22.01.2024
Viljo Niit As a senior project manager, Rail Baltic Estonia is leading one of the most complex and responsible sections of work, which is the construction of the RB Ülemiste joint terminal. The construction work on Rail Baltica's most important traffic node, which began last year, will continue until the end of this decade, when our capital will be adorned as a landmark by a world-famous architectural firm Zaha Hadid Architects and Estonians ESPLAN OÜ joint creation. Although the names of the architects will forever mark the history of this building, Viljo is leading the materialization of this intellectual work on the construction site. Looking at the construction activities that are still mostly taking place at ground level today, it is difficult to imagine that in just a few years a new terminal building with a magnificent and unique appearance will be erected on the same site.
Viljo joined the Rail Baltica project in mid-2021, but before that he worked for years in various positions at Nordecon AS, one of the largest construction companies in Estonia, as a work manager, site manager and project manager, and contributed to the completion of several significant buildings. One of the most well-known objects is undoubtedly the Seaplane Hangars of the Estonian Maritime Museum, known to many, or the air harbor, which Viljo helped reconstruct. The air harbor also received the title of Concrete Building of the Year in 2012. There are other award-winning projects that Viljo has been involved in. For example, the building of the Estonian Academy of Internal Affairs in Tallinn was also declared the Concrete Building of the Year in 2019. The joint academic and accommodation building of the Estonian Academy of Internal Affairs and the University of Tartu in Narva won a number of different construction and architectural awards in 2021.
Construction can bring surprises
In addition, Viljo was involved in the construction of the fourth stage of the Rocca al Mare shopping center expansion and the Stroomi Shopping Center. However, apartment buildings have also been built, for example in the Tivoli project, which built 122 new apartments in the Kadriorg area. Viljo mentions that many exciting things happened during this project, which were also covered by the media at the time. Namely, it was during the construction of the Tivoli apartment buildings that the wrecks of two ancient ships, which were named Peeter and Viljo, came to light during the excavation of the foundation pit. The first of these dates back to the 13th century and is now one of the attractions of the Fat Margaret exhibition at the Estonian Maritime Museum. The wreck of the “Viljo”, which dates back to 1487, was placed in the Tallinn shallows near Naissaar, in case future generations wish to conduct additional research on it.
In the Rail Baltica project, Viljo is tasked with organizing the construction work of the Ülemiste passenger terminal building from design to completion.
Viljo admits that he experiences a certain inner awe at the beginning of every big project. “I always wonder if I’m capable of carrying out this project, but life has taught me that you shouldn’t let fear influence you. You have to map out the important activities related to the project and set a deadline for them, then start over. If all the activities are carried out according to plan, then the final result is a completed project,” explains Viljo.
Challenges of Ülemiste
In the case of the Ülemiste project, the biggest challenge is organizing construction work in extremely tight conditions, where it is important to maintain the daily functioning of the city. Viljo cites as an example that the existing train traffic cannot be closed to build the Ülemiste passenger terminal, and moreover, the waiting platform of the Ülemiste railway station must remain open throughout the construction period so that passengers can continue to board and disembark the train. At the same time, the construction of the planned building must be organized under the railway, next to the railway and above the railway. The situation is not made easier by the very busy Suur-Sõjamäe Street next to the railway and the Peterburi Road located a little further away.
Despite all the complexity, Viljo says that he enjoys big challenges and overcoming them. “I feel a genuine joy in my soul when planned activities begin to take shape in cooperation with many parties,” he says. As a recent significant moment, Viljo points out the start of concreting the first foundations of the railway facilities at the Ülemiste passenger terminal just a few weeks ago. “This gave additional confidence that we are on the right track with both the Ülemiste passenger terminal and the entire Rail Baltica project.”
The dream – straight from home to Europe by train
When asked if he himself is waiting for the completion of Rail Baltica, the answer is simple. "My partner and I are really looking forward to the completion of Rail Baltica. We live outside Tallinn near today's railway and we have often thought how great it would be to just walk out the door of our house with a suitcase in hand, walk to the railway station, take the Elron train to Ülemiste and from there the opportunity to travel all over Europe on Rail Baltica would open up," says Viljo, adding that his first trip would be to Riga, our southern neighbours, for the weekend.
When Viljo is not at the Ülemiste terminal construction site, he spends his days with his family as a father of young children and, when possible, tinkers with the necessary construction work at home. In a project of such a large scale, support and sympathy from home are extremely important, and Viljo has been lucky in that. “My family and loved ones are fully involved in my activities, they are proud that I can work on such a large and outstanding project and are informed about my progress on a daily basis. This is evidenced by the fact that the older child knows from childhood that his father is building a railway.”
The article was first published in January 2024 in the Rail Baltica special issue Next Stop.
Read more about how the entire Ülemiste area will change with the completion of the terminal!
How did this story make you feel?
