Rotermann Quarter, City block in Sadama, Tallinn, Estonia
Rotermann Quarter is a redeveloped district that combines restored industrial buildings from the 19th and early 20th centuries with modern glass and steel structures, creating a mixed-use area with shops, restaurants, offices, and residential units spanning over 540,000 square feet (50,000 square meters).
Originally established in 1828 as a trading courtyard for building materials by Christian Abraham Rotermann, the area grew into one of Tallinn's largest industrial districts by the early 20th century, housing factories and food processing plants before declining during the Soviet occupation and undergoing redevelopment starting in the early 2000s.
The district gained cultural recognition when Soviet director Andrei Tarkovsky filmed scenes from his 1979 movie Stalker among its abandoned industrial structures, and today it hosts annual celebrations including Christmas festivities with carol singing and a tree lighting ceremony on the main square.
The quarter offers approximately 600 underground parking spaces for residents and visitors, with ground-floor commercial spaces accessible from pedestrian streets, while vehicle access is restricted mainly to emergencies and underground garages to maintain walkable street life.
The Carpenter's Workshop building completed in 2009 retains its original limestone structure but adds distinctive vertical glass towers inspired by industrial cooling towers, creating a striking architectural element that was nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award.
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