The Red River Mutual Trail is open again after a short closure and the warming huts are slowly being built along the trail at the Forks
“I’m amazed at the creativity and variety of the submissions we received this year,” says Paul Jordan, CEO, The Forks Renewal Corporation. “There’s a fully-enclosed beach, a hut that spans the entire width of the Red River Mutual Trail, and a giant lantern suspended over a snow tunnel. It’s great to see that we continue to receive original designs from all over the world, right here in Winnipeg.”
Three huts were chosen by a “blind jury” from an open, international competition. This year’s winners come from Nova Scotia, Chicago, and Netherlands. A fourth hut, currently under construction with ice harvested from the Red River, was designed by world-renowned sculptor and artist Anish Kapoor.
Kapoor is famous for his instantly recognizable works like Cloud Gate in Chicago’s Millennium Park, and Britain’s largest piece of public art, Orbit, the metal tower featured prominently in the 2012 London Olympic Village. His warming hutStackhouse resembles a giant ice cube with a carved out void.
“We are proud to attract some of the world’s best artists and architects – and having Anish Kapoor accept our invitation makes us feel we’re doing something special here,” says Jordan.
Creating Kapoor’s hut Stackhouse, is Italian-born Norwegian architect Luca Roncoroni, also a previous Warming Huts winner (Wind Catcher, 2012). Roncoroni is also a highly accomplished ice sculptor, recently having created the Victorian Apartment at Icehotel in Sweden.
