2023 Warming Huts: An Art + Architecture Competition On Ice

2023 Warming Huts: An Art + Architecture Competition On Ice now is over!

2023 Warming Huts: An Art + Architecture Competition On Ice: Warming Huts: An Art + Architecture Competition on Ice, an art and architecture competition now is opened for entries for 2023 inviting all architects, students of architecture, landscape architects, interior designers, artists and industrial designers who have a proven portfolio of design to participate.

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Submissions are now open for the 2023 Warming Huts: An Art + Architecture Competition On Ice, inviting all architects, students of architecture, landscape architects, interior designers, artists and industrial designers who have a proven portfolio of design work to participate.

Started in 2009, Warming Huts: An Art + Architecture Competition on Ice has been melding world-class design and art with Winnipeg’s famous winters. The competition has seen entries from across the globe and caught the attention of international architecture publications and awards, as well as admiration from newspapers such as the New York Times. SITE The huts or installations are placed along the Nestaweya River Trail at The Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba (www.theforks.com). The Forks is located in downtown Winnipeg, at the junction of the Red River and the Assiniboine River. The intersection of the two rivers historically has made the area a popular meeting place for over 6,000 years. In recent times, the site has developed into a popular destination for tourists and locals alike, with over four million visitors annually.

In winter, the rivers are also used as an alternate route to access downtown by foot, bike, skates and skis. There are opportunities for curling, hockey and much more. With many access points, the Nestaweya River Trail is a link between communities in Winnipeg. The trail is regularly groomed and monitored for any safety concerns. There will also be extra security at night in an attempt to prevent people from loitering or damaging the huts.

Weather in Winnipeg during the months of January and February can be extremely cold with temperatures reaching below – 30C. Teams are encouraged to engage the effects of solar radiation, wind chill, and the constantly shifting landscape of the snow-covered river. The depth of the ice on the Assiniboine and Red River at the end of January can be as deep as 1 meter thick.

Three teams will be selected as winners of the Competition. Winning teams will be invited to Winnipeg to help complete their projects and install their project on the Nestaweya River Trail. Travel will only be allowed if it is in accordance with public health orders at the time of the event. Several days of activities will be planned around the celebration of the new huts with the design and construction teams.

The budget for the creation and construction of each project is $16,500 (CAN). This budget is divided in the following fashion:

up to $3,500.00 for the designers’ honorarium
up to $7,500.00 (including taxes) for the purchase of materials and/or the employment of consultants necessary for the realization of the project. This budget is managed jointly by The Forks and the designer
up to $4,000.00 for labour costs for the construction of the project
up to $1,500.00 for Construction Management conducted by The Forks

Once entries are submitted, a blind jury selects designs that best “push the envelope of design, craft and art.” The selected warming huts or installations will be announced to the public in November, 2022.