A beach is a place for fun in the sun. In the winter, it should at least still be a place for fun. Architectural firms RAW Design and Ferris and Associates joined forces with public art management company Curio in organizing a competition to transform Toronto’s snow-clad steel lifeguard stands into interactive works of art.
In October 2014, the organizers invited designers, artists, and architects to design lifeguard stand redesigns that would attract visitors to the beach in winter, Torontoist reports.
“The beach is obviously super well-used in the summer months,” RAW Founder Roland Rom Colthoff told the Torontoist. “However, in the wintertime it’s rather grey, to say the least. It’s cold and windy, and not a lot of people are down there because it’s a tough environment to be in."
Out of the 196 submissions they received from all over the world, four designs were selected on Dec. 9, 2014 by a panel that included Toronto Star architecture critic Christopher Hume, as well as a city official and several people in the city’s art scene.
Organizers and the winning designers are currently working out the logistics of the building structures, which will be complete for the public’s enjoyment on Feb. 16, Canada’s Family Day.
Ultimately, five lifeguard stands will be constructed, consisting of the four winning designs and a scheme by Ryerson University architecture students.
Here’s a look at the renderings with a short description (both courtesy of each design team):
Sling Swing, by Ed Butler, Dan Wiltshire, and Frances McGeown of WMB Studio
“Playfully imagines how a group of summer deckchairs might adapt themselves to the cold winter months. Just as animals in cold climates huddle together to keep warm, the chairs cluster around a fellow seat, the lifeguard stand.”
Driftwood Throne, by Daniel Madeiros of DM_Studio
“The modest lifeguard stand is decorated with a valance of reused timber, transforming it from a simple, discreet metal object on the landscape to a strong, faceted sculptural form.”
WingBack, by Tim Olson of Bensonwood Designers
“A vibrantly stained semi-circular form is sited south-facing to capture solar energy. The bench seat configuration gathers the warmth of co-occupants while the tall walls provide shelter from north winter winds.”
Snowcone, by fourth-year Ryerson Architectural Science students Diana Koncan and Lily Jeon
“A playful outdoor project that mimics the protective organic form of the pinecone and borrows the simple, effective technology of the native igloo.”
Hot Box, by Michaela MacLeod of Polymétis Architecture and Nicholas Croft
“Entering from the harsh landscape through a cold, dark, rubber exterior, one finds themselves in an insulated, soft, muffled and light-filled space that conjures feelings of shelter, intimacy, quietude.”
Learn more at Torontoist.
Related Stories
| Jul 18, 2013
Top Government Sector Architecture Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Stantec, HOK, HDR top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest government sector architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.
| Jul 18, 2013
Do third-corridor designs actually work for healthcare environments?
A recent study of a nursing unit assessed whether the space's third corridor does what it was intended to do: reduce noise and distraction to patients and nursing staff.
| Jul 18, 2013
LEGO takes on the iconic Sydney Opera House
This September, LEGO will expand its LEGO Creator Expert series with a 2,989-brick model of the iconic Sydney Opera House.
| Jul 17, 2013
Top Multifamily Construction Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Lend Lease, Clark Group, Balfour Beatty top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest multifamily contractors and construction management firms in the United States.
| Jul 17, 2013
Top Multifamily Engineering Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
STV, URS, AECOM top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest multifamily engineering and engineering/architecture firms in the United States.
| Jul 17, 2013
Top Multifamily Architecture Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
IBI Group, Niles Bolton, Perkins Eastman top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest multifamily architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the United States.
| Jul 17, 2013
CBRE recognizes nation's best green research projects
A rating system for comparative tenant energy use and a detailed evaluation of Energy Star energy management strategies are among the green research projects to be honored by commercial real estate giant CBRE Group.
| Jul 17, 2013
Should city parking space requirements be abolished?
Some cities are deliberately discouraging construction of new parking spaces by allowing the construction of buildings with a lower ratio of parking spaces to dwellings (as low as 0.75 spaces per residence).
| Jul 17, 2013
Retail store openings at five-year high
Analysis by RBC Capital Markets shows that U.S. retailers are planning to open 42,757 stores over the next 12 months, and some 83,700 locations over the next two years, both five-year highs.
| Jul 16, 2013
As the U.S. economy sputters back to life, contractors wait for the green light on projects [2013 Giants 300 Report]
There are enough positive indictors in the economy to justify greenlighting projects, but building owners and developers remain reluctant to pull the trigger.
