Warming Huts v.2021 New Projects Unveiled

Friday, January 29, 2021 at 10:30am
Warming Huts v.2021 revealed at the junction of the Assiniboine River and Red River
No formal program; local Warming Hut creators will be available to interview

The Forks, Winnipeg – The 11th annual call for Warming Hut submissions was once again a global event with submissions from over 150 international artists and architecture groups. This year was the first time the competition received submissions from Albania, Brazil, Libya and Yemen. The new 2021 Warming Huts are on display at The Forks.

“We are grateful to continue the Warming Huts competition and tradition during the pandemic, safety celebrating art, architecture and outdoor amenities at The Forks,” says Paul Jordan, Chief Executive Officer, The Forks Renewal Corporation. “In a year like no other, we are still able to bring these beautiful art and architecture structures to The Forks to be enjoyed by the public.”

The Forks is grateful that lead partner, the Manitoba Association of Architects, continues to support the initiative.

“We are so pleased that Warming Huts v.2021 was able to continue this year despite some very obvious obstacles,” said Doug Hanna, President of the Manitoba Association of Architects. “We congratulate all those whose submissions were selected and hope that the Huts are able to bring some normalcy to the way Manitobans experience winter while visiting The Forks.”

All submissions were reviewed by a “blind” jury, meaning they have no background information on who submitted the designs or where they are from. The jury, consisting of experts in both the arts and architecture worlds, chose three winning huts.

The Moran and Maño families enjoying a break on the Forks River Trail.

The winners are: Divergence, designed by Thomas Cheney Architects from Seattle, Washington, USA; Hot Landing, designed by AtLRG Architecture Inc. in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; and Yöhäus designed by Karina Leong (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) and Jeremy Chan (Hong Kong). Both Leong and Chan graduated from the University of Manitoba Bachelor of Environmental Design Program.

“There’s always a buzz about who our invited artist or architect is. This year, to honour the world’s ‘keep it local’ messaging, we got the originators and instigators of the whole competition to create once again,” says Jordan. “It’s kind of like bringing the band back together in a way. We asked them to create one and of course they gave us three.”

They have created three new pieces for Warming Huts v.2021: Assembly, The Benesii and Sunspot.

Another local addition to Warming Huts v.2021 is the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Manitoba with their Warming Huts, Sharing Circle and Seating Portal.

“The Faculty of Architecture is excited to be continuing our involvement in the Warming Huts tradition,” says Karen Wilson Baptist, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Manitoba. “We are especially thrilled that the students, led by Eduardo Aquino and Peter Hargraves, took this opportunity to focus on the ongoing issues around homelessness in our City. This type of experiential education enhances what our students are taught in the design studio and we are thankful to The Forks for allowing us to be part of this exciting event.”

The 2021 Warming Huts will join approximately 30 Huts from previous years on The Winnipeg Foundation Centennial River Trail and in Arctic Glacier Winter Park. Current COVID-19 guidelines regarding access to the Warming Huts are being maintained.

Warming Huts v.2021: An Arts + Architecture Competition on Ice, was announced in June 2020 with an open call for submissions through the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC), the American Institute of Architecture, online at archiforum.com and other prominent architectural websites, and is also supported by the Manitoba Association of Architects (MAA). The winners were chosen in November 2020.

Warming Huts v.2021: An Arts + Architecture Competition is made possible also through the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

In keeping with this year’s restrictions, no winning teams from outside the province have travelled to Manitoba.

Photos by Ron Cantiveros | Filipino Journal