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Winter Stations International Design Competition Brings a Riot of Colour to Toronto's Beaches
Four international teams and three Canadian design schools transform Toronto's lifeguard stations into thought-provoking pieces of pop-up art
January 5, 2018 (Toronto)... An iconic item of headwear, a nuclear cooling tower that celebrates wind-power and a giant Futurist intonarumori instrument are coming to Toronto's east end beaches this winter, as part of the fourth annual Winter Stations International Design Competition.
Four winning designs were selected from hundreds of submissions from around the world by this year's Winter Stations design jury. Artists, architects and designers were asked to create bold designs at the site of the lifeguard stations that are dotted along the beach-front. Each winning submission celebrates Toronto’s winter waterfront landscape and aims to draw people outside to interact with installations, the winter and each other. The four winning designs will be joined by three student installations from the University of Guelph, OCAD and Ryerson University.
"Yet again the submissions we received really blew us away with their creativity," says Ward 32 Councillor and Winter Stations jury member, Mary-Margaret McMahon. "It was a tough choice narrowing it down but we are really excited to present the four winning installations and the three student designs, and we hope that the community welcomes them as some warm and colourful relief in this cold weather."
"Provocative, political and audacious, the winning submissions have brought a fantastic riot to the beach this year," says Lisa Rochon, Winter Stations design jury chair. "The jury considered every submission seriously and I believe the public will be amazed and delighted by this year’s installations on the beach.”
The theme for Winter Stations’ fourth year is RIOT. Designers took their inspiration from the past year’s political upheaval and continued global uncertainty, acting out and actively resisting through a riot of colour, form and material.
“It was important for us to allow the competition to evolve and reflect the global events of the past twelve months,” says Winter Stations co-founder, Roland Rom Colthoff, RAW Design. "At the same time, the installations couldn't stray too far from the main motive of Winter Stations, which is to bring joy, warmth and conversation to the long, cold Canadian winter landscape."
Founded by RAW Design, Ferris + Associates, and Curio, Winter Stations Design Competition was conceived as a way of using design to inspire Torontonians to visit the beach in the winter. Now in its fourth year, the concept has evolved to include sister exhibition, Ice Breakers, presented in collaboration with Toronto’s Waterfront BIA. Ice Breakers is now in its second year and runs from January 19 - February 25, along Queen's Quay in downtown Toronto.
The Winter Stations finalists are:
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Pussy Hut by Martin Miller and Mo Zheng (USA)
Inspired by the Women's March movement, this vivid installation recreates the powerful, knitted symbol that captured the spirit of the protests around the world on January 21, 2017. The design is simple, yet powerful, a symbol that gains strength through participation and unity. As winter approaches it is a reminder to wear your hat, stand up for what’s right, and stay warm.
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Obstacle by Kien Pham (UK)
Obstacle is a metaphor for overcoming the problems in the world. Although at first, it seems like an impenetrable barrier, the columns rotate allowing visitors to enter and interact with the obstacle, and other visitors. In order to confront the obstacle, visitors have to work together, rotating the columns in sequence to overcome the adversity.
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Make Some Noise!!! by Alexandra Grieß and Jorel Heid (Germany)
Italian Futurism comes to Toronto with this over-sized noisebox, based on Luigi Rusollo’s “intonarumori” which caused an uproar in the classical music scene when he introduced it in the Milan Opera House in 1914. The installation is intended as a playful instrument to ‘ring the alarm’.
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Wind Station by Paul van den Berg and Joyce de Grauw (Netherlands)
Wind Station is a call for nuclear phase-out that brings together hundreds of tiny pin-wheels, to symbolize renewable wind energy, in the shape of a nuclear cooling tower. A playful protest that asks why countries continue to rely on dangerous and un-sustainable technology to provide energy when safer, cleaner alternatives are available.
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Rising Up by the University of Guelph, School of Environmental Design and Rural Development
Project Team: Alexander Good, Austin Huang, Kevin Sadlemyer, Marc Cote, Stephan Stelliga, Zixiang Chen, BLA students, University of Guelph, School of Environmental Design and Rural Development and Nadia Amoroso, PhD, ASLA, Faculty Representative, University of Guelph, School of Environmental Design and Rural Development
Inspired by the topography of Toronto's Don Valley, Rising Up invites visitors to experience nature's uprising against increasing urbanisation. The elevating tension between humans and the environment is articulated through deconstructed topographical layers and increasing negative space within the sculpture which exposes visitors to the elements.
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NEST by Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario
Project Team: Adrian Chiu, Arnel Espanol, Henry Mai
NEST is an installation that embodies ideas of comfort within a system of disorder and complexity. The structure is composed of modular cells that contain a weave of colourful webs, providing both shelter and playful moments of light and shadow within the space.
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Revolution by OCAD, Toronto, Ontario
Creative Team: Ben Chang, Anna Pogossyan, Amr Alzahabi, Carlos Chin, Iris Ho, Tracee Jia, Krystal Lum, Adria Maynard, Purvangi Patel and Judiette Vu
Revolution is composed of 36 vertical modules of different height, enabling visitors to express their opinions through the air. As one projects their voice into the horn, they also amplify the conviction of their words. As the wind blows through the installation, it carries these sounds and ideas into the atmosphere to form a collective message.
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All seven installations will be built along Kew, Scarborough and Balmy Beaches in the heart of The Beach community, broadly located south of Queen Street East, between Woodbine and Victoria Park Avenues. Installations will debut on Family Day, February 19, 2015, and will stay open to the public until April 1, 2018.
This year’s Jury includes 2018 Jury Chair Lisa Rochon, Senior Fellow, Global Cities Institute and Co-Founder, Friends of the Beach Parks, Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon, Film-maker Joseph Clement, Larissa Roque, Intern Architect with Brook McIlroy and a member of Wahnapitae First Nation, Paul Raff, Paul Raff Studio and Rob Shostak, Creative Director - Marketing, Kasian, and a former Winter Stations competition winner.
Winter Stations sponsors for 2018 include City of Toronto Parks and Recreation, Ontario Association of Architects, Great Gulf Communities, Urban Capital, Dimirov, Bousefields, Ontario Association of Landscape Architects, Bridging Finance, Rockport, Diamante Developments, Edzar Group, Marlin Springs, Fieldgate Homes, Hunter and Associates, and more to be announced.
All four winning installations will be built by the designated build team, Anex Works. Student teams are responsible for their own installations.
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For background information, images, and to schedule interviews, please contact publicist. For a complete list of submissions please visit winterstations.com.
Media Contact
Kim Graham & Associates – kg&a
416.537.0954
Vakis Boutsalis
416-578-1741
vakis@kimgraham.ca
Katy Creates
416-831-8129
katy@kimgraham.ca
Sources
Roland Rom Colthoff, RAW Design
Justin Ridgeway, Curio
Ted Merrick, Ferris + Associates
Ward 32 Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon
All Participating Artists
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