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io9.com: Electricity pylons, or transmission towers, usually aren't the most interesting structures, just basic towers that keep electrical wires aloft. But some architects have designed innovative towers that are more than mere eyesores.
THIS IS THE COOLEST WAY to support power lines, I am going crazy right now. They are huge and beautiful. I am usually really skeptical of giant statues in random places, but I these are wonderful. First of all they look very elegant because of the medium used, the trussing that makes the tower. The design of the statues that they are not just solid pieces, but instead have a lot of negative space within them makes the creatures seem very delicate. The delicate nature of these towers directly contradicts its size, which is the height of one of the tower at least. I am now thinking about when these towers age and get dirty over time. Artistically they could take on another personality which takes on a more industrial feel. The juxtaposition of the industrial with whimsy makes these such a great idea and not an eye sore.
These are honestly the best things I have ever seen! As a child I would look out of the car window as we drove by and imagine these things a creatures that walked along the county side holding up those wires. I'm so happy to that youthful expression still exists in the artistic world and it's even cooler to see that their taking ordinary every day items and striving to make the world something better to look at. I hope this spreads into other aspects of the industrial world, I really think that just seeing these things can inspire people to reach for more when creating things.
These are really, really awesome! I love the idea of making the power lines in to something more interesting. It reminds me of the swedish film "Troll Hunter" where it is revealed that the true use of these large power lines is as electric fences for troll preserves. The realist in me however has to note that although it is really cool to see these designs, many of them are too complex and expensive to be used in real life. I think it would be neat to see some ways to cost effectively rethink the design of current electrical towers to make them more attractive to look at without huge infrastructure changes.
It's interesting what a range of pylons there are in the article. To me, some are exquisitely beautiful while others aren't any better than what exists now or don't seem to have much of a rhyme or reason. My favorite by far the pylons that use the traditional pattern of a pylon to represent an organic form. The humans and deer are very beautiful. The image with the different positions the humans could take is particularly exciting, in the way a progression down a powerline could be narrative. Additionally, the deers are very nice. They come from nature yet are metallic, geometric, and rigid. My favorite may be the human forms that act as the bases for wind towers. In this case a straight white beam is replaced by a much different form. Also the way the human pylons are holding each other while holding the blades is impactful, even if it's just a logistical support feature.
I'm in complete awe. It's incredible what happens once you take something that is seen everyday and is such a mundane part of life that once it is changed in such a drastic way it takes your breath away. For my breath absolutely left me while looking at these pictures. Some of these structures ranged from elegantly beautiful to tall and proud and strong, and yet they all serve the same purpose of just holding up some power lines. Like the author mentions, I don't necessarily find the normal structures ugly, they're just there, but these really do redefine what can be done with something that is taken for granted each and every day.
The American Society of Civil Engineers gives the power transmission infrastructure in our country a D+ rating:
http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/energy
Now the ASCE could be seen as an interested party here, since ameliorating this deficiency would mean jobs for their members, but then again, I doubt there's a lot of out-of-work Civil Engineers out there. And besides, they ought to know better than most if existing infrastructure is up to snuff. The ASCE estimates an investment of 3.6 Trillion in capital by 2020 to adequately meet America's ever more gluttonous energy "needs." All this to say, if ever there was a time to re-imagine the transmission tower, this is it. While some of these designs are certainly fun and even beautiful, few of them have much of chance of mass use. It's an interesting design problem, with parameters that include high static and wind loads, modularity, scalability, ease of installation, maintenance and repair, among many more. A friend of mine used to be a project manager for radio tower installations, and one of the design parameters for his designs was that everything had to be assembled with either a wrench or an oxy-acetylene rig because of the remoteness of some of the sites. I don't know if this applies to transmission towers as well, but it's an interesting problem to consider, one that I hope will be taken up with a more serious attention to both form and function in the coming years.
Is anyone else really confused as to why 3 of those pictures are in the exact same location, literally the only difference (and I mean literally in the literal sense of the word) are the pylons and the location of the sheep. (I refer to P205, Youssef Ghali, and P193). These are really cool but I think based on the aforementioned similarities a lot of these may just be designs, and not implemented. Regardless it is a great way to take something industrial and make it a little more friendly. It would be a vast project but turning all out pylons into art would be quite the project. That robot on the bottom particularly appeals to me. Fits the electricity them and despite looking angry comes across as a little ridiculous. I hope at least that one is real.
These concepts are fantastic. Unfortunately, in terms of universality, there would be no way a government would fund these projects because of the immensely larger budget they would require when put in comparison to modern power line support structures. I do think that they are amazing though, and think that the more minimalistic designs could perhaps be used in the future, provided we're still even using above-ground power lines.
These are amazing. Power lines are such obtrusive structures that ruin landscapes. These turn an eyesore into a work of art. I love that these designers and architects were able to take something that most of the United States sees as bland and ordinary and turn it into something beautiful and awe-inspiring. The sheer height of most of these towers would inspire awe and imagination in a way that power lines could never have done before. I especially love the deer because they show a connection between nature and the manmade world that is taking over the landscape. I want to see one in person!
These are such a brilliant idea. I think power lines have developed an image of being ugly or obstructing nature. I think this incorporates technology into the world a lot more smoothly and in a fun and creative way. I especially like the ones that look like deer. The ones that seem like just fancy telephone poles are not as well integrated into their surrounding, but they're still interesting to look at. The ones shaped people are really neat because it looks like they are either dancing or holding up the lines on the landscape.
THIS IS GREAT! I think people should do something like this more. It's cool, functional, fashionable,and it's an enjoyment to look at. I'm still questioning a bit about how strong, how practical, and how safe they are. Some of them look a little delicate to me, like the human figure and the deer one, or the one that looks like a glowing box sticks on top of two wooden sticks(That's actually my favorite one) I was thinking about if there's strong wind blowing or storms. Still, I still think these support power lines are awesome and inspiring.
I really like the artistic side of these pylons, but have to say it just seems like kind of a waste of material (assuming they require more work and physical materials than traditional pylons). They truly are beautiful sculptures and would add entertainment to long drives in the middle of nowhere. They are very industrial and modern and I really like the sybolism that can be drawn from their use in holding great power and being so large.
This concept is AMAZING. Facts are facts that we need power lines to survive, as much as we might wish other wise. There are also constant complaints about how pylons and windmills look, which halts and muddles growth. Can you imagine a huge majestic sculpture in your back yard? Honestly I think this is a great use for art. Not only is it functional, but it will genuinely improve people lives by removing unattractive but necessary pylons from their view. I just wish there were some near by...
I love the idea of changing power lines into sculptures and organic forms. I've always been frustrated when a city (my hometown in particular) would just replace what they had before after it got old, sometimes worse than before, instead of improving the aesthetic of the community and the city roads as a whole. Although I always imagined the improvement as hiding them from view by burying them, this is another great solution. I think this represents the little things that we could change around our daily lives that might make our day a little more aspiring. Although cost is an issue here, what is it worth to change our world in such amazing ways.
Well thats pretty cool. I've seen some rode side poles with very fake looking branches added on to the side, but this is awesome. I like the variation of designs and how they incorporate the form of the wire into the wire holder. The skeleton shape of the structures really brings out the cable line, which you wouldn't expect to like because they are just cable lines but the way the are incorporated into the posts, or should I say structures was very cool. I especially like the animal forms, its a very natural shape, made with a fairly natural structure hold a very unnatural cable line.
This is a really cool idea! Often times people who live in scenic areas, the west for example, complain that power companies don't care at all about preserving nature. If this was implemented in a way that was conducive to wind turbines, I think that more people would be accepting of greener energy. Unfortunately, I don't think many of these designs will be implemented because of the increased cost of production. We can hope though.
I think this is a really cool idea. Especially with the theme of green energy, one of the reasons people dissaprove of windmills is that they are thought of as ugly. Looking at them from an aesthetic perspective will, hopefully, increase their appeal and help us move towards greener alternatives. From a sculptural perspective, it is a really interesting way to change things from being purely functional to also having a creative form.
17 comments:
THIS IS THE COOLEST WAY to support power lines, I am going crazy right now. They are huge and beautiful. I am usually really skeptical of giant statues in random places, but I these are wonderful. First of all they look very elegant because of the medium used, the trussing that makes the tower. The design of the statues that they are not just solid pieces, but instead have a lot of negative space within them makes the creatures seem very delicate. The delicate nature of these towers directly contradicts its size, which is the height of one of the tower at least. I am now thinking about when these towers age and get dirty over time. Artistically they could take on another personality which takes on a more industrial feel. The juxtaposition of the industrial with whimsy makes these such a great idea and not an eye sore.
These are honestly the best things I have ever seen! As a child I would look out of the car window as we drove by and imagine these things a creatures that walked along the county side holding up those wires. I'm so happy to that youthful expression still exists in the artistic world and it's even cooler to see that their taking ordinary every day items and striving to make the world something better to look at. I hope this spreads into other aspects of the industrial world, I really think that just seeing these things can inspire people to reach for more when creating things.
These are really, really awesome! I love the idea of making the power lines in to something more interesting. It reminds me of the swedish film "Troll Hunter" where it is revealed that the true use of these large power lines is as electric fences for troll preserves. The realist in me however has to note that although it is really cool to see these designs, many of them are too complex and expensive to be used in real life. I think it would be neat to see some ways to cost effectively rethink the design of current electrical towers to make them more attractive to look at without huge infrastructure changes.
It's interesting what a range of pylons there are in the article. To me, some are exquisitely beautiful while others aren't any better than what exists now or don't seem to have much of a rhyme or reason. My favorite by far the pylons that use the traditional pattern of a pylon to represent an organic form. The humans and deer are very beautiful. The image with the different positions the humans could take is particularly exciting, in the way a progression down a powerline could be narrative. Additionally, the deers are very nice. They come from nature yet are metallic, geometric, and rigid. My favorite may be the human forms that act as the bases for wind towers. In this case a straight white beam is replaced by a much different form. Also the way the human pylons are holding each other while holding the blades is impactful, even if it's just a logistical support feature.
I'm in complete awe. It's incredible what happens once you take something that is seen everyday and is such a mundane part of life that once it is changed in such a drastic way it takes your breath away. For my breath absolutely left me while looking at these pictures. Some of these structures ranged from elegantly beautiful to tall and proud and strong, and yet they all serve the same purpose of just holding up some power lines. Like the author mentions, I don't necessarily find the normal structures ugly, they're just there, but these really do redefine what can be done with something that is taken for granted each and every day.
The American Society of Civil Engineers gives the power transmission infrastructure in our country a D+ rating:
http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/energy
Now the ASCE could be seen as an interested party here, since ameliorating this deficiency would mean jobs for their members, but then again, I doubt there's a lot of out-of-work Civil Engineers out there. And besides, they ought to know better than most if existing infrastructure is up to snuff. The ASCE estimates an investment of 3.6 Trillion in capital by 2020 to adequately meet America's ever more gluttonous energy "needs." All this to say, if ever there was a time to re-imagine the transmission tower, this is it. While some of these designs are certainly fun and even beautiful, few of them have much of chance of mass use. It's an interesting design problem, with parameters that include high static and wind loads, modularity, scalability, ease of installation, maintenance and repair, among many more. A friend of mine used to be a project manager for radio tower installations, and one of the design parameters for his designs was that everything had to be assembled with either a wrench or an oxy-acetylene rig because of the remoteness of some of the sites. I don't know if this applies to transmission towers as well, but it's an interesting problem to consider, one that I hope will be taken up with a more serious attention to both form and function in the coming years.
Is anyone else really confused as to why 3 of those pictures are in the exact same location, literally the only difference (and I mean literally in the literal sense of the word) are the pylons and the location of the sheep. (I refer to P205, Youssef Ghali, and P193). These are really cool but I think based on the aforementioned similarities a lot of these may just be designs, and not implemented. Regardless it is a great way to take something industrial and make it a little more friendly. It would be a vast project but turning all out pylons into art would be quite the project. That robot on the bottom particularly appeals to me. Fits the electricity them and despite looking angry comes across as a little ridiculous. I hope at least that one is real.
These concepts are fantastic. Unfortunately, in terms of universality, there would be no way a government would fund these projects because of the immensely larger budget they would require when put in comparison to modern power line support structures. I do think that they are amazing though, and think that the more minimalistic designs could perhaps be used in the future, provided we're still even using above-ground power lines.
These are amazing. Power lines are such obtrusive structures that ruin landscapes. These turn an eyesore into a work of art. I love that these designers and architects were able to take something that most of the United States sees as bland and ordinary and turn it into something beautiful and awe-inspiring. The sheer height of most of these towers would inspire awe and imagination in a way that power lines could never have done before. I especially love the deer because they show a connection between nature and the manmade world that is taking over the landscape. I want to see one in person!
These are such a brilliant idea. I think power lines have developed an image of being ugly or obstructing nature. I think this incorporates technology into the world a lot more smoothly and in a fun and creative way. I especially like the ones that look like deer. The ones that seem like just fancy telephone poles are not as well integrated into their surrounding, but they're still interesting to look at. The ones shaped people are really neat because it looks like they are either dancing or holding up the lines on the landscape.
THIS IS GREAT! I think people should do something like this more. It's cool, functional, fashionable,and it's an enjoyment to look at. I'm still questioning a bit about how strong, how practical, and how safe they are. Some of them look a little delicate to me, like the human figure and the deer one, or the one that looks like a glowing box sticks on top of two wooden sticks(That's actually my favorite one) I was thinking about if there's strong wind blowing or storms. Still, I still think these support power lines are awesome and inspiring.
I really like the artistic side of these pylons, but have to say it just seems like kind of a waste of material (assuming they require more work and physical materials than traditional pylons). They truly are beautiful sculptures and would add entertainment to long drives in the middle of nowhere. They are very industrial and modern and I really like the sybolism that can be drawn from their use in holding great power and being so large.
This concept is AMAZING. Facts are facts that we need power lines to survive, as much as we might wish other wise. There are also constant complaints about how pylons and windmills look, which halts and muddles growth. Can you imagine a huge majestic sculpture in your back yard? Honestly I think this is a great use for art. Not only is it functional, but it will genuinely improve people lives by removing unattractive but necessary pylons from their view. I just wish there were some near by...
I love the idea of changing power lines into sculptures and organic forms. I've always been frustrated when a city (my hometown in particular) would just replace what they had before after it got old, sometimes worse than before, instead of improving the aesthetic of the community and the city roads as a whole. Although I always imagined the improvement as hiding them from view by burying them, this is another great solution. I think this represents the little things that we could change around our daily lives that might make our day a little more aspiring. Although cost is an issue here, what is it worth to change our world in such amazing ways.
Well thats pretty cool. I've seen some rode side poles with very fake looking branches added on to the side, but this is awesome. I like the variation of designs and how they incorporate the form of the wire into the wire holder. The skeleton shape of the structures really brings out the cable line, which you wouldn't expect to like because they are just cable lines but the way the are incorporated into the posts, or should I say structures was very cool. I especially like the animal forms, its a very natural shape, made with a fairly natural structure hold a very unnatural cable line.
This is a really cool idea! Often times people who live in scenic areas, the west for example, complain that power companies don't care at all about preserving nature. If this was implemented in a way that was conducive to wind turbines, I think that more people would be accepting of greener energy. Unfortunately, I don't think many of these designs will be implemented because of the increased cost of production. We can hope though.
I think this is a really cool idea. Especially with the theme of green energy, one of the reasons people dissaprove of windmills is that they are thought of as ugly. Looking at them from an aesthetic perspective will, hopefully, increase their appeal and help us move towards greener alternatives. From a sculptural perspective, it is a really interesting way to change things from being purely functional to also having a creative form.
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