Frequently Asked Questions

Marienberg is a future neighbourhood in central Tallinn, located in the Kadriorg district along Pirita Road. It will create a cohesive living and leisure environment for 300 families, as well as for local residents and visitors.

Marienberg will feature two-to-six-storey urban villa-style apartment buildings, a six-group municipal kindergarten, a grocery store and a pedestrian-friendly main street with small shops and services. The aim is to bring long-awaited neighbourhood services to the area and improve everyday living conditions.

More than 55% of the area will be green space. Marienberg will include green spaces with lush vegetation and a park-like promenade connecting Maarjamäe and Kadriorg parks, creating a continuous green corridor and a cohesive, nature-oriented environment.

The development follows the principles of the Tallinn 2035 Development Strategy and the 15-minute city concept, with a strong focus on pedestrian- and cycle-friendly design, as well as a high-quality urban and living environment.

Demolition of the existing buildings is scheduled to begin in summer 2026. Construction of the first phase is also planned to commence during the same year. Marienberg will take shape gradually, with the full development expected to be completed over the course of 7–10 years.

The first phase will deliver a grocery store and kindergarten, addressing the most immediate needs of current local residents. Each subsequent phase will build upon the previous one, gradually creating a well-rounded and diverse living environment.

Buildings, infrastructure and the urban environment must meet people’s expectations for decades to come, which is why every decision must be carefully considered and thoroughly planned. Marienberg has been in planning for over 14 years, developed in collaboration with the city, experts and the local community. During this time, Metro has reduced the scale of development and refined the design solutions to ensure a living environment that respects its surroundings and meets people’s expectations.

The total investment is approximately €150 million.

The planning of the Marienberg neighbourhood has been guided by the wider context between Maarjamäe and Kadriorg, with the aim of creating a cohesive, scenic and highly valued environment. The area is home to the Song Festival Grounds, the Flower Pavilion and the Restaurant Tuljak, as well as several museums. The area has also seen substantial residential development over the past decade. However, it has not yet developed into a fully integrated living environment with everyday amenities – there is no grocery store, kindergarten or inviting public space.

The planning has been based on city studies and an anthropological mapping commissioned by Metro as the developer, which highlighted the expectations of local residents.

People value:

• greenery and a close connection to nature;
• convenient connections to parks, the sea and the city centre;
• local services and amenities;
• pedestrian- and cycle-friendly urban space.

To find the best solution, we launched an international architectural competition aimed at selecting a design that would feature abundant greenery in the form of both mature trees and community gardens, spacious recreational areas and landscaping solutions that create separation between neighbouring plots. The winning entry was submitted by the internationally renowned ALA Architects (www.ala.fi) whose bold and distinctive design took into account both the historical value of the area and contemporary urban planning principles.

Marienberg adds significant architectural value to the Pirita Promenade and the wider urban landscape of Tallinn. The green promenade will help connect the recreational areas of Maarjamäe and the Song Festival Grounds and, in the future, will also make it possible to reroute the Song Festival procession back towards Pirita Road.

A harmonious and sustainable movement corridor will emerge, stretching from the sea through Maarjamäe to Kadriorg Park, lined with cultural landmarks and green spaces, offering residents and visitors a cohesive and welcoming urban environment.

More than 55% of the Marienberg area will be landscaped, a significantly higher share than in most new developments in Tallinn. The result will be an open, publicly accessible green urban space.

The design is based on the expectations of central Tallinn residents, offering green areas, cycling paths, pedestrian connectivity and improved use of the waterfront.

The Marienberg green promenade will offer opportunities for urban gardening, sport and leisure activities. Pocket parks, community gardens and generous recreational areas will be created, which will be transferred to city ownership upon completion and remain in public use.

The green promenade will connect Maarjamäe and Kadriorg parks, offering a quieter, more nature-oriented route parallel to Pirita Road. A green area with mature trees will be created between Marienberg and the existing private houses, which ensures privacy and creates a cosy atmosphere.

The floor area ratio of Marienberg (0.6 m²) is 2.5 times lower than the average in central Tallinn, creating a spacious and green living environment.

There is currently no kindergarten in the Kadriorg and Pirita areas of central Tallinn, despite a long-standing need from local families.

Based on a study by the Tallinn Education and Urban Planning Department, a six-group municipal kindergarten will be built in Marienberg, providing places for up to 120 children and meeting the area’s actual demand.

The kindergarten will be completed in the first development phase, together with the grocery store.

Metro will provide all necessary infrastructure for the kindergarten (valued at €1.1 million) and transfer a 4,000 m² plot of land to city ownership.

No – on the contrary, the kindergarten is intended primarily for families already living in the area, whose need exists today, not in the future.

City government projections indicate that approximately 70% of the spots will be taken up by children living in the surrounding neighbourhoods.

Marienberg itself is expected to account for only around 1.5 groups of children or roughly 30% of the kindergarten places.

This means the kindergarten will primarily address the current local shortfall in childcare provision, rather than the needs generated by the development itself.

In the Kadriorg and Maarjamäe neighbourhoods along Pirita Road, there are currently no local neighbourhood services, despite the fact that more than 300 households live in the area.

Marienberg will bring to the area:

• a grocery store,
• a six-group kindergarten,
• a pedestrian-friendly main street with small shops and services.

In planning the solutions, Metro has drawn on the 2019 central Tallinn district resident engagement and baseline study conducted by the Tallinn Urban Planning Department, as well as a mapping study commissioned from the Centre of Anthropology, which identified the real expectations and needs of local residents:

• better access to services;
• a nature-oriented, multifunctional urban neighbourhood;
• expanded use of the waterfront (cafés, outdoor stages and leisure spaces).

The 2023 migration and population forecast by the Tallinn Strategic Management Office confirms a continued shift in the development of the city centre towards the sea, highlighting the need for high-quality infrastructure to maintain a vibrant and family-friendly environment.

An official city traffic study shows that Marienberg accounts for only 0.4% of traffic in the area. The greater traffic load is generated by commuters from Viimsi, not Marienberg.

Kadriorg and Pirita are attractive residential areas and these 300 families would have moved to the area regardless, but further from the city centre, contributing to higher car traffic and longer commuting times.

Marienberg helps to reduce traffic load because:

• connections to the city centre are short and convenient,
• cycle and pedestrian paths provide alternative modes of transport,
• public transport links are strong,
• most parking is located underground.

As a result, dependence on cars will decrease and pedestrian safety and mobility will improve.

Although the detailed spatial plan for Marienberg was completed before the new co-financing regulation of the city for public buildings came into force, Metro has voluntarily decided to contribute to the public space of Tallinn in line with other projects.

The contribution of Metro to the infrastructure of the city exceeds €2 million. This includes:

• €1.1 million in infrastructure investments;
• a 4,000 m² area for the kindergarten (with a market value of over €500,000);
• the construction of the kindergarten and utility networks of the area;
• the establishment of public recreational areas to be transferred to city ownership.

The wider objective of the development supports the 15-minute city vision of Tallinn: Marienberg creates a clearly defined and functional neighbourhood identity, which is currently lacking in the area and which local residents have long been waiting for.

No. The Song Festival is of immeasurable value to Estonia and Marienberg does not in any way prevent it from taking place.

Between the Song Festival Grounds and Marienberg lie private plots and existing buildings. A large number of people have been living in the area for many years and new developments have never prevented large-scale public events from taking place.

Marienberg:

• does not introduce anything that would interfere with the Song Festival events,
• replaces the deteriorated fair centre with publicly accessible green spaces,
• creates a green promenade that supports the future development of the Song Festival Grounds,
• enhances the natural character and attractiveness of the area.

For years, Metro has taken into account the current needs of the Song Festival Grounds and has enabled the catering of participants in the exhibition halls. However, the current deteriorating fair centre buildings have reached the end of their service life and maintaining them in their current form would make them dangerous for performers in the future.

This situation, and the overall solution, is well supported by the Song Festival Grounds’ own preliminary design, which shows that the best and safest solutions for catering and logistics should be located within the Song Festival Grounds themselves, where there is sufficient space for such facilities. A comprehensive spatial plan will also make it possible in the future to reroute the Song Festival procession back towards Pirita Road.

The buildings of the Estonian Fair Centre have reached the end of their service life and no longer meet the requirements of modern fairs. Their technical condition makes renovation impractical.

In Scandinavia, it is common for fair centres to be located outside city centres, where they can provide extensive outdoor space – something the Pirita Road complex does not offer.

Demolition of the buildings is scheduled to begin in late summer 2026. After this, the area can be transformed into a modern and cohesive urban environment.

The closure of the Estonian Fair Centre marks the end of an era, but also creates the opportunity to establish a new, green and well-functioning living environment in the heart of Tallinn.

Future catering solutions for Song Festival participants will be developed within the Song Festival Grounds, which are better suited and safer for this purpose.