Pargol Shahidi

Serotina

Serotina reimagines public space as an organism that lives with us through the seasons. Arriving with winter and gently receding as warmth returns. Designed as a modular, transportable structure, it gathers people in the coldest months, then folds away, leaving the land untouched. By drawing on natural elements like fire and wind, it creates warmth and light on cold winter days, offering the comfort that feels both simple and essential. Its kinetic roof and open, transparent form allow it to shift with changing weather, never fully enclosing, never isolating. Rather than resisting winter, Serotina invites us to step into it, transforming cold, often lonely sites into places of connection, presence, and shared warmth. It is a place to meet, to pause, to belong, and a quiet reminder that even in the harshest seasons, there is beauty in coming together. This could be the start of a new aspect in building public spaces, especially in Canada.

“As an international student, I tried to focus on what I struggle with the most while living in Canada. The answer was the harsh, extreme winters that we experience here, which leave us constantly wanting to stay inside our cozy homes and fully disconnect from nature. And that eventually leads to seasonal depression. Serotina was designed as a winter structure to create moments of warmth and community during the cold seasons. Serotina is conceived as a flexible, site-responsive intervention rather than a project bound to a single location. Fergy Brown Park, located at the intersection of Jane and Eglinton, was selected as a testing ground to explore its spatial and environmental potential. With the upcoming Eglinton Crosstown LRT extension and existing TTC bus access, the site anticipates increased connectivity and public engagement.Defined by its expansive cricket fields, the park offers an open canvas for temporary occupation. The project inhabits these grounds through a series of lightweight, modular pavilions, carefully positioned through sun and wind analysis to respond to programmatic needs and seasonal shifts. Each structure is both independent and part of a larger system, allowing for adaptability across sites and conditions. At its core, Serotina explores ephemerality and minimalintervention. The pavilions are elevated on portable foundation blocks, preserving the integrity of the land beneath while allowing relocation and reuse. Integrated wind turbines, sheltered within each pavilion ceiling, harness natural forces to generate energy, illuminating the structures during darker hours.Seasonal transformation is central to the project’s narrative. In winter, a seasonal ice rink emerges, inviting movement, gathering, and play, extending the life of the site beyond warmer months. Through these strategies, Serotina proposes a responsive landscape architecture that balances lightness and performance, permanence and change, creating spaces that quietly adapt to both environment and community.”