“Curtain,” designed by Alejandro Felix and Fang Cui, is one of the winning warming huts in this year’s competition at The Forks. (HANDOUT)
WINNIPEG — Six new warming huts will find their way onto the frigid Nestaweya River Trail and around The Forks this winter.
Winner submissions to the Warming Huts v.2023: An Arts + Architecture Competition on Ice were revealed on Thursday.
“In its 13th year, the warming huts competition continues to attract excellence in art and architecture to our community from around the world, while celebrating world-class designs from artists and architects right here at home,” said Sara Stasiuk, CEO of The Forks North Portage.
The six new innovative designs will find their place next to previous winners from past competitions once winter sets in.
This year’s official competition winners are:
- “Curtain” designed by Alejandro Felix (Barcelona, Spain) and Fang Cui (Shanghai, China)
- “Hayspace” by Philipp Gmür (Walenstadt, Switzerland) and Hugh Taylor (Winnipeg)
- “Meanwhile We Still Dream” designed by Lindo Jia and Jaymon Diaz (Seattle, USA)
“Hayspace” by Philipp Gmür and Hugh Taylor. (HANDOUT)
An invited artist team of Winnipeg’s Wanda Koop and Thom Fougere are creating the NIX hut, which was inspired by the beauty of a Winnipeg winter.
A group of students from St. John’s High School is creating the Azhe’o hut, which means “to paddle backwards” in Ojibway, while University of Manitoba’s architecture students will construct Flowing Lands, a nod to the fluid motion of a Prairie winter.
“Meanwhile We Still Dream” designed by Lindo Jia and Jaymon Diaz from Seattle. (HANDOUT)
“Each year, the submissions we receive inspire us, and remind us of the importance of public art and public spaces in our community,” added Stasiuk.
This year’s warming huts competition attracted 122 submissions from 33 countries.
Construction of the huts will take place over a one-week period at the end of January. Once frozen, the huts will be placed on both the Nestaweya River Trail and in Arctic Glacier Winter Park alongside returning huts.
