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Pylon re-design shortlist unveiled

September 15 2011

Pylon re-design shortlist unveiled
A competition to redesign the all pervasive British electricity pylon has seen six new entries shortlisted for the £10k prize – and a possibility of being used by the National Grid for future expansion of the network.

Since May architects, engineers, students and designers have been beavering away on a range of aesthetic alternatives to the lumpen grey lattice which presently defile much of our countryside.

Six of their efforts have now been shortlisted for the prize with the winner to be announced shortly after October 5.

The Pylon Design Competition is being run by the RIBA in association with the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the National Grid.

Knight Architects entry (pictured) is a distinctive Y competition – but will it end up in front?

Arup are responsible for this sail shaped design
Arup are responsible for this sail shaped design
Bystrup - Architecture, design & engineering have opted for a Telegraph pole-alike T composition
Bystrup - Architecture, design & engineering have opted for a Telegraph pole-alike T composition

Gustafson Porter with Atelier One and Pfisterer have come up with this flowery concoction
Gustafson Porter with Atelier One and Pfisterer have come up with this flowery concoction
New Town Studio and the Structure Workshop collaborated on this perforated cylinder
New Town Studio and the Structure Workshop collaborated on this perforated cylinder

This entry from Ian Ritchie Architects plumps for a simple solo pylon
This entry from Ian Ritchie Architects plumps for a simple solo pylon

2 Comments

Colin O’Donoghue
#1 Posted by Colin O’Donoghue on 16 Sep 2011 at 09:30 AM
I was delighted to be informed by RIBA that my Rebel-Relic Pylosaur pylon was the runner up to the six finalists. I was also at the presentation at the V&A. My vote goes to the T pylon, it is as minimal as can be, practical, half the price of a regular pylon and is the only pylon created by specialist pylon designers. They are Danish and fun guys, they deserve to win. I was commissioned to design a clock for Lego so I love Denmark. The worst you can say is it’s dull but who cares, it's a pylon not a diamond ring. However the T Pylon does lack maintenance gantries as do all the others so I guess any maintenance has to be done by crane or helicopter.

I don’t think any of the others stand a chance of going into production on costs alone, in my view all are style over content and most seem to me to be incapable of mass-production, unless you want to risk going bankrupt trying. If you want a quick idea of what the brief was all about go to my site, it’s all there, easily explained and it is a fascinating brief.

I'm not an architect but a product designer who has worked extensively with Disney, Warners, Hasbro and Mattel character merchandise and I hope it shows. Whatever else they are, Pylosaurs are the only killer pylons in the contest - check them out.

Who knows what will actually be produced but pray that Pylosaurs aren’t unleashed to roam the Earth, they are far too dangerous. However they are as cheap as chips, assemble faster than an Ikea wardrobe without the need for a telescopic crane and are portable.

http://www.pylosaur.com/
me
#2 Posted by me on 29 Sep 2011 at 11:59 AM
Colin O’Donoghue,

May be the cost of raising polyons should be high as a result better design. This might force the elec. companies to considering other options such as installing underground, etc.

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