Mourato, Resende (2013) The Amenity Value of English Nature: A Hedonic Price Approach http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10640-013-9664-9 3. Myung Jin, Hee-Jae (2016) Measuring the effect of greenbelt proximity on apartment rents in Seoul http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264275116303997 20 Tallinna rohealade teemaplaneering, 2008 https://www.tallinn.ee/est/ehitus/g6479s42710

David Gissen’s (2009) research of the urban greenery in contemporary cities draws attention to the nature we are growing in our cities. This is a human-made nature, produced by society, built on the concepts we have regarding how we want to live, and how we want our surroundings to look. We are building our cities based on a static ideal picture, where there is no room for natural processes. Observing urban parks, their general aesthetics and practical design choices can be easily spotted - the combination, even size and shape of the plants, often imported from other countries, growing on periodically mowed the lawns is clearly man's attempt to master over the nature. A great example of man-made in the heart of Tallinn order are Tammsaare park and Kanuti Aed. Both of these “green areas”, that represent a traditional urban park are under national environmental protection since 2004. On the other hand, Pae park, that is oriented towards natural processes, uncertainty and less maintenance is not in this list. By Karmen Kase Pae park in the Soviet housing district Lasnamäe is one of the few examples of spontaneous landscape design in Tallinn (Kase, 2016). In cities wilderness can only independently flourish in the cracks, wastelands and unpolished or abandoned spaces, we try to keep our buildings clean from dust and overgrowing. It is contradictory that uncontrolled nature, the freedom of shapes and growth and variety of vegetation is what charms us about wilderness. Aesthetic preferences seem to lose their importance on the non-human landscape. Laura Uibopuu argues: “Wasteland nature could be considered more natural compared to typical parks in terms of being the result of natural processes only, without much human intervention, and could thus have even higher value or at least a legitimate position in urban context as an example of independent nature” (Uibopuu, 2014, p4).

The population growth in our cities and increasing inner-city density means that while protecting existing green spaces, we also need to plan new green amenities. Alternative concepts of urban park typology could be a solution for raising the percentage of natural space in cities. Giving nature more freedom just like the concept of spontaneous landscape design does and not fighting against uncontrolled urban wilderness could be an alternative. According to urbanist Anna-Liisa Unt the main difference between urban parks and urban wilderness is the way people are using the space. The spontaneous vegetation

offers a new spatial quality as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;wildâ&#x20AC;? character is encouraging alternative activities to take place (Unt, Travlou, Bell, 2013).

Spontaneous landscape design is a term from landscape theory that is focused on more natural aesthetics of urban spaces. The concept is promoting site-specific vegetation in the urban landscapes develop spontaneously landscape development. The landscape design, where the ecology is the main basis was first initiated by German botanic gardeners and ecologists already in the late 19th century. Native species and geographical composition were used for the new landscape design concept as it was considered to be the best and most instructive way of exhibiting plants for scientific and educational purposes. During the 20th century, this site-specific landscaping concept spread around among the ecologists and botanic gardeners around the world (Dunnett, Hitchmough, 2004). Spontaneous landscaping design has been popular among designers as a practical way of using the plants that are adapted to local growth conditions. The concept allows to cut maintenance as the spontaneously growing plants do not need intense care. Today, in many countries the landscape design has drifted away from traditional towards more natural landscaping. Unfortunately this uncontrolled flourishing in case of Tallinn is too often considered as a mistake in urban landscape. Anna-Liisa Unt writes in her article for Sirp, that mistakes or randomness actually give possibilities for urban nature to start growing (Unt, 2005). These mistakes are for example cracks in the asphalt or unmaintained sites . The wastelands and lots where untouched nature grows are not marked as green areas on the official maps. For Unt these gray or white lots on maps are actually the oasis of urban nature that are becoming more and more valued in big cities over the world (Unt, 2005). Karmen Kase sees high-cost landscaping suitable for the historical parks like Kadriorg park. She offers that residential areas of Tallinn could establish a local landscaping practice that would bring out the characteristics and suit for the growing conditions of the area (Kase, 2016). Kase brings out, referencing Soviet landscape architects Aleksander Niine and Nora Jammoja, that in Soviet Estonia the focus was on constructing traditional landscapes, as the unmaintained landscapes represented disorder and were considered to be disgrace (Kase, 2016: Jammoja, 1976, p 50). On the other hand, it was understood that the

traditional landscape design with its geometric shapes requires regular care and is not economical (Kase, 2016: Niine, 1965). We can summarize that today, most Estonian cities still follow the traditional landscaping design concept. This thinking might be a reflection from Soviet mindset, but might also be connected with the fact that over 70% of Estonia is covered with forests and the will to create order in the small Estonian cities is habitual.

Public perception of spontaneous vegetation on brownfields in urban areas â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Results from surveys in Dresden and Leipzig (Germany). Urban Forestry & Urban Greening by J. Mathey T. Arnd, Juliane Banse, D.Rink (2016) Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2016.10.007

Fragments of natural â&#x20AC;&#x17E;mistakesâ&#x20AC;&#x153; at abandoned buildings in Tallinn by author (2016)

2.5 Spontaneous Landscape Design as a Concept for Creating a Balance Between Design and Urban Wilderness Already in the 1960s the traditional landscape design with its ornamental motives and strict forms that were gone far from natural aesthetics were seen as outdated. Since then, freeform landscaping has become more popular as well as developing the landscape practice with the help of biologists and ecologist (Niine, 1965). As explained in previous chapter, the site-specific landscaping is not only much more natural but also needs less maintenance. Same applies for the ornamental landscaping, that needs much more care, than the undisturbed nature. In addition, the spontaneous landscape design expresses seasonal changes, offers visitor always a different experience and supports wildlife and ecological and visual diversity. As the urban nature is given more freedom, the designer's role is weakening, as nature does not actually need a designer to flourish.

What makes spontaneous landscape design different from the traditional landscape design seems to be lack of conceptuality and formalness. Pollan argues that landscape architecture is about articulating “the idea of a ‘middle landscape' – of a place partaking equally of nature and culture then wilderness could be considered, at best a distant waypoint by which to chart local progress and, at worst a conceptual impediment to designing” (Pollan, 1998, p 70). As brought out before, wilderness loses its essence as soon as human invades it, but at the same time qualities of wilderness could improve our city environment. In urban environment nature grows on the artificial ground, inhabited by humans. In case of ruins, the vacancy of building gives nature more freedom and borderbreaking growing-decaying processes start to take place. Still there are limitations as this kind of urban wilderness has to adjust itself in between certain artificial borders – the soil, amount of sunlight and rainwater are not equally available everywhere in a ruin.

The challenge of integrating wilderness in urban context is to find the right balance between human control and natural freedom. By Dieter Rink, when using spontaneous 37

vegetation in urban environment, it should not be allowed to develop completely without control. Spontaneous vegetation should be implemented design tool for learning about new ways of perception (Rink, 2009). Then again, designer could have the power to make subnature and nature-like landscapes more appreciated by public (Gobster, Nassauer, Daniel, Fry, 2007). I believe, that if design followed natural processes, wilderness could be brought to urban context and used as a design tool itself, in case of this thesis vegetation could be a tool for dealing with abandoned buildings. That requires elaborating partial demolition plan of abandoned buildings which follows the needs of plants – providing soil and letting required amount of sunlight and rainwater into the building so that urban nature could flourish. On the other hand, rewilding the abandoned buildings could work as a tool for developing more diverse urban landscape.

As landscape architect and theorist James Corner convincingly argues, the discipline of landscape architecture must orientate itself to the concerns of method and process rather than the final outcome. Landscape architecture could be a practice “that is less preoccupied with ameliorative, stylistic, or pictorial concerns and more actively engaged with imaginative, enabling, and diversifying practices – practices of the wild” (Corner, 1997, p 105). The same ideas reflect in the concept of spontaneous landscape design, that allows natural succession, uses local plants and emphasizes seasonality.

Seasonality in ruins. Case study: former military complex in Pirita, abandoned for 22years. The changes of snow level inside a vacant house (photos below) show how much rainwater actually gets into the space. Observarions by author (2016)

Photos: Nature scattering artificial borders. Intervention: Finding an abanodned military building a new quality using snow as a medium Intervention by author (2016)

2.6 Self-sufficient Vegetation in Ruins and Abandoned Spaces “Walking through a ruin is to experience the collapse of boundaries in which the outside and the inside merge, and nature mingles with culture. The urban-rural dichotomy is violated by the invasion of flora and fauna into the previously ordered space of urban industrialism” (Tim Edensor, 2002). Human-made objects and environments are all part of nature. They are subject to the same process of age and decay. There is a perceived notion that the structures and materials of, and in, our cities are strong and permanent, yet everything is subject to the effects of age and change. All materials that have been fabricated and refined, such as steel, glass, and plastic, will not last forever. As humans develop more technologically advanced and resilient building materials, it seems like nature continues to adapt, finding ways to overcome the artificial materials. Nature works in every scale – it grows through the cracks in pavement, covers the walls of the buildings and eventually grows into them. Poetically, subnature has the power to slowly return buildings to the ground on which they once were built. Gissen writes, “debris is not only like ruin, the return of society to nature, but is a type of latent, hybrid nature in its own right” (Gissen 2010, p 9).

Modern ruins — such as collective farm centers, factories or condemned high rise housing blocks — may not have the same value that decaying ancient structures today have. The derelict buildings that have been taken over by wild vegetation between the new and shiny set buildings have a potential to turn into green network of “overgrown voids” in our urban landscapes. My observations of abandoned buildings in Tallinn have proven that the natural overgrowing – mosses and ruderal plants – is most apparent on concrete and stone structures, while wooden structures are first taken over by small insects and mold (Konsa, Pilt, 2012) Concrete, when reinforced with steel, achieves great strength and the combination is therefore used for most of the urban megastructures.

But overgrowing vegetation also

indicates the weakness of concrete - its porous texture allows for moisture to penetrate into the tiniest fissures where soil can settle, and microscopic life can take root, proving again that nature will always find a way.

A selection of mapped abandoned building by author (2016)

Field of interest by author (2016)

Australian artist Jamie North (1971) works with concrete and the processes of natural demolition. His artwork called “Terraforms”21 - the concrete columns appear in various states of decay, evocative of ancient ruins, overgrown by local ferns and mosses. North nurtures micro-environments in columns that speak of man’s incessant need to conquer nature. The plants positioned within the man-made pylons comfortably complement one another.

A lot of plants do not actually need much soil to start growing and in fact will germinate without any. Plants need sheltered conditions and already a tiny crack in the concrete occurs a perfect place to start growing for a lot of small seeded weedy species or grass. In the beginning, plant roots are really thin, so they can easily extend through the bottom of the crack and into the soil below the concrete. As a plant grows, the roots of the plants slowly start making the cracks in concrete bigger, making it wider and better for even more plants to grow in. The processes of growth and decay in ruins are controversial – as the plants grow, the structure is falling apart. In our climate, the cracks form faster thanks to seasonality

– the temperature changes, water freezing and melting on the surfaces

contribute cracking. First plants to invade ruins are usually mosses. By moss specialist David Spain, mosses are, despite common impression, actually one of the most drought tolerant plants. Also, there are a number of species that need regular periods of dryness to survive. Water is needed for photosynthesis, but not for survival. Moist areas allow for faster growth, but isn’t necessary for existence as mosses need moisture only to reproduce sexually, but not asexually. Mosses also have the greatest range of light exposure than any other land plant meaning, that certain species can tolerate sun. They can be found growing in all climates and exposures, from full blazing desert sun, to almost undetectable amounts of light found in caves (2014). Other common ruderal species growing in ruins are for example dandelion, goutweed, ivy, fern and wall flower; from the higher plant front – japanese knotweed, willow, rowan and many others. The species growing in a ruin and their combinations differ case-by-case depending on the specific biotope.

21 http://jamienorth.com/terraforms-2014

Timeframe of decay referencing an animation: http://www.worldwithoutus.com/TWWUHouseAnimation.html

Life span of building materials (in years) Retrieved from: www.onlinetips.org/lifespan-building-materials/

Unlike the well-groomed parks, marginal nature — such as weeds growing in un-expected or unwanted places — does not recognize boundaries. In fact, marginal nature is usually most diverse at the man-made boundaries, the periphery of cities, and in between humanoccupied spaces. When nature overgrows an abandoned building, the interior and exterior merge, and eventually the structure becomes one with the landscape. Marginal nature exists regardless of, or due to a lack of, official planning. It grows within the layers of human history in the ruins of disused military sites, failed housing estates, in and around industrial sites, in vacant lots and along fence lines.

The scraps of nature are thriving in and around our cities, from the visible—vacant lots, laneways, and overgrown gardens—to the less-visible cracks in walls and footpaths that are home to many species of grasses, weeds, and micro-organisms. Reportedly, these places are host to greater biodiversity than many forests. During my observations in abandoned buildings of Tallinn I noticed, that most commonly, the vacant buildings start to overgrow from the ground and roof, next vegetation could be found inside, near the windows and openings. Despite that every site is different for its specific growing conditions, materiality and the pace of decay, the natural processes start showing roughly 1-2 years after abandonment and will be dominating over built space after 20-25 years. A great example is the city of Chernobyl in Ukraine – thirty years since the world's worst nuclear accident, weeds are the only visible living organism in Pripyat. There have been reports that wildlife has since flourished due to significant reduction of human impact (Moskvitch, 2010). For this reason, the zone is considered by some as a classic example of an involuntary park. As urban and architectural geographer, Mark Minkjan has pointed out, ruins not only remind us of a foregone past but also of potential futures (2013). Ruins change in time, the materials decay, the structures collapse. Abandoned buildings are all about processes decay is a ongoing process, nature slowly starts overgrowing the building, new life moves in and therefore abandonment is also not a fixed status.

Chernobyl, Ukraine 1986 / 2011 Galleries by Alexander Kamenski and David Schindler https://totallycoolpix.com/magazine/2011/04/chernobyl-25-years-later-then-and-now

An essay "The Ruin"

by Georg Simmel (translated by David Kettler.) sees nature as

central factor in ruins. He sees architecture as a weapon in the struggle between man and nature, and a completed building as a man's triumph over nature. Yet this triumph can only be temporary: "This unique balance - between mechanical, inert matter which passively resists pressure, and informing spirituality which pushes upward - breaks, however, the instant a building crumbles. For this means nothing else than that merely natural forces begin to become master over the work of man: the balance between nature and spirit, which the building manifested, shifts in favor of nature. This shift becomes a cosmic tragedy which, so we fell, makes every ruin an object infused with our nostalgia; for now the decay appears as nature's revenge for the spirit's having violated it by making a form in its own image." (1965, p 259)

Nature breaking borders - vegetation vs concrete by author (2017)

3. Current Urban Theories Integrating Nature

3.1 Architecture Inspired by Nature vs Natural Architecture? Contemporary architecture is turning back to nature based on different theories and philosophies. For example, organic architecture is a discipline that promotes harmony between human habitation and the natural world. Organic architecture aims to design so that buildings that are integrated to the surrounding creating an interrelated composition. It usually reffers to architecture that mimics nature in its shape or function. The term was actually brought into life by Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959) who wrote: "So here I stand before you preaching organic architecture: declaring organic architecture to be the modern ideal and the teaching so much needed if we are to see the whole of life, and to now serve the whole of life, holding no traditions essential to the great tradition. Nor cherishing any preconceived form fixing upon us either past, present or future, but instead exalting the simple laws of common sense or of super-sense if you prefer determining form by way of the nature of materials.“ (1959, p 169) The critique of organic architecture has been that it is inspired only by one aspect of nature, usually a shape, using contradictory materials or building technologies that are far from natural. Zoomorphism and biomorphism models design elements on naturally occurring patterns from landscapes, plants and living organisms. Taken to its extreme these concepts attempt to force naturally occurring shapes onto functional devices. One famous example being The Sagrada Família 22 church by Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona that contains many features inspired by nature, such as branching columns intended to reflect trees. Nevertheless I would doubt that this huge construction can be perceived as natural. Also, the 3D-printed plastic structures that borrow their shape from a plant or vehicles that are claimed to be inspired by a bug or animal for me represent a far-fetched unnatural connection with nature. Same applies for biomimicry, an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable design solutions by emulating nature’s strategies. Quoting Rachel Armstrong in 2017, during “Living Brick” Workshop 23 in Tallinn: “Biomimicry is a kind of science but it challenges nothing that nature does - the trouble with biomimicry is that is simply about quoting nature, taking its aesthetics and forms but not the system – the natural selection.”

22 http://www.sagradafamilia.org/en/geometry/ 23 http://www.artun.ee/en/kalender/designing-with-demons-open-lecture-by-rachel-armstrong/ 52

But there are also more positive examples of learning from nature in architecture like the concepts of vegitecture, earth architecture or living architecture. The last one, for example does not focus only on natural shape, function but also asks how do construct the ethics, stories and values of ecological society. Living architecture quotes nature as a system. Vegitecture is a clearer concept that adds natural layer on the exterior walls, creating so called vertical gardens. The concept of earth architecture or earth structure uses mainly soil, mud, sod or turf for building. While before-mentioned concepts are mimicking nature in a many obvious ways, there are also more abstract and deeper theories. One example is the theory of Third Generation City.

3.2 The concept of Third Generation City – City from the Original Soil It is not only a matter of design or perspective in terms of how we look at the city, but what actions we take alongside the natural processes that unfold and transform the spaces we have inhabited, do inhabit, and will come to inhabit. Some philosophers and architects like Michel De Certeau, Gilles Clément, Marco Casagrande and Vilen Künnapu see in the concept of a “third generation city” an answer for green lifestyle in context of urbanisation.24 Finnish architect Marco Casagrande: „A Third Generation City is true when the it recognizes the local knowledge and allows itself to be part of nature” (Casagrande, 2013, p 23). The term Third Generation city generally reflects the idea of built environment growing together with nature and creating organic ruin. The First Generation Cities are the ones dependent on natural terrain, those that reflect rather than suppress or overcome the natural setting, The Second Generation Cities are the ones we live in now, overbuilt and largely disconnected from the inhabitants, as well as from the natural order of things. The philosophy behind Third Generation Cities aims to reconnect humans with the nature. For Casagrande, Taipei is a perfect example of Third Generation City, where systematic activities of guerilla gardening on lots under-construction for 2-5 years are taking place and as new skyscrapers are built, the “granny gardeners“ move to the next site. According philosopher Lee-Michael J. Pronko, whose research explores 'exceptional'

urban and

architectural spaces, Third Generation City marks the end of modernism. For him, one of 24 http://www.artisopensource.net/2013/11/20/third-infoscape-de-certeau-clement-casagrande-smart-cities/ 53

the key activities of a Third Generation is anarchist gardening - unofficial construction of community gardens and urban farms (Pronko, 2010). The term “third generation city" has also been used theory of urban acupuncture 25 in which the cities are treated punctually as complex organisms functioning with the aim of environmentally sustainable development (Casagrande, 2008). According to the theory of urban acupuncture, small scale interventions can be used to transform cities in larger scale. From this point of view, the sites of the interventions can be selected as the traditional Chinese Acupuncture selects the points where to insert the needles: locations which are fundamental for the flows of information, communication and knowledge in the city. The organic ruin of the industrial city order to re-think the modern man in the box, “Ruin Academy”26 was established in 2010 to emphasize the ideas of the third generation city in Taipei. It was founded by Marco Casagrande's team to help Taipei in becoming a third generation city. The team included a group of researchers, as well as designers, journalists, academics. The academy organizes workshops and courses with different architectural, urban design, environmental art and scientific design tasks. The first workshop of the Ruin Academy took the building back to its basic construction. The partition walls, as well as the windows were removed, holes were penetrated through the surfaces to let the rainwater and sunlight into the building. In addition to that, bamboos and vegetables were planted inside. My master thesis project follows similar concept – demolition of artificial materials making way for natural growth. I am implementing the method of “designed demolition” on ice rink wing of Tallinna Linnahall, an abandoned Soviet concert hall. My thesis project aims to give urban wilderness greater amount of freedom than the case of Ruin Academy. Designing a demolition plan, the aim of “Rewilding Linnahall” is to let urban wilderness slowly destroy the building. The process-oriented concept of demolition in stages keeps the space changing throughout the period of intermediate use.

25 Urban acupuncture is a theory that introduces Chinese medical theory (acupuncture) in urban environmentalism. http://helsinkiacupuncture.blogspot.com.ee 26 http://ruinacademy.blogspot.com.ee

3.3 Intermediate Use and the Role of Nature in Temporary Planning The initial cause for vacancy in the city lies in urban planning. The general critique of current urban planning model lie heavy upon the fact “that after more than 60 yeas it has not been capable of getting to the roots of urban problems” (2013 Kurik, p 17). Temporary urbanism, also known as weak planning, everyday urbanism, or tactical urbanism, is an alternative to common approach in city planning.

Alternative methods for urban planning are becoming more and more popular as many organisations are popping up next to official planning structures to encourage participatory planning, cooperation between residents, municipalities and city, and also temporary use. (Temel, Haydn, 2006). The intermediate projects aim to open up critical discussions about common paradigms that are usually searching for one and only “perfect” spatial solution for the urban planning. The idea is based on experimenting, failing and rethinking in brief life spans. By Haydn and Temel temporary projects are planned to be impermanent and that is why their qualities are based on the idea of transience and the conditions and possibilities here and now (ibid).

If urban planning focuses on long term strategies, then temporary projects focus on short term tactics to bring the unused spaces back to life. This is the reason why this thinking could offer a great alternative for common paradigms - the projects take a more realistic viewpoint to the scale, timeframe and the opportunities. Intermediate uses mainly focus on realistic alternatives to the big planning and open discussion and do not aim to solve all the ground issues. The intermediate concepts could also work in symbiosis with top-down city planning to develop the practice, not only work against it. When looking at the examples of guerilla actions over the world it could be said that todays urban planning strategies leave caps for the intermediate uses. The temporary solutions could work as experimental research tools for creating a change in urban planning for the future. Just as temporary urbanism is an experimental methodology for developing long-term plans, temporary green areas could be a research tool for creating more natural cityscapes. After all, temporary projects often turn out to be the most permanent solutions.

The positive sides of temporary planning concepts are the more flexible solutions but also failures happen frequently. On the other hand, intermediate projects and uses are difficult to approach to by laws. Another critical approach claims that temporary solutions do a lot of “deconstruction work” by emphasizing the fundamental issues of urban planning (2006, Kohoutek, p 26). Still, I believe deconstruction could also be a driving force of positive changes. In the context of this thesis, the conceptual project is about partial demolition of Tallinna Linnahall, to open it up to public again before the total demolition will be carried through in an unknown time.

The common approaches to city planning, on the contrary, aim to create a stable space. Being critical to today's city planning methodologies that are aiming towards an imaginary ideals and are producing voids in the cityscape, I would argue that ideal space does not have to be stable. Experimental design methods have the potential to give vacant spaces a quality. Most of the temporary or intermediate use projects are culture-driven - art exhibitions, performances, concerts, spatial installations. Good examples from Tallinn are Culture Kilometer (2011-201427), Straw Theatre (201128), Lift11 installations (201129) or Tallinn Music Week city stages (2017). 30 Culture seems to be a reasonable tool for blowing new life in abandoned spaces, because creative people are constantly looking for new and unexpected spaces to exhibit their work and as explained previously, derelict places have always been an inspiration for creativity.

Another intermediate project that used the beauty of natural processes to enliven Soviet block house district was Urban Barley Field (Lasnaviljamägi)31 installation me and Ann Press carried through in the summer of 2016 in Lasnamäe, Tallinn. Our aim was to bring attention to the unfinished urban planning project and the vast concrete stairs that were built for the tramline. But as the project was never finished the tram never came and the concrete stairs are standing alone in the middle of the vast traffic channel since the 1970s. The idea of a seasonal barley field installation came from history—barley was the earliest crop grown in Estonia and precisely in the same area circa 500-600 BC.

27 28 29 30

https://www.roughguides.com/destinations/europe/estonia/tallinn/the-cultural-kilometre-and-patarei-prison/ http://www.salto.ee/no99-straw-theatre/ http://www.lift11.ee https://tmw.ee/2017/03/tallinn-music-week-will-light-up-new-paths-in-the-city-and-give-new-lease-of-life-to-oldgarages/ 31. http://lasnaviljamagi.tumblr.com

Urban barley field (LasnaVILJAmĂ¤gi) co-author Ann Press Photos by Ann Press, Markus Tamm, TĂľnu Tunnel and Madis Veltman (2016)

Because the culture of barley growing was brought to Estonia from Russia, and the tramway stairs mark the border between Estonian- and Russian-speaking districts, the art installation carried an idea of integration for us. The aim of the barley field was to bring some contrasting softness, some life and progress to this industrial area, but also to encourage the locals to take steps towards changing their living environment, instead of waiting for the authorities to do it, given that the tram has still not arrived after over 40 years. Throughout the summer, the stairs of barley offered the district a new blow of life with constant changes â&#x20AC;&#x201D;young bright green seedlings growing and turning into a ripe golden barley field.

Barley field was my first attempt to give an unused space a new quality with the power of natural processes. Can temporary solutions that engage nature be used in intermediate planning concepts? One example from Tallinn are the big plant containers on wheels on the Freedom Square. Whenever the Square does not hold a specific event, this pop-up nature is rolled to the square, so people can sit and relax beside these structures. As soon as there is a concert, military march or any other event organized, the plant boxes are rolled away. To my mind, this kind of pop-up solution is far from being natural and in general, cannot be called a park. Sadly, in contemporary Tallinn many alternative experiments for intermediate use still remain on the idea level (2013, Kurik, p 23). Fastgrowing vegetation could be a possible tool for intermediate concepts that activate abandoned areas. Many of the weeds live 1-2 years and underwood flourish fast, that is why ruderal plants suit the concept of intermediate use.

As well as temporary urbanism focuses on underused locations this thesis is focusing on the vacant buildings, temporary voids in Tallinn centre. I see this concept beneficial for city administrations, owners of the premises, residents and for the aesthetics of our living environment. The location-based thinking is also linked to the ideas of spontaneous landscape design â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a concept for urban green areas could be following: a combination of local vegetation in ruins and site specific design decisions. Without searching for overly practical use, thesis project concept for Linnahall is focusing on designing a process of concurrent natural growth and artificial decay.

Volta factory building 2012 / 2017 Upper left photo retrieved from www.volta.ee, other photos by author (2017)

4. Thesis Design Project Rewilding Linnahall

4.1 History, Present and Future of Tallinna Linnahall “The gigantic Linnahall Concert Hall, close to the ground and crumbling, sprawls in the middle of Tallinn’s seashore like a symbolic modernistic mother figure, a concrete fossil whose current situation and future in some respects epitomise the common denominator of Estonia’s entire post-war unique architecture” (Ojari, 2012, p 151).

Linnahall could today be seen as a unique landscape monument – the interior space is closed for the public but the exterior surface is still actively used for many different freetime activities. The building is slowly decaying, the rainwater is dripping in, the exterior walls are covered with graffiti and weeds and mosses have started to overgrow the pavement. The value of Linnahall has changed a lot since the independence of Estonia. For Estonians, the meaning of Linnahall has shifted from a conflicting Soviet monument to a characteristic building of Tallinn’s identity. In the middle of the rapidly changing architecture, the modern developments, it has become a space that refused to conform to the dominant patterns of thought (Kurg, 2012). This concrete-limestone mega-structure was built in the capital of Estonia for the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. The architects of Linnahall are Raine Karp and Riina Altmäe, interior architects Ülo Sirp and Mariann Hakk. Linnahall included a concert hall and an ice rink but also a bowling alley, a dance hall cafeterias, exhibition halls and hundreds of square meters of walkable roofs and terraces on top of it. All the different functions are spread out over the large site. The frontal stairs of the building take the visitor on a platform – the roof of the ice rink – also built over the railway lines that used to connect the industrial areas with the harbor. It is a unique building for its construction and architecture and the way it creates a connection between the city centre and seaside. The location by the seaside and next to Old Town determined the low height of the building in order to preserve the iconic views to the medieval old town from the sea.

Photos of Linnahall 1980 (by D.Bruns) / 2017 (author)

The enormous concrete and grey limestone construction with only a few windows can not actually be perceptible from the street level. The actual volume of the building can be really understood from an aerial photograph (Kurg, 2012). Linnahall is situated in a great location, it is a spectacular example of urban planning with a spatial layout for many different kinds of activities and has gained a landmark status. The city of Tallinn has held multiple tenders to find a developer for the area but things have not progressed, since the investments required are considerable, and the site is on the list of protected buildings. Despite several attempts by the Tallinn City Council over the years, a plan to find an ambitious and wealthy suitor for the building has failed so far. At some point, there was even a thought of demolishing the entire complex, but since the concert hall is under protection as an architectural monument with “significant cultural heritage” since 1992, total demolition is not an option. After several attempts of trying to sell the property to private owners, the city finally decided to keep it and started seeking ways to renovate the building in the end of 2004. (Kurg, 2012). Today, the megastructure is still waiting for its fate and the building is slowly collapsing. Because it was built in a great hurry, the construction works started in 1976 and were finished shortly before the Olympic games, even the architect of Linnahall, Raine Karp says that the construction quality is below average. By him, when it comes to building quality, Linnahall is one of the worst examples from the end of Soviet. One reason might be was greatly built by military, not the professional builders (Karp, 2017). The lifetime of today's building materials depends largely on “working conditions” of the material – to what extent that material is at the mercy of rain, freezing, sunshine, wind and living and growing nature. Under regular maintenance and good conditions, concrete can last for centuries but in our climate and in case of leaking, building could turn into a ruin in a couple of decades already (Suits, 2012). The ice arena is in such bad state that the latest expertise from the team of Allians Arhitektid states, that it has to be demolished to the ground and built up again according to the cultural heritage special prescriptions.

Photos of Linnahall 1980 (by D.Bruns) / 2017 (author)

The tribunes around the ice

rink are part of the structural columns and can not be

demolished. At the same time it has been difficult to find a new practical use for tribunes and therefore for the space according to the director of Linnahall (personal conversation 2017). The building was taken under the heritage protection already in 1999. In the end of year 2016, The Tallinn City Government announced that the disused Linnahall entertainment complex, is to be renovated into a concert hall and large-scale conference centre. The City is planning to finance the reconstruction and renovation works by selling the lot on the Eastern side of Linnahall. In February 2016 the government of Estonia agreed to support the reconstruction project 32. The estimated cost of 80 000 euros according to the media. The recent detail planning33 by Artes Terrae OÜ sets 21 meters as the maximum height for the new estates, referencing the height of Linnahall. At the open discussion of the new detail planning architect Toomas Paaver draw attention to the building density and shortage of green areas in the new planning 34. It was also offered to demolish the ice arena and build a public square to improve the connection between he harbour and the citycenter. This offer was left out of the planning as this offer is in conflict with the Heritage Protection restrictions for Linnahall that enacts the reconstruction of the ice arena wing. The latest plans include converting Linnhall's former ice rink into multifunctional conference hall, the largest of which will have a capacity of 2,500 seats, a 3,500-seat concert hall and a 500-seat black box theatre, along with a string of shops and restaurants on the sea-facing edge of the building. Renovation had was planned to start this year (2017) and end by 2019 according to the plan of Alianss Arhitektid (2016). 35 Yet again, in March 2017, the Estonian media was writing of corruption allegations that seem to have postponed the deconstruction and reconstruction works. 36On the official we page of Linnahall the subtopic called “renovation” has, for some reason, no content 37. Today, it is 32http://www.delfi.ee/news/paevauudised/eesti/valitsus-toetas-linnahalli-rekonstrueerimise-plaani?id=77186234 33. Tallinna Linnahalli ja lähiala detailplaneering nr: DP009620 34. Tallinna Linnahalli ja lähiala detaetailplaneeringu eskiislahenduse avalikul arutelul laekunud ettepanekud Tallinna Linnahalli ja lähiala detailplaneering nr: DP009620 p38

35 http://linnahall.ee/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/LH_LÜ_ettekanne_06_12_2016.pdf 36 . 1. http://tallinncity.postimees.ee/4044679/tallinn-tunnistas-hinna-tottu-linnahalli-projekteerimishanke-kehtetuks? 2. http://ekspress.delfi.ee/lisalood/ekspressi-arhiivist-linnahalli-projekti-varjutab-susserdamise-kahtlus?id=77084748

37 http://linnahall.ee/en/uncategorized-en/renovation/ 66

more likely that the building will not be reconstructed by 2019, the architect Raine Karp as well as the mayor Taavi Aas were also doubting, as reffered to in the last articles from March 2017.

Timetable and future plans of Linnahall retrieved from http://linnahall.ee/ajakava/ (date unknown) and followed up by the news from Estonian media (2017)

The thoughts of the guard of Linnahall. Stills from the movie “The House Guard”/“Majavalvur” by Ingel Vakla (2015)

4.2 Intermediate Use Concept for Ice Arena Wing of Tallinna Linnahall Using Demolition as a Design Tool Unplanned mid-solutions are one option to keep the neglected buildings active. I believe that in vacant spaces where the signs of natural activity are present should not necessarily be immediately cleaned or demolished but be seen as a quality for congested urban landscape. Temporary use project of this thesis aims to find a solution for the most decayed part of the Linnahall complex, the ice arena wing. The design proposal for Linnahall does not aim to be categorized as a really practical temporary solution rather than propose a process-based concept that emphasizes natural growing and material decaying of the abandoned megastructure and offers an alternative use until the final demolition.

Linnahall is a huge and complex structure. Time has proven, that for Tallinn, the building as a whole is too much to handle, the renovation and demolition both are costly projects. Therefore, a smaller scale mid-planning could be an impulse for changes and put a part of the Linnahall back to public use. The offered mid-planning for the case of Linnahall could be seen as a soft transition between abandonment, demolition and rebuilding. Andres Kurg is asking, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rather than belonging only to the past, can the Linnahall build some sort of continuity between the urban developments of the past and those of the future? More generally, could this case offer a way of going beyond the still prevailing accounts of Eastern European architecture as grim and grey, ugly or weird, and understanding its logic from a different viewpoint?â&#x20AC;? (Kurg, 2012, p 189).

Ice Arena of Tallinna Linnahall in 1980 (unknown author. Retrieved from: http://muis.ee/museaalview/2632251) and 2017 (photo by TĂľnu Tunnel)

The materials and details of abandoned ice rink. Site visit with architecture photographer TĂľnu Tunnel (may 2017)

I do not want to rebelliously destroy the greatest post-industrial building of Estonia, but open it up again trough an intermediate use. I am offering partial demolition of ice arena as a mid-planning project, before the whole wing will be demolished and rebuilt again. The concrete terrace roof and limestone exterior walls of the ice rink will be opened up gradually during the different demolition stages. As the interior and exterior merge, the light and rainwater conditions in the former ice arena improve, the “rewilding process” becomes more visible and plants slowly start to contribute in the demolition process. The demolition is designed following the Heritage Protection restrictions for the site (Muinsuskaitse eritingimusted Tallinna Linnahalli restaureerimiseks ning osaliseks umberehitamiseks (2016)), and the construction logic. Accorting to the Heritage Protection restrictions, the reconstruction of the ice rink part has to follow the historical planning, volume and form, some smaller changes in details are allowed, whereas no interior elements need to be renovated or restored. The function of the roof as a public terrace needs to remain. The possibility to use the public roof terrace will remain, also the possibility to walk across the building to the seaside, although during the different demolition stages the terrace area will be reduced, as it is allowed to create new openings to the roof and improve the landscaping of the terrace roof (2016). 38 The phased demolition reuses some amount of the waste material right at the site to level the ground with additional layers of soil. This kind interim-solution opens the ice rink up to public and allows to restore the concert hall beforehand. The formal ice rink, partially demolished space, could then also work as alternative entrance for the main part of the building – the concert hall. I am not proposing a restoration plan, but a temporary solution for an unknown period – it could be 3, 5, 10 years or even more, depending on the financing and decisions made by the government and the city. The project applies demolition only for the concrete roof and the lime-stone walls, leaving the structure - steel beams and pillars and the concrete tribunes constructed with the pillars - untouched. For controlling the water level additional drainage system has to be added. 38 The heritage prescriptions in from National Heritage Board Archive, address: Raekoja plats 12, Tallinn. Dokument: Muinsuskaitse eritingimusted Tallinnas, Mere pst 20, Tallinna Linnahalli restaureerimiseks ning osaliseks umberehitamiseks (reg nr 8781) (2016).

The structure scheme of Ice Arena wing by author (2017)

Demolition and growth. Stage 1 by author (2017

Demolition and growth. Stage 2 by author (2017)

Demolition and growt. Stage 3 by author (2017)

4.3 Growing Space - Architecture Making Way for Natural Processes in Linnahall

With the help of ecologist Tiiu Koff and biologist Riin Ehin natural species for the site were chosen. The applicable biotype was composed following the concept of spontaneous landscape design â&#x20AC;&#x201C; using fast-growing native plants that would be as self-sustaining as possible. The biotype is formed following the idea of process-based design, creating an urban green area, that is constantly changing. Due to the location at the seashore between the limestone walls the micro-climate in the building is rather humid. Therefore the thesis is offering biotype inherent to wetlands for the area. The concept of wetland is also referring to the history of the site and the freezing and melting waters would offer diverse experiences and possibilities for free-time activities for the visitors throughout the year. Mosses, that are already invading the roofs and stairs of the building are also used for the design concept. Next to the aesthetic qualities, the new â&#x20AC;&#x153;parkâ&#x20AC;? would offer a quiet get-away from city noise or a shelter from cold sea breezes.

The following two chapters are written by ecologist Tiiu Koff for this thesis and will explain the pertinency of the chosen vegetation and biotype:

Growing of mosses in urban environment Mosses are evergreen plants that can grow on various substrates, also on loam, clay or richly amended soils. The exception would be soils with a high sand content preventing a stable surface. Mosses will first need some rhizome attachment at their growing edge before they will send out new branching. Mosses do not like being unattached nor do they like being exposed to air without some surface below them. Smooth surface speeds up rhizome attachment and encourages faster branching. With regards to soil pH, moss will grow in most pH conditions. Adjusting the pH is usually not needed. Mosses are very primitive plants without a higher evolved vascular system. They are limited to energy production by three factors: moisture, sunlight, and temperature but grow all year round, as long as moisture and sunlight are available. The best way to propagate moss is by taking a larger piece and dividing it into smaller pieces, then transplanting them apart from 78

one another and encouraging them to grow together. Once moss has covered a surface it will begin adding new growth in the form of thickness, essentially growing on top of itself.

Temporary urban wetland in the former ice rink Wetlands in urban settings present unique challenges and obstacles largely due to the scale and proximity which increase human interaction with these ecosystems. Despite these challenges wetlands offer a unique opportunity to greatly enhance water quality, remove or degrade pollutants, and provide habitat for wildlife while also offering the potential for recreational and leisure use by humans. The combination of hydrology and vegetation are the two biggest driving factors controlling how a wetland forms, matures, and ultimately looks to the outside observer. The hydrology of the area is essentially a function of the design of the urban setting around it. One of the first steps in the design process is to address the hydrologic regime at the site. With adequate forethought and insightful design it is possible to both minimize necessary management and also facilitate ease of access for maintenance. The second one is to select the plants and they must be suitable for the site, in a particular location's soil moisture content and sun/shade regime. The best choice will be the native plants. Generally, native plants develop extensive root systems, will be best suited to a location's environment, will require less maintenance, and provide more wildlife benefits. Plants serve as the primary producers in the food chain of the wetland ecosystem. Plants are crucial in the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients through the wetland system, and can even effect the physical form of the wetland based on biogeochemical processes. Plants play a pivotal role in the formation of habitat for both micro and macro-organisms from bacteria through higher vertebrates. From a more surficial standpoint, plants are the most dominant visual feature in the wetland and as a result contribute the most to the overall appearance of the wetland. Selection of native emergent macrophytes presented in the below is suitable for the sites with water depth up to 0.6 m and with variable sun/shade regime. These species can grow fast and community could be established in 1-2 years.

Tiiu Koff, senior research fellow from Institute for Ecology of Tallinn University, 2017

Biotype chosen for the Ice Arena. Table1 by Tiiu Koff (2017)

The changes of ground level and vegetation height during the different stages by author (2017)

The ice arena is appropriate venue for public gatherings, e.g concerts as the openings in the walls and roof will create semi-opened wind- and noise protected space that is partly protected from the rains and where the former tribunes could still be used. At the same time the openings in the middle of the terrace roof create a visual connection between the indoor and the outdoor. As the soil is brought on the ground of the ice rink, the mosses and other plants that require less sunlight will grow and start to take over the middle area of the ice rink. During next stages of demolition the area of walkable roof reduces. Instead along with the seasonal changes and changes in vegetation volume over time, the diverse combination of natural landscape allows varied even more activities. The ice rink area will be gradually covered with local vegetation. The interior will be opened up to the sunlight but also to rainfalls, that raise the water level in the middle part of the arena, which will allow growth of the next generation of vegetation - of wetland plants.. By the time the ice arena wing will be opened up fully with the third stage of demolition, the interior is already “flourishing” - that is containing the possible flora suitable for the seaside climate and daylight conditions.

By architect prof. Toomas Tammis abandoned soviet heritage should be dealt with more freedom order to find new uses: “For example, the requirements concerning room microclimate and energy conservation deriving from building standards often mean that it is not possible or sensible to restore these buildings on a one-to-one basis or to utilise them. /.../ it is important that these buildings are put to use again but with relatively extensive leeway, otherwise nothing will happen at all unfortunately,” (Tammis, 2012, p 180). In case of Linnahall it can be argued if phase-by-phase demolition is more practical than the full demolition. Even though, the demolition project that also integrates design to it, might not be easier to conduct, it offers an interim use for public, spatially exiting spectacle and is also a step forward towards the future demolition. The process-based demolition, that is inspired by natural changes offers a different experience throughout the temporary use timeframe. On the other hand, the timeframe of the all three demolition stages does not have to be fixed and can depend on financing of the demolition project and the future plan of the whole building.

Rewildied ice arena by author (2017)

Closure The abandoned spaces, voids of cityscape have proven to be appropriate ground for intermediate use but also for self-seeding urban wilderness. Bringing those aspects together, “Rewilding the Abandoned” is a process-based concept which emphasizes the growth of natural layers in unmaintained spaces order to offer vacancy a new quality. Urban planning is a complicated actor-phased process, where the cities are in constant change. The intermediate planning solution in a case study project “Rewilding Linnahall” focuses on the changes of spatial qualities of indoor and outdoor, seasonal changes and time in constantly developing urban landscape. Ruins and abandoned buildings that have lost their purpose offer a spatial organisation that inspires alternative experiments and unplanned interim uses. The “useless” voids could carry more meanings than an actively used public building. For example, abandoned Linnahall could be seen as an ice arena and concert hall out of function or a grandiose landscape monument; an opportunity for development or a problematic ruin; place of nostalgic feelings or just an obsolescent building. Either way, today its potential is unused and it is rapidly decaying. In parallel, unmaintained abandoned buildings are taken over by urban wilderness, which gradually starts contributing to the demolition processes. Wild nature without humancreated spatial borders is a contrasting environment in built cities. In urban context freely growing vegetation with its destructive character asserts the impermanence of the built space but also inspires unusual practices for dealing with abandoned buildings. For conceptual rewilding project of Linnahall, the demolition is designed for urban wilderness, already visible on the exterior surface, to preoccupy the interior of the Ice Arena. Since the future of the building is uncertain, the thesis project does not set specific dates, but offers a process-oriented, phase-by-phase demotion design tool, emphasizing the spatial changes in an abandoned building. In addition, the project is offering subnatural quality contrasting traditional city parks of Tallinn.

The concept of “Rewilding the Abandoned” could be introduced as one of many alternative 84

concepts for vitalizing the abandoned estates in congested cityscapes, as the simultaneously happening growth and decay would bring new life into the unused buildings. The processes that come along with the rewilding are demolishing the artificial borders man has created to define his urban environment. While doing that the interior, exterior and landscape merge. In bigger picture, this border-breaking practice could also be seen as a way to integrate different spatial disciplines when dealing with problematic cityscape.

Legal acts

Projekt arvestab ettekirjutustega dokumentides: Muinsuskaitse eritingimusted Tallinnas, Mere pst 20, Tallinna Linnahalli restaureerimiseks ning osaliseks ümberehitamiseks (reg nr 8781) (2016) Tallinna Linnahalli ja lähiala detailplaneering nr: DP009620 Tallinna Haljastu tegevuskava 2013-2025 - Kesklinnas tuleb taimkattega ala suurendamiseks võtta kasutusele uuenduslikud võtted, näiteks vertikaalja katusehaljastus. Samuti on probleemne Kesklinna muruala vähenemine, sest linnaosas on taimkattega ala teiste linnaosadega võrreldes vähem. Lahendina näeb tegevuskava nt vertikaalhaljastuse arendamist – samblike, sammalde, sõnajalgade ja teiste taimede kasvatamine hoonete välisseintel, piiretel ja muuridel. (lk 13) - Hooldus ja sellega kaasnevad kulud on problemaatilised, hooldus on alarahastatud. Edaspidi tuleb: eelistada looduslikult reguleeruvaid ruumilahendusi massiivset hooldust nõudvatele; kasutada looduslikku regulatsiooni soosivaid hooldusvõtteid looduslike ja poollooduslike alade hooldussusteemi väljatöötamisel; (lk 28)

Tallinna rohealade teemaplaneering (2008) - Vajalik on muus kasutuses olnud alade kasutuselevõtmine rohealadena (Kopli savikarjäär, Lasnamäe paekarjäär, Pääskula prugila). Paraku on see raskendatud neis piirkondades, mis kõige enam ruumilist mitmekesisust vajaksid – aladel, kus on suur kinnisvaraarenduse surve ning keskkonnatingimused võimaldavad äriliselt otseselt tasuvat kasutust. (lk 82)

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