Innovative design of telecom sites

Designed by renowned Swedish architect Thomas Sandell, the uniquely shaped Tower Tube, in Kista, Sweden, is the brainchild of Ericsson Project Manager Peter Häger, who decided a few years ago that telecom towers do not necessarily have to be eyesores.

“I thought that telecom towers looked disgraceful. It was a personal thing,” Häger says. “Telecom infrastructure is on prime display everywhere, so it’s an aesthetic issue that should be addressed.”

The Tower Tube was one of 700 entries in this year’s Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Awards, which recognize innovative individuals, companies and organizations around the world in a wide range of technology categories. Judge Darlene J.S. Solomon, Chief Technology Officer of Agilent Technologies Inc., wrote in the Wall Street Journal’s announcement: “The design is a good attempt at making cell towers less obtrusive.”

The Tower Tube consolidates all of a base station site’s radio equipment and antennas in a sleek, energy-efficient structure with low environmental impact. It employs cutting-edge design and building materials, and can be built in a variety of sizes with customized finishes that make it a natural fit for any landscape.

Häger says interest in the Tower Tube is coming in from all over the world.

“The world has not seen anything like this before,” he says. “It’s a totally unaddressed area – nobody has paid attention to aesthetics when it comes to site infrastructure – so for me it’s a very natural step.”