Imatra GIS
Imatra GIS is an electricity substation set in the landscape of the Imatrankoski rapids in Eastern Finland. The project includes a substation building and five power pylons and terminals. The building has a concrete frame and double-skin facades. The outer layer is made of hand-made long bricks laid in a zig-zag profile and supported by a steel frame. The transmission structures are made of triangular welded steel profiles. The design breaks apart aspects of the built context and reassembles the elements in a new abstracted form, in balance with the surrounding landscape.
Imatra GIS Electricity Substation by Tuomas Kivinen was highlighted as an exceptional example of architectural design by the A' Design Award & Competition. Imatra GIS Electricity Substation received the Silver A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design in 2021. The A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award is an international, jury-voted, fair and ethical design recognition program which rewards exceptional design of skyscrapers, museums, residential buildings, commercial complexes, educational institutions, religious structures, infrastructure designs, landscaping projects and more.
