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Type_Competition 

     Host_The Forks "Warming Huts" 

   Year_2014   

brief

  • Temporary structures that act as warming stations, gathering places, and inspiration for perspectives on living in our winter climate.

  • Enclosed spaces that use passive solar energy to heat a thermal mass inside, warming the hut.

  • Practicality, aesthetically pleasing, modular, and mobile.

  • A specific visual language to communicate physical warmth and draw people in. 

Recognizing the sublime qualities of the Canadian prairie winter skies, inFuture Projects have used angled planes of mirrored aluminum to draw the sky into a mobile pavilion on Winnipeg's frozen river trail. 

Winnipeg’s frozen river trail holds the Guinness World Record for the longest naturally frozen skating trail in the world, at 10 kilometers long. Over 300,000 visitors experience the trail during the winter season. The designers aimed to engage and connect visitors using the combination of social media and the breathtaking Canadian prairie skies. Fittingly, the pavilion is known as “Skybox” as the interior is filled with the sky above.

Skybox uses 45-degree planes of mirrored aluminum to reflect the sky into the pavilion. The angled plane of polished aluminum is folded to form a bench which runs the full width of the pavilion. A mirrored vertical plane stands opposite of the reflected sky, allowing visitors to see their reflection sitting amongst the clouds.  A blackened cedar exterior contrasts the light-filled interior, concealing a visual surprise along the frozen river trail. 

Winnipeg, MB

Canada

University of Manitoba

Student Competition

SKYBOX

Visitors are encouraged to upload their Skybox images through social media, recording the ever-changing prairie skies to a publicly accessible digital archive.

The pavilion's size was limited to the 8'x14' prefabricated steel skid which allows it to glide along the frozen river. Winnipeg's winter temperatures can drop below -50°C (-58°F), and to reduce time outdoors, Skybox was constructed in prefabricated 4'x8' modules in a small workshop.

10_Skybox drawings.jpg

CONSTRUCTION PROCESS

     SKYBOX was designed and built in a series of modular components. Each wall segment was framed within a 4’x8’ module with dimensional lumber and sheathing panels allowing for reduced amounts of wasted materials. Internally, the walls are clad with a mixture of 1/8” unpolished and polished custom aluminum panels, creating a durable yet reflective surface to withstand the notoriously cold winter climate. The angled aluminum mirror rests at 45 degrees to reflect the overhead imagery of the prairie skies into SKYBOX. The team encouraged social media interaction with two sets of vinyl instruction graphics on the walls adjacent to the bench.

 

 

The exterior is treated with a continuous layer of 8’ interlocking cedar boards, which were charred to create a visual juxtaposition between the exterior and the light-filled interior space. The overall dimensions of the project were limited by the pre-determined 8’x14’ steel skid which glides upon the snow and ice.

WINNIPEG ART GALLERY

     In summer 2014, SKYBOX was received as a temporary outdoor installation at the Winnipeg Art Gallery for four months. The installation saw a new arena for capturing the overhead sky conditions within the heart of downtown Winnipeg. The continuity of the project’s presence was further expanded through it’s presence in social media and the events at the art gallery.

 

#SkyboxWpg Instagram Feed

PUBLICATIONS/PRESENTATIONS

  1.      MYWAG quarterly newsletter - Fall 2014  

  2.      10x20x20 Presentation poster  

  3.      10x20x20 Presentation - January 2014  

  4.      Winnipeg Free Press - January 2014  

  5.     Winnipeg Free Press - front cover image  

  6.     Winnipeg Metro - front cover image  

 

not pictured_

  1. Food For Thought @ University of Manitoba [LECTURE]

  2. Intro to Environmental Design @ University of Manitoba [LECTURE]

  3. Published in Warehouse Journal Vol.23

  4. Published on iLikeArchitecture.net [Blog]

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