Winter Stations International Design Competition for a Temporary Public Art Installation
SITE: Toronto Beaches Community
CHALLENGE: Located on the beach between the Leuty Lifeguard Station and the Balmy Beach Club are five evenly spaced lifeguard stands. These utilitarian structures are to be used as the armature or foundation for a temporary installation of public art. Under the theme of “warmth”, competitors are asked to design installations that create a colourul and dynamic beacon on the landscape and offer a space of refuge along the windswept shoreline during the winter months.
DESCRIPTION: Toronto consumes an estimated 100 million plastic bottles a year, of which only 35% are recycled. Many end up in landfills, and as litter in our rivers, lake and parks. This project re-uses plastic bottles by re-imagining them as building blocks in a dynamic installation. An enveloping plywood shell provides respite from winter winds. The existing lifeguard stand is used as a supporting armature while maintaining its function as a look-out point. 1360 recycled clear plastic bottles are filled with a salt-water solution and dyed to 1 of 8 specified colours. The chosen colours gradate to emphasize the threshold between land and water while also mimicking the glow of a warming hearth. The bottles are attached to and penetrate the plywood shell in a grid pattern, forming a composition of coloured windows along the façade. In contrast to a winter setting, the façade appears vibrant and colourful – a curios and beckoning view from afar. The dappled colour from the bottles work like stained glass windows, changing colour and translucence with varying light conditions.