Winter Stations 2025

What is Winter Stations?

Winter Stations is a single-stage international design competition held annually in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Participants are tasked with designing temporary winter art installations which incorporate existing lifeguard towers spaced strategically across the city’s Kew and Woodbine beaches. The structures (not in use in the wintertime) are considered visual anchor points for the installations.

As in previous years, Winter Stations intends to build 4-6 winning proposals for a six-week exhibition along the waterfront, funding permitted.

While Toronto beaches are not typically as well visited in the colder seasons, Winter Stations has captured the imagination of the city. Designers can expect their designs to be well-visited and should anticipate public interaction.

The competition is open to everyone in the world. There is no fee to enter.

To view previous installations please visit our archive.

Full competition and submission details can be found HERE.

2025 Theme: Dawn

Dawn marks the beginning of a new era for Winter Stations as it steps into its 11th year, symbolizing a fresh chapter in its creative journey. Just as the first light of morning breaks through the darkness, the exhibition will explore the moments of profound change that redefine and shape our existence, highlighting the delicate process of shedding old layers to emerge as something new. Dawn embraces the evolving self and the endless possibilities of change and transition, whether it be personal, natural, or spiritual, capturing the raw beauty of growth and renewal.

Dawn represents the shift from night to day, and this year, designers are invited to explore how Winter Stations can evolve, and to consider the future of the exhibition and its relationship with the public and the environment. Through this lens, Dawn challenges designers to explore how Winter Stations can adapt, grow, and metamorphose in the coming years, shaping the urban landscape in imaginative and innovative ways.

Special Considerations:

• Conceptualize the station to be experienced up close and from afar, in person and virtually.
• Assume minimal security and the possibility of vandalism and wear/tear from weather elements and public use.
• There is no power or utilities available for the stations, and solar-powered devices are to the discretion of the Winter Stations team.
• Installations should not propose the use of electricity or fire.
• Stations should not exceed a footprint of 10 square meters if the proposal has a roof or is enclosed by walls.
• Stations which encourage climbing (stairs, ramps, etc.) are subject to the Ontario Building Code.
• Transportation and storage considerations:
  • Designs will need to consider a trailer bed size of 7′ x 18′ to transport the installation. The installation can be intact or disassembled into components to fit on the trailer bed.
  • Designs will need to consider storage efficiency and accommodate a shipping container of 8′ x 8′ x 20′ post exhibition.
• Stations should be designed for both a sandy/snowy beach environment and a flat urban surface.

To view previous installations please visit our archive.

Full competition and submission details can be found HERE.