Lynx is an architectural concept of infrastructure for search-and-rescue drones in mountainous areas.

Lynx is a concept of a future drone station developed by Alina Sanina (Sanina Arch Club). It combines technological infrastructure with a public space. It is a place where drones, people, and nature meet.

The project is designed for mountainous regions of Ukraine, such as Bukovel, Slavske, Borzhava, and Bakota. It also has the potential to scale to the Alps, Pyrenees, and other mountain ranges popular with tourists.

Lynx stations are intended for storing, charging, maintaining, and operating drones, while also serving as tourist attractions. Depending on the needs of a specific location, they may include an observatory or planetarium, a scientific laboratory, an innovative media library, viewing platforms, or hotels. Located in hard-to-reach areas and connected into a unified network, the drone stations will monitor the environment, support ecotourism, and conduct rescue operations.

Service drones will coordinate tourist logistics and deliver water, food, and medical supplies to remote and high-altitude sections of routes. When necessary, they will carry out search operations. Another type of unmanned vehicle — passenger sightseeing drones — will introduce a new form of mountain tourism, allowing people to observe scenic landscapes from a bird’s-eye view.

The project will be integrated with a mobile application through which tourists will independently register to access the services of the drone station. The Lynx app will provide informational support about routes, their characteristics, and weather conditions. If needed, users will be able to call for help via an SOS button. In this way, a new tourist infrastructure for both people and drones will be formed.

How the Lynx idea emerged

Every year, thousands of tourists get lost in the mountains. In the Ukrainian Carpathians alone, in 2024 more than 500 search-and-rescue operations were conducted: 579 people were rescued, and 18 died. Tourists go missing due to sudden weather changes, lack of communication, or choosing routes that are too difficult. Each such operation requires significant resources — the involvement of dozens of rescuers, specialized equipment, dogs, and helicopters. Sometimes searches last for several days.

Traditional search methods — on foot, using vehicles or helicopters — are slow, expensive, and sometimes dangerous for the rescuers themselves. The use of drones makes search operations faster and more effective. Equipped with thermal imaging cameras, drones can survey large areas within hours, detecting human heat signatures even at night or in poor visibility conditions. They make it possible to determine the coordinates of missing persons, assess the situation, deliver medicine, water, or thermal blankets, and broadcast audio instructions on what to do next. Systematic use of drones in search-and-rescue operations will reduce resource consumption and make rescue faster and more efficient.

The redistribution of functions in mountain tourism and search-and-rescue operations requires appropriate infrastructure. This idea gave rise to Lynx — an architectural concept of a drone station of the future.

The second important factor is the technological revolution of drones that is currently taking place worldwide, particularly in Ukraine. The rapid development of the industry was accelerated by war, which often drives scientific and technological progress. Today, Ukraine has become a center of innovation in unmanned systems. But what will drones and their operators do when the war ends?

“The idea of a network of drone stations came to me back in university while choosing a topic for my master’s thesis. At that time, I chose a different direction — urban development. But the idea of the station remained in my mind and gradually became more defined. Now I see that the time for Lynx has come: the technologies have matured, there are established aerial routes, and hundreds of people who can professionally operate drones. It is worth thinking one step ahead and building a future in which drones serve rescue and care for people,” says Alina Sanina.

Architecture: Gothic futurism in the mountains

Visually, Lynx represents Gothic futurism, where the strength of concrete is combined with the lightness of glass. The structure is built in the form of concentric circles, referencing ancient defensive fortresses. The massive outer wall is formed by rhythmic concrete peaks, whose silhouettes echo the lines of mountain ridges.

The material of the outer structure is an innovative mixture of concrete and glass. The lower part is dominated by concrete, while the upper layers gradually incorporate more glass inclusions. This creates a smooth gradient: from dark monolithic solidity at the base to a semi-transparent, almost ethereal structure at the top. It creates the impression that the peaks dissolve into the clouds.

Glass micro-fragments within the material refract light at different angles, creating a crystalline shimmer. Throughout the day, the façade changes — it sparkles and responds to clouds and the movement of light like a living surface.

The glass inserts in the upper part of the outer structure also function as elements of green energy. Photovoltaic cells are integrated into them, collecting and transmitting solar energy. The roof of the inner glass structure is also covered with solar panels, which accumulate the energy required for the station’s operation and for charging drones. Thanks to the combination of these technologies, Lynx can be fully energy self-sufficient.

The internal volume of the station is transparent and panoramic, visually blurring the boundary between architecture and nature.

The structure of Lynx предусматривает a flexible and hybrid function. Depending on its location, the station can transform into:
• an observatory or viewing platform in mountainous areas,
• a hotel, restaurant, or planetarium near resorts,
• a mini-airport with a helipad in major transport hubs.

Vision of the future

Lynx is a project at the intersection of architecture, ecology, technology, and humanism. It proposes a model of the future in which drones not only perform utilitarian functions but become part of a holistic ecosystem of rescue, safety, and care for people.

It is a symbol of the transition from defense to recovery, from destruction to creation.

Lynx forms a new type of mountain infrastructure — as natural as a shelter, viewing platform, or lift station, but much smarter, more mobile, and more human-centered.

It is a vision in which technology grows together with nature, and innovation works to protect life.