Põhjala Factory
Põhjala Factory takes part in Open House Tallinn. Admission is free. Tours require advance registration.
- Address
- Marati tänav 5, Tallinn, Eesti
- Open
- Sat, 10. October
- Tours
- Sat, 10. October: 12:00, 13:30
- Tour languages
- eesti
- Architects
- 1915
- Max. visitors
- 25
The tour takes you behind the scenes of everyday life at the Põhjala factory and opens doors to places an ordinary visitor rarely reaches. We step into the studios and workspaces of the creative people working here, meet them, and look at how a former industrial complex has grown into a distinctive creative environment and community. At the centre of the tour are not only the buildings but the people and their relationship with space. We talk about what draws creative people to former industrial areas, how the character and price level of the spaces shape who can work here, and how a sense of community arises between people from very different fields. We also discuss what happens to creative quarters as their popularity grows: how to keep a balance between development, economic sustainability and space that remains affordable for creative practitioners. During the tour we also visit the roof garden of Ankru 8. The building is a good example of how industrial heritage can be given an entirely new function by combining a factory milieu with contemporary architecture. Completed in 2024, the reconstruction received both the Annual Architecture Prize of the Estonian Association of Architects and the annual prize of the architecture endowment of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia. Through Ankru 8 we also take a closer look at how a layer of living has been added alongside work and cultural spaces on the former industrial grounds of the Põhjala factory, and how this changes the nature of the whole area. The tour thus weaves together the industrial past of the Põhjala factory, today’s creative community and the new residential environment, along with broader questions of urban planning: how do creative quarters come about, who are they meant for, and how can their diversity be preserved as a former fringe area becomes ever more attractive? The tour is led by Kaari Põlder, brand manager of the Põhjala factory and a master of urban governance, who knows the factory both from its daily workings and from a researcher’s perspective.
In front of Karjase Sai.
Open House Tallinn