Red Hot River Blankets: A Warming Hut Installation

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Red straps of felted wool descend from the bottom of a bridge upon the snow on the frozen Assiniboine River, just before it merges with the broad Red River. Hung in two rows, they are intended for skaters and passersby to take a break from the cold by enveloping themselves in them. This is an installation by Workshop Architecture of Toronto called “Red Blanket” (Burshtein, Karen), and it is part of the current winter’s Warming Huts event, an initiative which takes place annually since 2010 on the Red River Mutual Trail in Winnipeg. Firms and individuals from all over the world, including Canada, seize the opportunity to propose a design for the competition, often redefining the concept of a “warming hut” – a structure usually found along ski trails (wise geek).
The rivers’ level is lower than the city surface. Their banks are embroidered by vegetation, which even in winter, without its foliage, continues to shed the area from the houses on both sides. Distanced from traffic and buildings, the trail along the river has a feeling of detachment from the city to it. On the frozen river, a flow of skaters and strollers in two directions substitutes the flow of water. Set under the Forks Historic Rail Bridge, adjacent to the Forks Market, the “Red Blanket” project is located in a central area of the Mutual Trail (the Forks). However, residing on the side of the skating and walking routes, it is not obligatory to pass through it; one is given the choice whether to approach it or not. People of all ages were approaching it, some on skates, and others on foot.
According to Clair MacKay, vice-president of marketing and communications at The Forks, the designs participating in the Warming Huts event constitute a “combin...

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...ts unconventionality and the fact that it is not an actual hut. The idea is minimalistic, and elegant in its simplicity, achieving an appealing appearance using one color and one basic shape. The installation met its functional purpose as well, offering skaters a cozy intermission from the cold. It attracted visitors for both of these reasons and was a temporary landmark suitable to the surrounding platform of frozen river landscape and outdoor activities.

Works Cited

http://www.theforks.com/events/signature-events/warming-huts http://www.warminghuts.com/resources (image of site plan) http://life.nationalpost.com/2014/01/22/so-cold-its-cool-with-its-artsy-winter-events-winnipeg-is-the-place-to-be-this-january-really/ http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/skating-on-the-edge-241934871.html http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-warming-hut.htm mla owl purdue

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