Kadriorg Park playground renovation to highlight history and heritage
The playground in Kadriorg Children's Park, located next to the Miiamilla Children's Museum, is set to undergo a €100,000 redevelopement to highlight the area's heritage and make the 1930s slide the site's central feature.
The park belongs to Tallinn City Museum and procurement specialist Reeli Kork told ERR the facility is under significant public scrutiny because it is located close to the presidential palace. Both conservation and environmental considerations must be taken into account in the new design.
"We have planned one year for studies and design. If we can complete the design by May next year, an expert review must follow, and according to the current forecast, it should be completed by the summer of 2028," she explained.
The main focus is on ensuring a very high-quality construction project and that all play elements are custom-made. Construction work on the site could be completed within a couple of months.
The central landmark of the planned play and activity area will be a historic light blue slide, built in 1936–1937, which has survived to this day. The slide is still in use, but is considered dangerous by modern standards.
"We had two options on the table: either the National Heritage Board would allow us to modify it delicately — adding some detail or plexiglass — or, if the board had said no, we would have turned it into a kind of monument with more strictly restricted access. However, the Heritage Board allowed us to make it safer," Kork said.
The city museum was very pleased with the decision, as it allows the unique and valuable slide to be preserved while also prioritizing children's safety.
The new project will also fix problems with a fountain at the site, which is constantly clogged as children fill it with sand.
The estimated cost of the initiated design procurement is €100,000, which includes studies and design work, and the funding will come from Tallinn's budget.
Kork said the city's Environment and Public Works Department will do a lot of the work, as the city museum is more experienced in exhibitions and educational programs. The sketch design and planning stages will also include public consultation.
There is little that can be changed about the small amusement park next to the playground, as it is built on private land, although Tallinn has requested that maintenance issues be resolved.
--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Helen Wright
