Winter Stations breathes life into Toronto’s wintertime beaches with public warming huts Who has time for the beach during one of our sub-arctic Canadian winters? Cold and desolate, they’re usually just a holding spot until the warmer months arrive. Looking to all change that, RAW, Ferris + Associates and Curio teamed up to launch Winter Stations, an open international design competition challenging artists, designers, architects and landscape architects tore0imagine up one of Toronto’s most under-used winterscapes. Using the theme of warmth as a guide, artists, designers and architects were challenged to turn the utilitarian lifeguard stations along Toronto’s east beaches into whimsical pieces of wintertime public art, garnering 200 submissions from around the world. The result; five playfully interactive ‘Warming Huts’ that have repurposed Toronto's waterfront into a wintertime hub of artistry and colour. Driftwood Throne by DM_Studio (London, UK) Using reused timber, DM_Studio design transforms the modest lifeguard stand from a simple, discreet metal object into a strong, faceted sculptural form that provides seating and shelter from the winter wind. Sling Swing by WMB Studio (London/Liverpool, UK) Sling Swing introduces a playful take on how the iconic deckchair might adapt itself to the cold winter months, meant to huddle beach goers together in pockets of warmth. The colourful canvases evoke a sense of summer beach nostalgia, while the breeze ensures a continuously animated installation. HotBox by Michaela MacLeod and Nicholas Croft (Toronto, Canada) HotBox mimics the typology of the ice house traditionally used in northern climates, heightening the contrast between inside and outside and allowing visitors to experience warmth through visual, auditory, tactile, and associative means. Wing Back by Tim Olson (New Hampshire, USA) Wing Back appropriates the tall, swept typology of a wingback chair, to create an over-sized seating structure designed to gather people together. The tall wall provides shelter from northern winds and a central fire ring will provide warmth in the depths of winter. Snowcone by Diana Koncan and Lily Jeon and the Department of Architectural Science, Ryerson (Toronto, Ontario) Snowcone mimics the protective organic form of the pinecone and marries it with the simple, effective technology of the native igloo. Snowcone was the winning project of a design charette held within the Department of Architectural Science to chose the fifth Winter Station, in addition to the four other winners. Streetcar is the presenting sponsor for Winter Stations alongside supporting sponsors including Rockport Group, Urban Capital, Urbancorp, Worsley Urban Partners, Zen Homes, Reserve Properties, the Glen Condo, Ontario Association of Architects and Fieldgate Homes. In Partnership with City of Toronto, the Beach Village BIA, Design Exchange and DeClute Real Estate Inc. The installations were fabricated by Zone Six Design Build, Alexandre Wilson and Alan Johnston of atelieronefive.com, Vir Prasad of Sunrise Carpentry, Mosher Originals, Four By Eight Sign Services Inc. and the Ryerson Architectural Science Program.
