Iceland Square, located in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Tallinn, was formally opened on Friday with a new Iceland‑inspired appearance.
Among those attending the opening were Iceland's president Halla Tómasdóttir, Estonia's president Alar Karis, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna and Tallinn mayor Peeter Raudsepp.
For the 35th anniversary of Estonia's restoration of independence, Iceland Square was refurbished and received a new landscape design.
The new design is inspired by Iceland's nature and architecture and helps make the symbolic meaning of the place more visible. The solution, created through cooperation between the Tallinn Urban Planning Department and the Central District Administration, gives the square a new look and creates opportunities to use the urban space more than before.
The project authors are architect Markus Puidak from the chief architect's office of the Tallinn Urban Planning Department and landscape architect Maire Suimets from the Environment and Communal Services Department. The concept authors are Artur Raik, Riina Parve, Katariina Kangro and Madis Keerd.
The landscape construction work on Iceland Square was carried out by Ardens OÜ. The cost of the work was 59,192 euros, of which 12,400 euros was co‑financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Iceland was the first country in the world to recognize Estonia's restored independence on 22 August 1991. To commemorate this historic event, the area between Rävala Street and Theatre Square was named Iceland Square in 1998.
During the Soviet period, a statue of Vladimir Lenin stood in the same area.
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Editor: Marko Tooming, Argo Ideon