'The next stop on the Trans-Siberian railway... was designed in London'

The contest was backed by CDS NORD property developers and sought 'innovative' and 'instantly recognisable' proposals for tourist information centres at key stops on the famous route.

Focussing on Moscow, Vladimir, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Ulan Ude, and Khabarovsk, as well as Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia, the project 'aims to enhance each region's appeal and encourage regular tourist groups'.

As the pictures show, the winning entry certainly has a distinctive look.

According to a statement from the jury: 'The winning project stood out for its unique combination of traditional forms of architecture and the dynamic nature of the railway.

'Studying local vernacular architecture, our first prize winners adopted a trusted and proven building form by lifting the building off the ground.  This allowed for greater control of interior conditions by insulating from the winter cold as well as cooling during the summer period.'

The went further, saying: 'The project implemented a traditional construction and form with a strong silhouette and strong geometry, making it a bold and recognisable landmark that wouldn't be out of place along this historic railway route.'

The idea is that 'each pit stop must provide essential tourist information for its surrounding area and be able to function in all weather conditions experienced along the historic route.

'Proposals should fit a square 8m x 8m site and be easily replicated at multiple yet-to-be-confirmed locations across the rail network. Concepts must display strong identity, be highly recognisable and create a new symbol for the immense route across the world's largest nation.'

Whether the winning design will actually be build is another question, as the blurb also states: 'CDS Nord plans to construct the first Trans-Siberian pit stop at the start of 2018 and all winning entries will be considered for the final design.'

The designers also score well on jargon in describing their original concept for the Trans-Siberian line. 

'Building on traditional forms combined with the dynamic nature of the railway the building forms seeks to express the speed of the train vs the stillness of the stations. Creating a timeless and calm interior which reflects local traditions and values.

'Our innovative proposal seeks to address and explore the way in which architecture is evolving as a result of new digital tools and manufacturing techniques, combined with local traditions resulting in a design process which is capable of incorporating Local craft and environmental performance to create suitable and comfortable conditions for occupation.

'We want to localise the global and, globalise the local through our design. Inspired by local vernacular, materials and traditions our proposals attempts to build on and deliver a 21st century design.

'The strong silhouette takes inspiration from local building forms, insuring that the designs delivers a new vision but still maintains a link to the locality. The variation in timber use as cladding also reflects regional shifts in the landscape and timber manufacturing.

'The triangular wedge expressed in a dynamic and stretched form allows us to deal with local environmental conditions as well as unlock passive means of ventilation and heating and cooling. The base of the Pod sits on 6x8m square with the pinnacles rising to 20m, creating a landmark and destination to point too. 

'This makes the kiosk highly visible from anywhere close to the tracks but also makes station and stops visible from a distance, lifting the traditional form also expresses a sense of pride  in the railway and its achievement.'

'The interior builds on the spatial qualities of traditional designs in the regions, and where possible attempts to frame views and vistas which represent the Trans-Siberian route.'