The Arter quarter is open
The Arter quarter, with a total of 44,000 m² of rental space and a total investment of over 160 million euros, has opened in Tallinn city centre today. Various companies are moving into the 15-storey Arter office building, while Bob W apartment hotel has been operating in the 9-storey building since summer. Interior works continue of the 28-storey building, where Swedbank’s head office will move next year.
“The Arter quarter is the most complex and the largest development project in terms of investment in the history of the Kapitel. The story of the project started for us with the purchase of the land plot in 2015, and its development and construction fell into a very challenging period. I am proud that we have been able to overcome them together with our good and professional partners. Today’s opening of the quarter is an important milestone in a long journey – one building is completely finished, the interior works of the second building are in the final stages, and the interior works continue in the highest building, where Swedbank’s headquarters will move next year,” said Taavi Ojala, CEO of Kapitel.
“When completed, the quarter will be a daily working environment for almost 3,000 people. We would like to thank all the companies that have moved in and are moving in for their trust in us, and we will continue to contribute to creating a first-class working environment,” added Taavi Ojala. The office space has a first-class indoor climate, air ventilation, and a clear floor height of at least three metres. Raised floors allow tenants to quickly and conveniently change the layout of their space if necessary.
Arter uses environmentally friendly and cost-effective energy solutions. The 285 energy piles provide about 30% of the district’s heating needs and about 70% of its cooling needs, with district heating and district cooling covering the rest. The office space in the Arter quarter is 98% leased, with only around 1,000 square metres of office space still available.
“Our aim is to create a 5-minute city in Arter and bring in the services that people need on a daily basis, saving them hours of valuable time every week. I’m delighted that two of Estonia’s top chefs have opened their new restaurant here. In addition, we have a co-working area, a book and flower shop, health clinics, a beauty salon and a sports club and swimming pool for employees of the tenants,” added Allan Remmelkoor, Project Director of Kapitel.
Jaan Mäe, CEO of Merko Ehitus Eesti, the main contractor of the Arter quarter, said: “The Arter quarter has been an extremely interesting project for Merko. The client’s wishes are high, with maximum attention paid to the well-being of the future users of the building. We applaud the client’s decision to invest in finding solutions for the future, rather than the so-called “yesterday’s solutions”. The construction takes nearly four and a half years, with several thousand people contributing. We would like to thank all those who have helped Merko to build Arter.”
Award-winning chef Vladislav Djatšuk opened his new restaurant VÕIVÕI on the ground floor of the Arter office building and in the atrium, bakery and restaurant Aroma was opened by Falstaff’s Chef of the Year Silver Saa. In addition, Rahva Raamat and a flower shop Decoration and Fleur are open in the atrium of the quarter. The Arter office building also houses variety of businesses offering everyday services: the Spaces flexible office and co-working space, City Tervisekliinik, Ogen eye clinic, the Arter Salon beauty salon, and the Arter sports club and swimming pool for tenants in the quarter.
The tenants of the 15-storey Arter office building are law firms TGS Baltic, WALLESS and TARK, audit and certification company Bureau Veritas, shipping trading services company Bunker Partner, real estate investment company Estateguru, wholesale trading company N.G.P Europe, financial technology company Depowise and Tervisekassa.
The architect of the Arter quarter is Martin Aunin, the interior architect is Arhitekt11, the interior architect of the sports club and the swimming pool is ArtAku Sisearhitektuuribüroo. Merko is the general contractor for the whole quarter. The near-zero energy buildings, with environmentally friendly energy solutions, have been designed and built to the international BREEAM Excellent standard.
The quarter has a total of nearly 400 parking spaces and an indoor bicycle parking with more than 100 spaces, together with changing rooms and shower facilities. Today, the new Veski Street and the renovated Imanta Street have been completed. A city park, open to the public, is under construction on the site of the former Härjapea riverbed behind the quarter’s buildings.