Esat Digifone's masts are to become much more space age in style following the outcome of a design competition to develop an innovative telecommunications structure for the 21st century.
The competition, which was open to architects, engineers, artists and sculptors, has been won by Hunt McGarry Architects of London, with Mr Richard Mark Hannay, of Traynor O'Toole Architects, as the runner-up.
The winning design is an inverted metallic structure, 30 metres high, made from pre-stressed stainless steel. According to the judges, it offers an "excellent engineering solution" with potential for illumination.
There were more than 30 entries for the competition from Ireland, Europe and the United States. To qualify, they all had to provide a structure to support up to five antennae for GSM mobile phone communications.
First and second prizes were £6,000 and £2,000. Three other entries - Sheehan Architects; Dion Young, of Tony Meadows Architects, and a student design group from UCD - received £1,000 each.
Judges for the competition, which was supported by the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, included Mr Duncan Stewart, presenter of Our House on RTE television, and Mr Gay McCarron, former Dublin chief planning officer.
