“Pirkanpylväs” in Lempäälä to have a dark blue colour

Fingrid Oyj, which is responsible for the main electricity transmission grid in Finland, arranged an opinion poll concerning the colour of a special-design transmission line tower to be erected in Lempäälä near the Helsinki-Tampere motorway. The respondents were also given an opportunity to suggest a name for the tower. The poll published in local newspapers yielded more than 300 replies, and a suitable name was also found. The tower to be called “Pirkanpylväs” will have a dark blue colour.
Of the three colour options available - dark blue, light blue and green - the majority of readers preferred dark blue. However, the differences between the number of votes obtained by the various options were surprisingly small, and dark blue won by a narrow margin.

The names suggested were highly creative, reflecting local traditions, names of birds or colours preferred by the respondents. Derivatives of Pirkka, referring to the region of Pirkanmaa where the tower will be located, were common in many suggestions alongside the winning name.

Pirkanpylväs (Pirkka Tower) turned out victorious. The name was suggested by Henna Levomäki from Punkalaidun. The jury considered that the name contained the essential: Pirkka refers to the local area, and the latter part describes the structure itself. The historical dimension and ambiguity of the word Pirkka also appealed to the jury. Pirkanmaa is an area with a very long settlement history in Finland, with permanent settlement since the Stone Age and signs of human visits up to 9,000 years ago. Pirkka is a man’s name, and pirkka is also an early version of a receipt - a wooden stick onto which the value of the goods traded was notched.

Today, Pirkanmaa represents the core areas in Finnish industry, requiring much electricity. This is why the main transmission grid needs to be reinforced by constructing a 400 kilovolt transmission line from Ulvila to Kangasala. Pirkanpylväs designed by Jorma Valkama, Interior Designer, softens the scenic impacts of the transmission line running close to the motorway in Lempäälä, and it will probably soon become a local landmark. In the attachment you can see Pirkanpylväs in night lighting.

Further information: 
Ritva Laine, Project Manager, + 358 (0)40 543 3029