See the winners of the 2016 Winter Stations Design Competition
By Lucas on Jan 12, 2016
The winners of the second Winter Stations Design Competition by RAW Design, Ferris + Associates and Curio have been announced! Out of nearly 400 entries from around the world, the jury selected four winners and three student designs by local schools.
“The public participation in Winter Station's inaugural year proves that even the most overlooked winterscapes can be injected with vibrancy and life," says Ted Merrick, lead designer at Ferris + Associates. "Our ultimate goal for year two remains the same - to encourage the community out of hibernation and back to the beach."
If you haven’t heard of Winter Stations, it’s an international design competition that encourages artists and creative thinkers to reimagine Toronto’s lifeguard stands along the east end beaches. This year, the theme was Freeze/Thaw, so the submissions were all supposed to represent Toronto’s changing climate conditions.
“Winter Stations 2016 attracted brilliant ideas from around the world and it was agonizing to have to pick only four winners from an amazing field of 380 submissions,” says Lisa Rochon, Winter Stations Design Jury Chair.
The Winter Stations will be constructed between February 10th and 14th at seven different lifeguard stands along Kew, Scarborough, and Balmy Beaches. The Winter Stations will be open to the public on February 14th and will remain standing until March 20, 2016.
“Visitors will discover a feast of textures in the schemes - from vessels clad in charred wood to sailing rope to vintage furs,” explains Rochon. “Inventive, playful and irreverent, all of the installations can be read like pieces of poetry on the beach.”
The winners of Winter Stations 2016
In the Belly of a Bear by Caitlind r.c Brown, Wayne Garrett and Lane Shordee. Calgary, Canada
You’ll be able to climb up into the Belly of a Bear to cuddle up in a fur surrounding to escape the cold. The opening will offer views of the lake. With so much hype about Star Wars all over the Internet, it’s difficult not to compare this design to the Death Star. We’re assuming In the Belly of a Bear - while sounding kind of frightening - is much cozier than an Imperial weapon of mass destruction.
Floating Ropes by MUDO (Elodie Doukhan and Nicolas Mussche). Montreal, Canada
Exactly what it sounds like, Floating Ropes will be a “forest of ropes,” creating a playful cube shape around the lifeguard chair. People will be able to climb up into the chair and enjoy their view of the lake through the ropes. We’re not sure how well the ropes will protect you from the wind, but it will definitely look interesting!
Sauna by FFLO (Claire Furnley and James Fox), Kent, UK
Sauna will be fabricated from timber and provide a source of heat to winter beach goers. The inside features tiered seating, and the higher you sit, the warmer it will be. You may have to fight some people off for that top row! The lights on the station will be solar powered and there will be a transparent wall so passersby can see the thawing occupants inside.
Flow by Team Secret (Calvin Fung and Victor Huynh). Toronto, Canada
We have to say, we think this is one of our favourites out of the seven winners, and not just because it was designed by hometown creatives. Using “slot-fitting wood connections,” this lifeguard stand is being transformed into a single ice crystal. Thanks to the well conceived design, the overall shape can be easily manipulated.
Lithoform by Ryerson. Toronto, Ontario
Project team: Remi Carreiro, Aris Peci and Vincent Hui, Associate Professor, Ryerson University
This design was inspired by “the natural formations formed by frost in the outer layer of earth, or Lithosphere.” The cave-like design will provide shelter from the cold winds off Lake Ontario. We’re excited to see how the students bring the colour in this design to life.
The Steam Canoe by OCADU. Toronto, Ontario
Project team: Curtis Ho, Jungyun Lee, Monifa Onca Charles, Reila Park, Hamid Shahi, Lambert St-Cyr, Jaewon Kim, Jason Wong and Mark Tholen, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Environmental Design, OCADU
Resembling an upside down canoe, this design is comprised mostly of wood and will feature “solar tubes” that will turn snow into steam.
Aurora Borealis by Laurentian University. Sudbury, Ontario.
Project team: Chris Baziw, Ra'anaa Brown, Trevor D'Orazio, Andrew Harkness, Matthew Hunter, Danielle Kastelein and Terrance Galvin, Director of Architecture, Laurentian University
This chandelier-like design will be made of fabric, LED lights, and an aluminum frame. The lights will react to human touch and change colour due to contact with body heat.
This year’s sponsors of the Winter Stations Design Competition are the City of Toronto, Demirov Fine Homes, the Design Exchange, Diamante Developments, Fieldgate Homes, Great Gulf, the Ontario Association of Architects, Ontario Association of Landscape Architects, The Rockport Group, and Urban Capital.
