Tallinn – Canute Garden
Creating a safe, inviting public space with changing lighting scenes
Our pilot project in Tallinn is about creating a park of seasons: the light will change according to seasons, using different possibilities of modern lighting. We also follow a social ambition: bringing life to the park during dark times of the day. The park is a cultural heritage asset and the lighting will also be renewed to create a harmony with the lights of the nearby walls and the tower.
A thematic lighting plan will be developed for all parks of Tallinn’s Bastion Zone. The thematic plan will then be realised in Canute Garden, which is one of the Bastion Zone’s parks. In Canute Garden, old pole lights will be replaced with LED lighting. Furthermore, decorative smart lighting shall be installed to illuminate a fountain, a playground and the main seating area within the park.
Municipality of Tallinn
Representative: Eva Tallo
Characteristics of the pilot site area:
- The park is mostly used in summer at daytime by tourists.
- There have been problems with safety in the park.
- During cold times, nobody uses the park.
- There is a lack of activities in the park.
- No sense of place.
Current lighting situation:
- 37 pcs of 70 W natrium globe lamps are used.
- Only unexciting functional lighting.
- No decorative lighting no fountain lighting.
- The central area cannot be distinguished in the dark.
Aims of the pilot project:
- Increasing energy efficiency by replacing old existing luminaires,
- Increasing the feeling of safety,
- Creating attractive innovative lighting in the centre of the park area using RGBW technology (seating area with fountain),
- Creating a sense of place.
LUCIA pilot site documentation
- The pilotsite reports start with short summary factsheets in english language and further present in local language detailed documentations of the pilot sites with descriptions of works, pictures, results and references to the participation process.
Canute Garden is one of the parks forming a “green belt” around Tallinn’s medieval old town. In 1953, the park was designed as a neo classical park. Canute Garden creates a contrast to the urban modern ambience. Although the park is situated in the middle of Tallinn centre, there have been problems with hooligan gangs. Results of public questionnaires indicate that the feeling of safety is low in the area.
The LUCIA pilot project in Tallinn aims at raising the feeling of safety, at replacing old lightings solutions by modern ones and at creating an attractive inviting urban place with a strong identity.
In November 2019, the municipality of Tallinn launched an open call for ideas for a general lighting conception for all six Bastion Zone parks. The work “Echoes“ submitted by Finnish VALOA Design Ltd. was chosen as the winner in that competition. The winner of the competition will now provide a schematic design project for Canute Garden. Electrical design and construction procurement will follow after that. After completing the Canute Garden lighting project, the city will continue with the other parks of the green belt around the old town and also install smart, energy-efficient lighting there.
Project manager is Eva Tallo, lighting designer and chief specialist of city lighting at the Engineering Unit of Tallinn Urban Environment and Public Works Department. Also other departments of the city are involved in the project.
