Winter Stations is an international design competition held annually in Toronto, Canada. Since 2015, we’ve invited artists, architects, designers, and students to reimagine lifeguard stations as interactive public art installations, transforming city beaches into an open-air exhibition each winter.

The winds and snow, the vastness of Lake Ontario, and the shoreline against Toronto’s skyline have captured imaginations worldwide to explore new visions of art in public space. The lifeguard stands (dormant in winter) serve as visual anchor points for each installation. Every year, the exhibition draws thousands of visitors, bringing creativity, community, and colour to the city’s Woodbine and Kew beaches in the coldest months.

Winter Stations is a competition open to everyone, everywhere, with no fee to enter. Winning proposals are selected by a blind jury of Toronto’s leading voices in art, design, architecture, and urbanism, and built for a six-week exhibition on the waterfront.

As a not-for-profit organization, the number of Stations we can produce each year is always funding dependent. As in previous years, we aim to Winter Stations to build 4-6 winning proposals.

A mirage is a shimmer at the edge of reality, appearing real only to dissolve when approached. The present moment feels much the same, bent and distorted by the rise of digital silos and artificial intelligence, where the truth we seek is always shifting.

A promise and a trick, desire and deception, a mirage is a vision of what we long for most in a state of absence—water in a desert, fire in the cold. What longings define our time, and in what forms do they take?

For Winter Stations 2026, artists, designers, and architects are invited to tickle the boundary between what is seen and what is real. The Stations should transform the shoreline into a place where illusion becomes architecture, offering glimpses of uncanny possibilities. Participants might also consider what imaginative public infrastructures could prompt people to set aside their devices and gather in shared reality.

Proposals should adhere to the following budget for submissions:

• $5,000.00 CAD for materials
• $10,000.00 CAD for labour

A $2,000.00 CAD honorarium will be provided to each winning artist/team.

Our jury of experts in art, design, architecture, and public space will use this evaluation criteria to guide their selection of the winning Stations.

Creative Vision & Response (30%)
How effectively does the proposal interpret and embody this year’s theme? Does it create a meaningful connection with place and the public, while offering an artistic expression that is original, relevant, and thought-provoking?

Design Concept (30%)
How clearly and convincingly is the idea visually communicated? Does the proposal outline its key components, dimensions, and materials in a way that demonstrates both creativity and alignment with the stated design considerations?

Design Feasibility (40%)
How realistic is the proposal in terms of fabrication and delivery? Does it show an understanding of available methods, materials, and resources to ensure it can be built safely and within budgetary limits?

• The lifeguard stands serve as visual anchors and may be incorporated into the design, but the Stations must also be able to be exhibited independently (i.e. no fastening to and/or modifying the lifeguard stands).
• Stations should be designed for both a sandy/snowy beach environment and a flat urban surface (such as asphalt).
• Conceptualize the installation to be experienced up close and from afar, in person and virtually.
• Stations should not exceed a footprint of 10 square meters if the proposal has a roof or is enclosed by walls.
• Assume minimal security and the possibility of vandalism and wear/tear from weather elements and public use.
• Installations should not propose the use of electricity or fire. Solar-powered devices are considered at the discretion of the Winter Stations team.
• 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.
• The Winter Stations team may help refine final designs of selected concepts so they can be built successfully and within budget.

Entries must be submitted electronically as 1 PDF not exceeding 10MB. Each entry should contain, in order, the following documents (in English):

Page One: Project Summary

• 1 page maximum (11″ x 17″ / 279mm x 432mm)
• A maximum of 150-word text describing the project and presenting the experience offered by the visitors
• Layout of selected images and drawings describing the project

Page Two: Images and Drawings

• 1 page maximum (11″ x 17″ / 279mm x 432mm)
• 4 main views or elevations of the installation indicating size and specification of materials. Entrant is free to choose the scale
• A perspective showing the design in its entirety
• Rough-order-of-magnitude cost for artwork installation ($10,000 CAD for labour, $5,000 CAD for materials)

Page Three: Project Credits

• (11″ x 17″ / 279mm x 432mm)
• Name of the installation, and the designer(s) who worked on it
• Contact info for every member of the team, including email and phone number
• Name of design studio, or practice (if applicable)

Notes:

• • Page 1-3 must include the name of the art installation, so we can identify your proposal.
  • NO personal identifying information (e.g. name, country, age, studio, etc.) should appear on Page 1-2 of the design proposal. This info should ONLY appear on Page 3.
  • Final submission should be 1 PDF consisting of 3 pages.
  • Proposals may be landscape or portrait format.
  • Please do not attempt to attach hyperlinks, videos, or any other digital content to the pdf files.
  • Please submit your application using the Dropbox link provided. Submissions by email will not be accepted.
  • Please save your files with ONLY the name of the installation. For example: BellyOfTheBear.pdf

 

Additional Resource Files:

• • Download: WinterStations2020.zip

Who is eligible to apply?
This competition is open to everyone. From any country, at any age and with any level of experience. Artists, designers, architects, studios, students, and enthusiasts are all welcome.

How much does it cost to apply?
Applying to Winter Stations is completely free.

When is the exact deadline for submissions?
The deadline for submissions is November 3rd, 2025 at 11:59pm EST.

How important is the lifeguard stand to the proposal?
The lifeguard stand is the visual anchor for your proposal. Designs must interact with or acknowledge the lifeguard stand but should not be structurally dependent upon it. (Refer to the Design Considerations).

What is a blind competition?
Winter Stations is a blind competition. This means our jury will review proposals without knowing any identifying details about you, such as your name, country, or background.

What matters most is the strength of your proposal: its design, creativity, and feasibility.

Is there a cash prize?
There will be an honorarium of $2,000 CAD for each winning built proposal, and $500 CAD for runners-up. Funds are typically processed via wire transfer.

What language should proposals be submitted in?
Please submit your proposal in English.

Is it possible to apply to Winter Stations as a team?
Yes, you can apply as a team or individual. If you’re applying as a team, you only need to register one team member and if you have a collective name, put that in the ‘Organization’ part of the file name structure. All team members will be properly credited when the winning teams are announced.

How do I submit my proposal?
At the top of the ‘Competition’ tab, click ‘Submit Now’ to upload your submission to the Winter Stations Dropbox.

Winter Stations will not send a confirmation email once you’ve submitted your file(s). You will receive an automated email from Dropbox once you’ve uploaded your files.

When uploading your submission to Dropbox, it will require a name – please include your name or a team member’s name. This name will be automatically added to the file name when uploaded. This will not affect the anonymity of your submission, as the Winter Stations team will prepare the submission for the jury and remove this info.

Should my proposal include detailed instructions for fabrication?
The proposal should demonstrate consideration of the labour and materials budget, as well as the overall feasibility of fabricating the design.

Our team will connect directly with winners after the competition to review fabrication details. When needed, winners may be asked to work with our fabricators to find alternatives that achieve the intended design within budget.

Can I submit more than one proposal?
Yes, you can submit more than one.