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Human-shaped pylons carry electricity across Iceland
- chrisbaglieri 16y agoI never quite understood our culture's instinctual response to cover up or mask the infrastructure that surrounds us. There's something serene about a wind farm. It's function over form, not function or form. Compare this design proposal to the phone towers that litter the landscape (pathetically) disguised to look like trees.
- mcantor 16y agoI must disagree; these designs do not appear to be pathetic disguises in the least. They are instead celebrations of the existing design, enhanced to resemble a powerful symbol in a meaningful way.
- chrisbaglieri 16y agoJust to clarify, I thought the manner in which phone towers were masked as trees was pathetic (or at least in the manner in which it was implemented), not the pylons proposal. I thought the design team hit a home run on the later. I have yet to see any phone tower made to look like a tree inspiring.
- roqetman 16y agoPerhaps they should make cell towers look like a giant with a cellphone to his ear?
- c1sc0 16y agoI love this idea. Most of the time I prefer function over form, but this is just awesome. Choi+Shine added: "Like the statues of Easter Island, it is envisioned that these one hundred and fifty foot tall, modern caryatids will take on a quiet authority, belonging to their landscape yet serving the people, silently transporting electricity across all terrain, day and night, sunshine or snow."
- pendragon 16y agoIt is an absolutely wonderful idea. I think it's definitely desirable to add form if function is not sacrificed. It looks like whoever designed these figured it out.
- PidGin128 16y agoThe choice doesn't have to be form over function, or the reverse. I think we can agree both tasks are handled nicely. Also amusing, a story on electricity delivery, in "Wired".
- asmithmd1 16y agoI agree, don't dismiss design lightly. I learned from industrial designers at Black & Decker that form can enhance and suggest function. Just changing the shape of a cordless vacuum cleaner changed peoples impression from "This is a shitty, low-powered vacuum cleaner" to "This is a terrific powered dustpan" http://www.blackanddecker.com/dustbuster/dustbuster_innovation/default.aspx http://www.blackanddecker.com/dustbuster/dustbuster_innovati... Just changing the outside shape - with no change in product specs. - made the DustBuster into one of the highest selling Black & Decker products ever.
- Devilboy 16y agoI hope they go ahead and build these, they look awesome.
- seltzered 16y agoVery cool, but can Iceland afford it? Last time I checked their currency nearly collapsed.
- kolektiv 16y agoGood lord don't do it again then! More seriously, yes Iceland does still have enough money and borrowing capability to keep the infrastructure going. They're not all on the streets.
- greyman 16y agoThe title should be "to carry", it's just a design proposal not yet implemented.
- Maskawanian 16y agoI agree, we do need to construct more pylons... like this.
- stcredzero 16y agoNeed to construct more cylons... like this: http://unrealitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/maxim-battlestar.jpg http://unrealitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/maxim-bat...
- nhebb 16y agoPrediction: Icelandic children will have recurring nightmares about robot invasions. I do like the idea of artistic designs of mundane structures. In Portland they decided to combat graffiti and vandalism on bus stops by sandblasting motifs into the glass: http://trimet.org/publicart/busshelters.htm http://trimet.org/publicart/busshelters.htm
- w00pla 16y ago> graffiti and vandalism on bus stops by sandblasting motifs into the glass: http://trimet.org/publicart/busshelters.htm http://trimet.org/publicart/busshelters.htm That addresses the consequences of a problem and not the root causes. It is important to stop the cause of petty vandalism. I can take a bet that if most countries had corporal punishment and applied it readily and liberally to vandalism cases, both vandalism and other offenses would be stopped. In the west people continue to do crimes (and let off) until they do a major crime (when it is too late to change entrenched behaviour).
- b-man 16y agoI can take a bet that if most countries had corporal punishment and applied it readily and liberally to vandalism cases, both vandalism and other offenses would be stopped. [citation needed]
- eitland 16y agohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Singapore http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Singapore http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caning_in_Singapore http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caning_in_Singapore
- b-man 16y agoThe thing about references is that they should demonstrate or negate the connection or affirmation that was presented. I fail to see that in these links. I think a more appropriate set of citations would be: basic research http://www.religioustolerance.org/spanking_menu.htm http://www.religioustolerance.org/spanking_menu.htm against corporal punishment as an educative method http://www.apa.org/about/governance/council/policy/corporal- http://www.apa.org/about/governance/council/policy/corporal- punishment.aspx http://www.nospank.net/vcb.htm http://www.nospank.net/vcb.htm http://www.religioustolerance.org/spankin4.htm http://www.religioustolerance.org/spankin4.htm http://www.religioustolerance.org/spankin29.htm http://www.religioustolerance.org/spankin29.htm for corporal punishment as an educative method http://www.corpun.com/ukju9803.htm http://www.corpun.com/ukju9803.htm http://www.corpun.com/10archive/ukd01001.htm#21929 http://www.corpun.com/10archive/ukd01001.htm#21929 I personally find a lack of serious psychological research that finds correlation between corporal punishment and increase of quality of life in the society where it is practiced. That observation makes me believe that this practice should be abolished, or severely restricted at least.
- ratsbane 16y agoI do like the idea. They've taken something ordinary and thought beyond the conventional interpretation. Looking at those images, though, I did have the strange anthropomorphic concern that their arms would get tired. Couldn't they hold the cables on their shoulders?
- brk 16y agoIt's a neat idea, but I wonder how practical this is from a build/serviceability perspective. They say they are only "minor alterations" from standard designs, but each one of the towers looks unique (I'd guess they have 6 or 8 total "poses"). But I'd also think there is a lot of value when all the towers have the same design in terms of service and maintenance. These must undergo regular inspections to ensure that no load-bearing components have been compromised.
- gaius 16y agoAll the components, e.g. struts and joints, can be interchangeable, just arranged differently in each one. You would never need to keep complete pylons in stock for each design.
- brk 16y agoSorry, I wasn't commenting about the inventory, I was thinking more along the the lines of creating simple maintenance plans for each arrangement. Keep in mind that the average utility field service worker is often kept most efficient by minimizing the number of variations of any given task.
- crististm 16y agoWell said. The maintenance costs will be large enough over the lifetime of the pylons so that different/complex designs will be a net loss.
- russell 16y agoIf you follow a long transmission line you will see several pylon designs depending on terrain, river crossings, highways, and the like. Pylon design is a well understood engineering problem with lots of software to over-engineer the designs. And yes they will need a reasonable inspection schedule as do all transmission lines.
- jcl 16y agoI also wonder if they will be painted white, as in the illustrations. Most pylons I've seen are unpainted, presumably to minimize maintenance costs.
- tomwalker 16y agoWill it include a YMCA combo?
- bitwize 16y agoWith a design like this -- Iceland, you must construct additional pylons.
- stcredzero 16y agoHow is it you actually have the non-gaming free time to make the reference? Since they are variable, they should make ones modeled after Tricia Helfer and Grace Park. Cylon Pylons!
- bitwize 16y agoI don't play a lot of SC now. Got it out of my system in college.
- stcredzero 16y agoYes, but SC2 came out!
- mkr-hn 16y agoUnfortunately, they have insufficient resources after the bankruptcy.
- Groxx 16y agoImportant bit: >An architecture and design firm called Choi+Shine has submitted a design for the Icelandic High-Voltage Electrical Pylon International Design Competition which proposes giant human-shaped pylons carrying electricity cables across the country's landscape. Meaning the title should be closer to "Human-shaped pylons could carry electricity across Iceland". Though given all the press lately, and how much I like the idea, I really hope they do build them. It's something unique that'll last for a long time; there should be more of that in the world.
- bruceboughton 16y agoIsn't Iceland broke?
- sasvari 16y agoHaving liabilities doesn't mean that there isn't going to be any kind of investment in the country. And thanks to Iceland's unique geothermal situation, especially with hydroelectricity the power industry is thriving there ... (attracting i.e. energy intensive aluminium plants)
- siculars 16y agoIceland is a net energy producer. That means they will never be broke. They just happen to owe certain countries a few billion bucks which they may or may not pay back.
- eru 16y agoWhy can you never be broke if you produce energy?
- sliverstorm 16y ago1) You have a free source of money, so you can pay off all your debts with time 2) You will probably always have someone by the balls
- Marticus 16y agoWhat is awesome to me is how, presumably surviving the millenia, these will look to generations hundreds or thousands of years later. Will this be our own "Stonehenge?" How long will people someday puzzle over the purpose of these things? Pretty awesome stuff.
- sasvari 16y agoI doubt these pylons will last longer than society's memory ...
- thenduks 16y ago'When' the bombs fall they likely wont be targeted at remote areas of Iceland, some could pretty easily survive. After that they could probably survive at least long enough for some kids to gossip - "I heard those things blew it all up!"
- ja27 16y agoI immediately thought of this pole near Disney World: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/32142193 http://www.panoramio.com/photo/32142193
- xutopia 16y agoThis is a really bad idea. All it takes is one ice storm and those things will fall: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_ice_storm_of_1998 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_ice_storm_of_199...
- thenduks 16y agoThere's a picture right at the top of the page of a crappy wooden one still standing...
- Luc 16y agoHere's a competing design from a different firm: http://www.dezeen.com/2009/03/30/high-voltage-transmisison-line-towers-by-arphenotype/ http://www.dezeen.com/2009/03/30/high-voltage-transmisison-l... At least, I assume it's for the same competition, as it's over a year old.
- hackermom 16y agoAbout one year ago the country of Sweden began digging down the country's entire electrical infrastructure underground, completely ridding the country of the archaic terrestrial power pylon model. The country was done with digging down all urban cabling more than 40 years ago, and free-hanging power cabling has since only been seen outside urban areas across rural stretches, connecting smaller communities to the grid. What called for the decision was the problem of power outtages caused by storms wreaking havoc on the pylons and the wires, causing civil dismay in the affected areas, as well as the tremendous civilian and commercial costs that follow up. However cool that humanoid design is, I think Iceland should've gone with Sweden's model instead of reinventing the pylon :)
- Vulture 16y agoIn Montreal there are a lot of buried cables. I worked in a research facility for the only power company around and they pointed out several problems for this method. It costs a fortune so its not really applicable for very long distances. Also, whenever there is a failure you have to reel a few kilometers of cables, fix them and rewire everything in a tube full of mud, water and who knows what. During autumn the water in the tube freezes and expands causing stress and fissures. It was discussed extensively since we had a massive power outage in 1998 caused by icing rain that affected about 3 millions for 3 weeks. So burying cables might work well in a city for a while but I really don't think its any silver bullet.
- hackermom 16y agoIt has worked great inside their cities for almost 50 years - as my post clearly stated, the urban electrical infrastructure of Sweden has been entirely underground since the 60s. The ongoing change is replacing the pylons spanning the country with underground cabling. I'm pretty confident they know what they're doing. Not all underground solutions have to be the same, but by nature, the pylon model is always vulnerable, and it always suffers the same risks.
- afterburner 16y agoIf they do this, I would go back to Iceland to see this. So from the tourist point of view... success!
- mattmcknight 16y agoIt reminds one of that odd chapter on pylons from de Botton in "The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work" where he mentions the "coquettish sexuality" of Finnish pylons. http://books.google.com/books?id=SslgkiNvZ9wC&lpg=PA199&ots=GdMkANQjuq&dq=%22de%20botton%22%20pylons%20korea&pg=PA199#v=onepage&q&f=false http://books.google.com/books?id=SslgkiNvZ9wC&lpg=PA199&...