The team of Ian Ritchie Architects, RFR and Kathryn Gustafson were invited in 1995 by Electricité de France to compete against 7 other teams in an international competition to design a new series of very high voltage pylons - 225kV and 400kV. Other competitors included Starck, Giugiaro, Wilmotte and Perrault.
The EDF awarded joint first prize to our team, and to Marc Mimram.
Our 400kV “f” pylon design has been developed and full size prototypes succesfully tested in 1998. The first of the new series will be installed in the year 2000, with up 4,000 new pylons during the following ten years.
Our concept was developed upon a philosophical investigation into the contemporary meaning of progress. The design concept is based upon a single level configuration of the conductors, which reduces the height of pylons producing a horizontal and discreet expression. The design seeks to establish a clear spatial relationship between the lines and the topology over which it passes. To do this we have developed a flexible family of pylons. The pylon’s structural form is an "f" carrying a three phase single circuit and is made of rolled steel plate. They are twinned to carry two circuits. The pylon column enters the ground with no detail.
The EDF has named our “f” pylon Fougère and it has been awarded Millennium Product status by the UK Design Council.