winter stations 2022 winners unveiled

the winter stations 2022 winning designs are exhibited until march 31 at woodbine beach

the winter stations competition is back for its eighth year, with three winning designs selected from hundreds of submissions worldwide, alongside three student creations. launched by RAW design, ferris + associates, and curio in 2015, the competition invites designers, artists, and architects to create bold designs that spark conversation and draw people outside to enjoy the beach in the winter. the winning designs overtook the lifeguard stations at toronto’s woodbine beach and will be on display until march 31, 2022.

winning designs exhibition at woodbine beach | image © jonathan sabeniano

rounding up the 5 winners tackling the theme of ‘resilience’

this year’s theme, resilience, celebrates the ability of people to withstand and push through challenging and unprecedented times. the artists were asked to not only reflect on all the ways people have had to be resilient, but also the ways they have channeled this resilience, be it through communities, movements, support networks and more.’with all the uncertainty over the past two years, we’re overjoyed that winter stations is once again on the beach,‘ says roland rom colthoff, founder of the competition. wtihout further ado, we’ve rounded up the winter stations 2022 competition winners below.

wildlife-guard chair by mickael minghetti & andres jimenez monge | image © james bombales

name: wild-guard chair

designers: mickael minghetti

collaborator: andres jimenez monge

countries: france & canada

inspired by the northern cardinal bird – a species present all-year-round along lake ontario – the ‘wild-guard chair’ station by michael minghetti, with the guidance of andres jimenez monge, seeks to engage the visitors with ontario’s wildlife. the diversity of species taking refuge in the dense urban environment is remarkable to observe and critical to preserve.

introspection by students from university of toronto | image © james bombales

name: introspection
lead: associate professor fiona lim tung

designers: christopher hardy, tomasz weinberger, clement sung, jason wu, jacob henriquez,
christopher law, anthony mattacchione, george wang, maggie macphie, zoey chao
school: university of toronto – daniels faculty of architecture

country: canada

‘we chose to base our design on the emotions felt throughout the past two years’ worth of quarantine and isolation. playing with the idea of reflection, we utilize mirrored walls to cast the visitors as the subjects of our bright red pavilion, titled ‘introspection’. while the trellis roof allows the sun to illuminate the interior and its visitors, the red lifeguard tower stands unyielding in the center of the pavilion, reminding us of the inherent stability within us. in highlighting the subject’s presence, we hope to promote introspection into one’s emotional resilience as one faces their reflection. from afar, [the structure] appears to float on the beach’s horizon. behaving like a visual constant in the wild, [it] reminds us that no matter what the whirlwinds of life may bring, they endure it all and remain resilient to adversity, says the team.

enter-face by MELT | image © james bombales

name: enter-face

designers: cemre önertürk & ege çakır (MELT)

country: turkey

‘the pandemic has altered many of our habits, but it especially affected how we perceive the world beyond our own using a single surface: the digital screen. by offering the isolated a new version of coexistence, these screens not only made overcoming this challenging period possible but also became indissociable parts of our lives,’ shares MELT. ‘enter-face’ therefore translates these screens’ dramatic influence by bringing people together through a shared vision while keeping them physically separated. the installation comprises two dark boxes with distanced holes where users can get their upper bodies in. within the boxes, a textured and transparent surface allows the viewers to watch life unfold outside as if spectating a never-ending moving image on a screen together.

THE HIVE by kathleen dogantzis & will cuthbert | image © jonathan sabeniano

name: THE HIVE

designers: kathleen dogantzis & will cuthbert

country: canada

the resilience witnessed among communities in the face of challenging times is also found in the honey bee colony, primarily composed of worker bees whose greatest strength is maintaining hive temperature during cold months. this is achieved by using energy from stored honey to generate body heat within a tight hive cluster. the challenge of keeping the hive warm is met by a colony-level response – much like the collaborative community-level response that is mounted in the face of adversity. with that said, THE HIVE is a hexagonal structure reminiscent of a honey bee colony, displaying the color variations of the nectar. individuals are welcomed to experience the visual diversity of a honey bee hive and work together to form a collaborative community-level cluster.

one canada by students from university of guelph | image © jonathan sabeniano

name: one canada
lead: assistant professor afshin ashari

designers: alex feenstra, megan haralovich, zhengyang hua, noah tran, haley white, connor winrow
school: university of guelph – school of environmental design & rural development

country: canada

‘the indigenous peoples of canada are an inspirational example of resilience due to their ability to withstand adversity and persevere through generations of oppressive colonial policies. here, we symbolize bridging the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples through gathering. the installation is built using the seven grandfather teachings, represented by the installation’s seven rings. these teachings originated with the anishnabae peoples, passed down through generations to ensure the survival of all natives: wisdom, love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility, and truth.’ based on that premise, the students colorized their installation with orange ropes weaved in a pattern. the chosen color represents the national day of truth and reconciliation, and the reality that the support of non-indigenous peoples will strengthen relations and begin to redress historical wrongs.

s’winter station by students from ryerson university | image © jonathan sabeniano

name: s’winter station

lead: associate professor vincent hui

designers: evan fernandes, kelvin hoang, alexandra winslow, justin lieberman, ariel weiss
school: ryerson university – department of architectural science
country: canada

the forces of nature are relentless. like falling snow or shifting beach sand, the ‘s’winter station’ pavilion embraces local climate conditions. following these directions of force, the structure’s wings embody movement by harnessing snow and mitigating strong winds. beach towels have been shaped into dynamic concrete panels with varying openings. these panels control the amount of light and snow allowed to enter while also creating unique views outwards. together, the panels and wings protect users and encourage them to engage with their surroundings. where the lifeguard station, beach towels, and marine ropes are more frequently used in summer, the pavilion achieves resilience by using these objects for wintertime. it acts as a shelter for the community by celebrating and harnessing winter conditions and adapting to natural forces.

the winter stations 2022 exhibition launched by RAW design, ferris + associates, and curio was made possible by the sponsorship of the beach BIA, minto communities, sali tabacchi branding and design, meevo digital, RioCan, demirov, bara group, urban capital and waterfront shores partners, consisting of cityzen group, tercot communities, greybrook realty and the city of hamilton.

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