Electrical Substation

The project for a new substation establishes a mediation with its environment, addressing the disruptions caused by the existing asphalt platform on which it is situated. Housing an electrical transformation technology that renders the current overhead line structures obsolete, the project reuses the metal profiles of the pylons to create an exo-structure that, along with the building envelope, restores the water cycle and creates the necessary conditions to support the development of life. On the roof, this exo-structure supports ideally oriented photovoltaic panels, between which rainwater flows and reaches the façade. The geometry of the façade directs the water through various levels of vegetation until it infiltrates an unsealed area. This path generates a swale at the base of the volume, nourishing the vegetation that climbs on the exo-structure. It cools the interior space which houses electrical components sensitive to high temperatures. The design of the two gables derives from the specific shape of the silhouette, giving them a figurative quality that contrasts with the abstraction of the structure.

Client: SIG; Location: Geneva; Year: 2022–2030; Team: Fanny Noël, Diogo Lopes, Rodrigo Salgueiro, Meryl Barthe, Xinxuan Yang, Noémie Goehry, Antonio Castro; Photos: Federico Farinatti