Urbanisation Studio 2021
Master of Urban Studies
Estonian Academy of Arts

Gravel screeches under our feet as we approach the almost unnoticeable hole in a fence next to Kopli Mägi. A number of slow-paced bikers enter the field one by one, trying to gain the necessary momentum to push their bikes to the top of the hill. From the peak of the mountain, the hole seems like a portal. A hidden gate. A secret entrance into a vast land where time seems encapsulated and suspended. Where time unfolds vertically rather than horizontally in narrow labyrinths of underground bunker structures. The sea murmurs, the sand echoes, and in the ground under our feet — the soil-covered waste — lies as a reminiscence of the interventionist character of Paljassaare’s geographical development. Yet, along the beaten tracks there is a sense of urgency accompanied by delicate fragility. What landscape will open up to us when we reach the lonely stones on the top of the hill? ... read more 

                 

The first half of the studio was about collecting information and deepening our knowledge about Paljassaare through extensive research on many different layers, topics and scales. Our main task was to scan every possible resource, explore Paljassaare on site and read ourselves through the city's archives to uncover connecting narratives and logics. The mid-term public output took the shape of a guided bike tour, for which we had to refine our knowledge in order to share it with others. For this public event we ... read more