River Trail huts get widespread exposure

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This article was published 10/12/2014 (4198 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg’s warming huts are winning accolades in more temperate climes.

Two warming huts from last winter’s River Trail were featured in September at Beakerhead, an entertainment festival in Calgary that blends science, engineering and art.

After Christmas, it’s on to Boston for The Lawn on D, a festival on the lawn of the Massachusetts Convention Centre that shares similar values.

The exposure is positive for Winnipeg and for the artists and architects who build the huts, said Chelsea Thomson, marketing and communications manager at The Forks.

“The warming huts really push the creative envelope,” said Thomson. “You don’t have to travel to see high-end architecture.

“We do this on our own little frozen section of the river because we don’t have to stay indoors. We’re embracing the winter and showcasing high-end art in these frigid temperatures.”

The huts allowed visitors at Beakerhead to escape the elements when a snowstorm hit Calgary during the festival in mid-September.

“The weather was so poor and the landscape was so depressed that the warming huts really shone,” said Beakerhead president Mary Anne Moser. “We found them online and people loved them. It added a more important element to the installation because of the weather.”

Wind Catcher, designed by Tina Soli and Luca Roncoroni, from Norway, and Hygge House, a made-in-Winnipeg hut designed by a combination of Pike Projects, Urban Inc. and Plain Projects, were featured at Beakerhead’s Little Big Street exhibit and will also be seen in Boston.

Colin Grover, owner of Pike Projects, is an intern architect, working professionally as he prepares to get his licence. Beakerhead executives flew him to Calgary to oversee the warming huts exhibit.

“I guess it’s a reflection of its success in connecting with the users,” Grover said. “On the Friday, the students loved it because it looked great in their selfies. There were endless selfies.”

Grover said the second day was more satisfying because people seemed genuinely interested in the design of the hut.

“They were more interested and seeking me out with lots of questions,” he said. “I put lots of work into a whole lot of other projects that no one gets excited about, so it’s the best return on our effort we can hope for. It was definitely worth it.”

The design winners for 2015 have already been selected, but won’t be on the river for a while yet, as the trail isn’t complete, Thomson says, because there are still spots where the water hasn’t frozen.

This year’s competition received more than 100 submissions, and features work from the University of Manitoba’s architecture faculty, Kelvin High School’s drafting program and independent submissions from other artists and architects such as Michel Rojkind — the invited architect this year.

stephen.burns@freepress.mb.ca