The pylons, they are a-changing
Government-backed competition seeks a new design to cope with swathes of green energy coming onto the grid.
They cover the countryside in huge numbers yet go almost unnoticed, but that may be about to change. Yes, the humble pylon, a symbol of the march of modernity across the UK for more than 80 years, is to undergo a revamp.
If a new competition launched today follows the same lines as those in Italy and Iceland, we could soon see steel giants or soaring tree-like sculptures replace Sir Reginald Blomfield’s classic steel lattice, which has remained almost unchanged since 1927.
There are more than 88,000 pylons in the UK, around a quarter of which are on the National Grid’s main transmission network in England and Wales. The majority are about 50 metres high, tip the scales at 30 tonnes and transport up to 400,000 volts of electricity across the country’s least-hospitable landscapes.
But increasing amounts of low-carbon generation coming online in remote or coastal areas demands that new infrastructure is built to bring green electricity to homes, businesses and factories.
So the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), the National Grid and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) are calling for architects to submit new designs that can cope with future electricity needs and are sympathetic with the UK countryside.
The winning design will scoop a £10,000 prize fund and be given “serious consideration” by the National Grid to develop for future projects.
“The dual challenge of climate change and energy security puts us on the brink of a new energy construction age,” said energy and climate change secretary Chris Huhne. “It’s crucial that we seek the most acceptable ways of accommodating infrastructure in our natural and urban landscapes.”
The competition is open from today until 12 July. A shortlist will be selected by the end of the month and posted on the competition website, before being displayed as part of London Design Festival at the V&A museum in September.
A judging panel including Huhne, Nick Winser, the National Grid’s UK executive director, and Sir Mark Jones, director of the V&A, will choose the overall winner in October.
By Will Nichols
They cover the countryside in huge numbers yet go almost unnoticed, but that may be about to change. Yes, the humble pylon, a symbol of the march of modernity across the UK for more than 80 years, is to undergo a revamp.
If a new competition launched today follows the same lines as those in Italy and Iceland, we could soon see steel giants or soaring tree-like sculptures replace Sir Reginald Blomfield’s classic steel lattice, which has remained almost unchanged since 1927.
There are more than 88,000 pylons in the UK, around a quarter of which are on the National Grid’s main transmission network in England and Wales. The majority are about 50 metres high, tip the scales at 30 tonnes and transport up to 400,000 volts of electricity across the country’s least-hospitable landscapes.
But increasing amounts of low-carbon generation coming online in remote or coastal areas demands that new infrastructure is built to bring green electricity to homes, businesses and factories.
So the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), the National Grid and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) are calling for architects to submit new designs that can cope with future electricity needs and are sympathetic with the UK countryside.
The winning design will scoop a £10,000 prize fund and be given “serious consideration” by the National Grid to develop for future projects.
“The dual challenge of climate change and energy security puts us on the brink of a new energy construction age,” said energy and climate change secretary Chris Huhne. “It’s crucial that we seek the most acceptable ways of accommodating infrastructure in our natural and urban landscapes.”
The competition is open from today until 12 July. A shortlist will be selected by the end of the month and posted on the competition website, before being displayed as part of London Design Festival at the V&A museum in September.
A judging panel including Huhne, Nick Winser, the National Grid’s UK executive director, and Sir Mark Jones, director of the V&A, will choose the overall winner in October.
By Will Nichols
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