Today’s Põhjala Factory is a hub of culture and creativity — a place where everyone can find a way to take part. The development and renovation of the district go hand in hand with concerts, performances, comedy nights, markets, and festivals.

Active life in the area began in 2019, when the first tenants moved into the old factory buildings. What was once a long-abandoned industrial site has been transformed — today it is full of colour, greenery, fresh ideas, and growing community life.

One of Põhjala’s core values is reuse: materials and objects found on site are incorporated into new solutions, while existing structures are altered as little as possible. Walls are left unpainted, trees are preserved, and every new idea is created in dialogue with what was already here.

Equally important is community-building — with cleanup days, hikes, coffee mornings, the Sohvakadeemia (Sofa Academy) lecture series, open studios, pop-up shops, and more.

One of the most ambitious and symbolic developments in the area has been the transformation of a former repair, chemical, and storage building into a residential complex. Step through the alley and you’ll see this striking new landmark rising before you. The original concrete frame was preserved, while height and volume were added. Most of the building now consists of apartments, with shared amenities such as a laundry room and a rooftop garden. The ground floor along the pedestrian street houses studios and office spaces. The rounded forms of the roof were inspired by the curved ceilings of the historic shipbuilding halls across the street.

In 2024, the building received two major accolades: the Architect of the Year Award from the Estonian Association of Architects and the Architecture Endowment Annual Award from the Estonian Cultural Endowment.

The building was designed by architects Karli Luik, Johan Tali, and Harry Klaar (Molumba), with interiors by Aet Grigorjev and Kadi Laur (Pink), and landscape architecture by Kino Maastikuarhitektid.