Banook Judging Tower

The judging tower is located on Lake Banook in Dartmouth, NS. The project went through a transformative renovation in 2023 in order to accommodate the technology now used for canoe and kayak races. The tower was initially designed in 1987 to serve as the finish line tower for the 1988 World Canoe/Kayak Championships. Since that time, the Finish Line tower has served to judge many events. It has become a beloved icon in the city with its image featured on signs, popular Instagram posts, tea towels, keychains and more! The building features a very utilitarian design, which best suits the needs and practicalities of the building use. It features a judge chute at the front for stop-watch wielding judges. Since its initial design, aspects of the building are no longer required, as new technology has replaced the need for a judges chute. Two new stories have been designed to better suit judges sitting at desks with computer equipment. To help maximize the budget, timing, and logistics, especially with Covid-related delays in the supply chain, it was decided to repurpose the existing steel structure of the tower portion of the building, with only minimal alterations to support the newly added loads. As well, the judge’s chute was removed and replaced by two prefabricated modules. These modules were craned from land into place over the lake.