Imatra GIS Transformatorstasjon by Virkkunen and Co Architects

Imatra GIS Transformatorstasjon by Virkkunen and Co Architects is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award i Sølv in Arkitektur-, Bygnings- og Konstruksjonsdesign Competition Category.

SølvArkitektur· 2021

Imatra GIS Transformatorstasjon

by Virkkunen and Co Architects

Client: Virkkunen & Co Architects

A' Design Award i Sølv Winner in Arkitektur Category

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Verified Award Winner

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The Design

About Imatra GIS Transformatorstasjon

Imatra GIS er en transformatorstasjon plassert i landskapet ved Imatrankoski-stryket i Øst-Finland. Prosjektet omfatter et transformatorstasjonsbygg og fem kraftmaster med terminaler. Bygningen har et betongskjelett og dobbelthudede fasader. Det ytre laget er laget av håndlagde lange teglstein lagt i et sikksakk-mønster og støttet av et stålskjelett. Overføringskonstruksjonene er laget av triangulære sveisede stålprofiler. Designet bryter opp aspekter ved den bygde konteksten og setter sammen elementene i en ny abstrahert form, i balanse med det omkringliggende landskapet.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award i Sølv

Imatra GIS Transformatorstasjon er vinner av A' Design Award i Sølv, en usedvanlig prestisjefylt anerkjennelse som tildeles design i toppklassen som er nydelige og imponerende. Sølvvinnere er enormt briljante og usedvanlig kreative verk som viser designernes enestående ekspertise, talent og skarpsindighet. Imatra GIS Transformatorstasjon forventes å være et praktfullt utstillingsverk som er bemerkelsesverdig profesjonelt og dypt nyskapende. Dette designet, som har vunnet A' Design Award i Sølv, er en svært bemerkelsesverdig, beundret oppfinnelse som gagner og flytter grensene for kunst, vitenskap, design og teknologi. Imatra GIS Transformatorstasjon er et skaperverk mange misunner, som vekker ønsker, gir positive følelser og vekker undring og forundring.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The project is composed of an electricity substation building and an array of five designer power pylons and terminals, set in the national landscape of Imatrankoski rapids in Eastern Finland. The new structures were designed to be in balance with the surrounding landscape. Their design breaks apart aspects of the built context and reassembles them in a new abstracted form. A combination of hand-made and industrial materials and structures is used to achieve this.
Dimensions & Packaging: The substation building floor area: 965 sqm. Length x width x height of the building 44,1 m x 13,2 m x 8,1 m.
Tags: infrastructure, architecture, landscape, electricity substation, transmission, power line, brick, concrete, steel
Production Technology: The substation building has a concrete frame and double-skin facades. The outermost facade layer consists of hand-made long bricks laid in a zig-zag profile. The brick cladding is supported by a steel frame fixed to the inner concrete facades. The concrete structure consists of pre-fabricated and in-situ parts. The transmission structures are made of triangular welded steel profiles. They consist of workshop-made, coated pre-fabricated sections assembled and erected on the site without welding.
Design Challenge: The main challenge was architectural rather than technical, due to the qualities of the surrounding landscape and the history of the area. Visual and structural coherence of the distinct parts and general sensitivity to the context were methods for overcoming this challenge. We arrived at the final design through a process of elimination. Dozens of prototype 3D models were evaluated for impact in a detailed and accurate site model based on an extensive point-cloud data set of the area.
Research: We used site visits and literature sources for determining visual and historical factors that would most influence and serve the design. Literature about the history of the landscape, tourism, architecture, and industry in the area was used. The finding that had the most impact on the design was based on the analysis of the external architecture of the old hydropower plant: the rhythm of the facade openings, and the materials used in the buildings.
Inspiration: The beautiful landscape and the historical significance of the area were the primary sources of inspiration for us. The existing, impressive industrial architecture of the context was another major factor in the design. The guiding principle has been that the new structures should form a clearly defined new historical layer. They would also have to be timeless and combine harmoniously with the context. We sought to further elevate the beauty of the site.
Project Duration: Project completed: 2020
Location: Imatra, Finland
Operation Flow: Imatra electricity substation and the transmission structures are not fenced off from the surroundings and they can be approached freely. The substation is an unmanned facility that is mainly remote-controlled from a central control room located off-site. It is visited regularly for inspection and maintenance purposes by trained personnel. In the main process equipment room, the users control the switchgear equipment on a workstation designed for this purpose.
Team Members: Tuomas Kivinen
Anna Blomqvist
Maria Karjalainen
Image Credits: Image #1: Photographer Tuomas Kivinen, 2020.
Image #2: Photographer Tuomas Kivinen, 2021.
Image #3: Photographer Tuomas Kivinen, 2020.
Image #4: Photographer Tuomas Kivinen, 2021.
Image #5: Photographer Tuomas Kivinen, 2021.