Volta SKAI, Tallinn’s new landmark, tops out

On Wednesday, 7 October, real estate developer Endover held a topping-out ceremony to celebrate the Volta SKAI high-rise duo reaching its full height. The area’s only high-rise development now stands out clearly on the city skyline, and the first apartments will be completed as early as this autumn. Alongside the traditional topping-out celebration, the event featured discussions on how artificial intelligence is changing real estate development and what makes a good home today.

The Volta SKAI high-rise duo, rising in the historic Volta residential and business quarter, has reached a milestone in its development, with the first homes and businesses set to be completed this year. The traditional topping-out wreath was duly in place, and for the first time guests were able to visit the building under construction, which offers a 360-degree view of the sea, the Old Town, the city-centre towers and the greenery of the Kopli peninsula.  

“Volta SKAI reaching its full height is an important milestone not just for one building but for the entire Volta Quarter, which we have been developing for ten years now. Tallinn’s skyline now shows what only a few years ago existed solely on drawings: a former industrial area is turning into a revitalised district right next to the city centre,” said Endover CEO Roul Tutt. 

“Today, people are not looking for mere square metres but for a complete living environment that is quiet and green, yet has everything they need close at hand. In Volta, this is not a promise for the future but an environment that already exists. A family doctors’ centre has also recently opened in the quarter, so one of the most essential everyday services – alongside the sports, childcare and dining options already in place – is now quite literally on residents’ doorstep. We will also soon open the fully modernised Kalaranna–Tööstuse–Krulli signalised junction, an important step in improving mobility in the area,” Tutt said.

Buyers judge a home by its surroundings too

The topping-out event hosted several discussions on what kind of urban space buyers are looking for, where the Estonian real estate market is heading and what shapes development processes. Speakers stressed that quality today means more than good build quality, which every buyer expects anyway. Increasingly, people value the home and its living environment as a whole: light, views, a logical layout, proximity to services, mobility options and the surrounding urban space – and also how the home meets residents’ changing needs over the years.

“A good home does not come from solving a single room, but from getting the whole right. Architecture and layout must serve a purpose, with every decision, from the siting of the building to the interior layout of the apartment, supporting the way people actually live there. We create lifetime homes that suit a young family as well as an older person or someone with special needs. This means, for example, wider doorways and easy movement both within the building and around the quarter,” Tutt explained.

In the view of Endover’s CEO, Tallinn offers worthy alternatives to a private house, as a large city home provides just as much space and privacy, with everything needed close by. That is why large apartments are increasingly preferred by those moving back to the city from a private house, too. Volta SKAI sales bear this out: most of the large apartments and upper-floor SKAI Villas have already found owners, and their interior layouts are being designed together with each buyer to suit their wishes.

Artificial intelligence in real estate development

The second main topic of discussion was the use of artificial intelligence in real estate development, something Endover has been working on for quite some time. Endover’s Head of Innovation Dmitri Garbuzenko explained how the company uses AI in practice and what opportunities it creates in real estate development. Taking a developer’s practical perspective, the panel discussed the benefits as well as the challenges and risks of AI, and shared examples of how AI has been applied in developing Volta SKAI.

“Technology is developing so fast today that the real estate and construction sector has to keep pace with it too. At the same time, AI is only useful if the team knows what a good result looks like. It does not replace experience, professionalism or good taste – it amplifies them. When routine work gets done faster, architects and engineers have more time for what truly creates value for residents,” said Garbuzenko.

In the development of Volta SKAI, AI creates value above all as an auditor. It checks project documents such as construction schedules, budgets and procurement tables, looks for inconsistencies and prepares risk analyses that used to be done by hand. AI also helps analyse design briefs that bring together input from specialists in different fields, such as ventilation and interior architecture. This makes it possible to pinpoint where different parts of the design might conflict with one another.

“This way, we catch potential errors or inconsistencies at the desk, before they ever reach the construction site. AI runs the checks and raises the flag, but the decision is always made – and the responsibility always borne – by a person. For us, this is above all a matter of quality control and quality assurance,” Garbuzenko added.

About Volta SKAI

Volta SKAI is located in the Volta Quarter, which has a 125-year history, and consists of two 12-storey towers with a total area of 18,600 m². The duo will house a total of 111 apartments, ranging from 35 to 340 square metres, featuring ceilings up to 3.8 metres high, floor-to-ceiling windows and architecture built around curved corner balconies and terraces, with commercial premises to complement them. The first apartments in the high-rise duo will be completed in autumn 2026. The project’s architecture was designed by ARS Projekt, the main contractor is Metropoli Ehitus and the developer is Endover.

About the Volta Quarter

 The Volta Quarter is part of the Volta, Krulli and Noblessner area, where former factory blocks have given way to modern urban space. Its historic industrial heritage has turned it into a new “golden mile” of the real estate market, and for the third year running it has been Tallinn’s most sought-after new residential and business district. For just as long, according to Citify, the Volta Quarter has been Tallinn’s most popular new development by both sales turnover and the number of apartments sold, and the trend is continuing this year.

The area’s popularity is also reflected in the market figures. In the first eight months of 2026, Tallinn’s new-build market picked up moderately, and the average price per square metre sold rose by 6% to nearly €5,000. In Põhja-Tallinn, new-build sales turnover grew by as much as 20% year on year, and the average price per square metre stands at €5,546. Endover ranks first in Tallinn’s new-build market by sales turnover for the first eight months of the year. The company’s sales turnover from new transactions accounts for almost a tenth of the entire market, and its average price per square metre sold is €6,085. Tallinn’s largest known new-build transactions in 2025 and 2026 were also concluded at Volta SKAI, worth €2.5 million and nearly €4 million respectively.

The private and secure quarter operates on the principle of the “15-minute city”, meaning that everything needed for everyday life is within walking distance. Volta HUB, completed at the end of last year, is home to the largest MyFitness sports club in Põhja-Tallinn, and the quarter also has a padel club. The area also offers cafés, shops, a bakery, childcare and a recently opened family doctors’ centre, with a kindergarten on the way. At the heart of the quarter lies a 15,000-square-metre park planted with trees.