The Austrian Power Grid (APG), responsible for the high-voltage network in Austria, is developing an innovative approach to respond to the growing rejection of traditional transmission lines. The company proposes transforming power towers into giant sculptures inspired by local fauna.
The initiative, called “Austrian Energy Giants“, envisions structures shaped like animals representative of the country’s nine states: Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, and Vienna. Among the examples already developed are the stork, a symbol of Burgenland due to its annual migration, and the deer, associated with the alpine landscapes of Lower Austria.
According to the teams involved, the stork and deer designs have undergone preliminary tests to assess their structural stability and high-voltage performance, in order to verify the technical feasibility of the solutions.
The proposal aims not only to reduce community resistance to the expansion of the electricity grid, but also to promote a more harmonious integration of infrastructure with nature, and may even enhance the tourism potential of the regions.
Miniature models of these structures are on public display at the Red Dot Museum in Singapore until October 2026, after being awarded the 2025 Red Dot Prize for conceptual design in the field of electrification and decarbonization.
Written by Eduardo Quive
