In Winnipeg,
the Assiniboine River is the world’s longest naturally frozen trail. Stretching
west 10km from city center, it receives over 4 million visitors annually. With
temperatures exceeding - 40° C, warming
huts are placed every kilometer along the trail for visitors to escape the
cold.
Through the
combination of simple materials, ROPE pavilion, creates a highly articulated
form and space while nestling itself into the Assiniboine River Trail’s Landscape.
Its relationship of skin – unmanila rope and structure – birch frame, merge to
form a warming hut whose dense shell blocks winter winds while still being
perforated for light and views. The wood interior creates a sense of warmth
through color and texture and its multilayered rope exterior collects snow,
further embedding it within the site. The hut’s dome-like form is optimized for
heat retention, bifurcating only for an entry threshold and oculus to the sky
above. ROPE pavilion’s simple, yet highly refined tectonics provide an enhanced
visual and tactile experience to those traveling down the Assiniboine River
Trail.