Liivalaia Cable Park

Authors: Ann Kristiin Entson, Hannes Aava
Photos: Elena Ruudi
Location: Tallinn Liivalaia Street, Estonia
Project completion: Oct 2024

About:

The cable park is a temporary greenspace set to replace a current parking lot next to the former Liivala Courthouse soon to be demolished. The park is entering the construction tender phase soon with hopes that most of the construction materials can be sourced from de demolition of the courthouse. The central design concept is to visualize the underground utility cables and pipes to acknowledge to visually articulate their contradictory nature: at the same time vital for the city’s management but also occasionally obstacles in design and construction. The park features a skate element to accommodate this segment of urban users who have been so far systematically driven out of most public spaces in Tallinn.

The planting design is made up of drought-resistant plants that are favoured by wild bee species living in Tallinn. The flower beds feature an experiment with the upper layers of soil being mixed with gravel to train further drought-resistance in the plants.

Reused materials:
1. Trellis for climbing plants: from the Liivalaia courthouse (former window grilles)
2. Concrete stepping stones: former paving stones of the Old Town
3. Granite flowerbed borders: remaining curbstones from the Tallinn streetworks
4. Gabion filling (limestone): remnants of the foundation excavation from the Fahle quarter construction site