Presented by

Glaciate

2026: Mirage 

Design Team: Toronto Metropolitan University Department of Architectural Science in collaboration with Ming Chuan University School of Design: Finn Ferrall, Nicholas Kisil, Marko Sikic, with faculty supervisor Yew-Thong Leong and Vincent Hui
(Canada & Taiwan)

Description

The lifeguard stand has become the fixed marker of the Winter Stations competition: an element that survives each annual installation, anchoring every design to Woodbine Beach. A series of vertical polycarbonate panels, filled with water from the lake nearby, creates a set of ice lenses that glaciate the stand. As the lake water freezes and thaws, the panels cycle through phases of transparency, translucency, and full opacity. The stand is never wholly visible or wholly concealed; instead, it appears through fragments, outlines, and momentary flashes of red. This collage of visual clarity creates a celebratory mirage of the lifeguard externally, and a mirage of Woodbine Beach from within.