Architectural Science students break the ice and make history

A January stroll along Toronto’s waterfront may not initially spring to mind for city dwellers seeking a delightful winter pastime, but the annual Ice Breakers design competition is changing that. Each year, public art created by designers from around the world dots the landscape, offering an engaging and fun way to interact with the wintry surroundings. As featured on CTV News (external link) , one installation along Queen’s Quay West was created by the only student team to win a spot at the international design competition.

The Ryerson “Tripix” design team – architectural science students Gloria Zhou, Tommy Gomez, Vivian Kinuthia, Florencio IV (Vince) Tameta and Tatiana Estrina – created a walk-through trillium-like structure of reflective surfaces, with each of three arching flower petals framing a Toronto landmark. Visitors can stand inside the structure and take a reflective selfie that includes a city feature in the frame. The architecture students’ interpretation of the competition theme “Signal Transmission” offers a comment on the way social media is changing how we view and interpret architecture – and how we live in an image-driven society.