We took part in the conceptual design competition for the Lidl store in Valga with an entry we titled ‘Kuma’.
The new store was planned to be built on the corner of Vabaduse 38 and Võru 1 in Valga. In planning the use of urban space in the architectural concept we took into account the reconstructed corner building, the surrounding car and pedestrian environment, the need for two entrances and exits from the site and durable materials that would require minimal maintenance. We also focussed on the variations in elevation on the site.
Our main aim in preserving the existing corner building, which is an iconic example of urban architecture, was to visually enclose Vabaduse Street as a traditional destination in the town and to mark out the corner of Jaama and Võru streets. In the evenings the building would be lit in the same way that a prized sculpture would be.
The space between the store and the corner building was planned to serve as a multipurpose attraction/traversable ‘park’ which people of all ages would enjoy for its benches, landscaping and recreational features.
The glass facade on the north-facing side of the store opens up to a ‘forecourt’. This glass surface is crowned with a projecting eave on a curved lightweight structure, echoing the winding paths leading to the building’s entrance, the curvature of the park and the circular shape of the intersection’s verdant roundabout.
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