PYRE Turbine

April 2023

In terms of its geography and climate, Fogo Island is well suited to wind power, but this neglects the logistical challenges of implementing the turbines themselves. Fogo Island’s port is small and its roads are narrow - the import and transportation of large construction modules is extremely difficult. Pyre offers a solution to these issues through the use of cutting-edge 3D-printing technology - a methodology that is being launched by General Electric in 2023 to rapidly construct concrete wind turbine towers. Developed with COBOD, the market leader in large-scale concrete printing, this technology allows raw construction materials to be transported in their most compact form, before being printed directly on-site. Pyre’s design extracts the full potential of this new technology. Drawing on research conducted by ETH Zurich, the turbine features prestressed internal cables that prevent delamination. These are held in place by metal plates that distribute the force evenly throughout the tower. Meanwhile, the turbine’s printed concrete layers have been compressed to increase strength - proof that sophisticated construction techniques can be brought to even the most remote locations.

These advances work hand-in-hand with cultural and environmental sensitivity. Pyre has been sited away from Fogo Island’s pristine shorelines and residential areas. Instead, it stands in close proximity to its power station - a move that provides direct access to the grid, as well as use of the plant’s maintenance area during the construction process. This is a utilitarian choice that serves to respect both the island’s landscape and infrastructure. This interplay between technology and Fogo Island’s natural and human landscape also informs Pyre’s structure, which has been printed as a series of splayed interlocking elements - a design that recalls the traditional wooden stilts used in the construction of fishing stages on the island. This also increases the turbine’s footprint so as to decrease the depth of its concrete foundations.

On show at: Saint-Étienne Biennale 2025 / Transform! Vitra Design Museum / Spazio Orso 16 MDW23 / Swissnex SF 2023 / For more information you can refer to Disegno Journal Issue NO. 35.

by Marcus Angerer and Sebastiano Gallizia

©Arthur Seguin

©Marvin Merkel

©Arthur Seguin

©Disegno Journal

©Marvin Merkel

©Disegno Journal - Arthur Seguin

©Disegno Journal