A look at the giant, interactive art installations taking over Woodbine Beach

From now until the end of March, wintry Woodbine Beach will look a little less bland: four lifeguard stations along the stretch of snowy sand have been transformed into giant art installations as part of Winter Stations, an international design competition started by a trio of local architecture firms back in 2014. This year, the winning artists hail from Vienna, Edinburgh, Madrid and Toronto, and their designs consist of bold, interactive structures meant to bring a little beauty and playfulness to an otherwise grey season.

Noodle Feed

This playground-like piece was made by a Vienna-based architectural design studio and research collective called iheartblob, and was constructed using recycled sailcloth. The “noodles” are soft and springy, encouraging people to sprawl about and mold them into creative forts.

Kaleidoscope of the Senses

This piece, which builds off of the existing lifeguard station, is by Edinburgh designer Charlie Sutherland, of architecture firm Sutherland Hussey Harris. Sutherland planted essential oils into the sand underneath the diagonal black chimney, which draws the aromas up and out of the structure. The white beam frames the water and is meant to represent the horizon, while the lateral red beam functions as a bench, where visitors can take a seat.

Mirage

Madrid design duo Cristina Vega and Pablo Losa Fontangordo created this dynamic structure. From a distance—depending on where they’re standing—visitors will either see a red setting sun, or a bright rising one. They’ll only be able to see that there are actually two separate shapes as they get closer.

The Beach’s Percussion Ensemble

Students from Centennial College were inspired by percussion instruments for this installation. The three structures, which consist of stacked wooden prisms, are arranged around a central steel drum. Bells installed inside the overhangs ring like chimes when the breeze blows. Visitors can add to the chorus with provided sticks, and are even encouraged to tag the structure with graffiti.