A playful, interactive installation inspired by the deckchairs of Toronto's beaches, combining colour, movement and function within a winter context.
Inspired by the many deckchairs that inhabit Toronto's Kew and Balmy beaches during the summer, Sling Swing is an interactive installation that seeks to reinstate the colour, movement and function they provide, within a winter context.
The elements of a traditional deckchair, the canvas sling and frame, are reconfigured to provide users with an enveloping shelter from the winds and to create a fun, comfortable, meeting place, suspended above the icy sand. The slings are clustered together to trap pockets of air within the layers of canvas, and to bring people together to keep warm.
From afar, the colourful canvases evoke a sense of summer warmth and beach nostalgia, whilst the breeze continuously animates their forms, bringing movement and dynamic colour to the winter landscape. The bright orange of the canvas is inspired by the life-saving paraphernalia attached to the stand, both as a reference to stand's function, and to act as a warm, colourful beacon within the frozen landscape.
The installation was subsequently reused at the SPARty event in Toronto, and a further version was installed at the Danish Architecture Centre for the Vinterbyen exhibition.