Primitive Sophistication

At The Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the Warming Huts competition transforms the frozen confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers into a landscape of art, architecture, and public life. Historically a gathering place for over 6,000 years, The Forks now attracts more than four million visitors annually, with the River Trail linking communities through skating, skiing, and walking. In temperatures that fall below –30°C, the warming hut becomes an architectural response to survival as well as delight. This project interprets the hut as “primitive sophistication,” recalling the cave-like shelters of early humans while refining them through modern tectonics. Conceived as a white metal frame supporting sculpted ice, the structure shimmers like frozen water, refracting light and merging with the snow-covered river. Transparent yet enclosing, it creates an illusion of warmth, inviting visitors to pause and reflect. As temperatures rise, the ice melts and the hut transforms into a ventilated seasonal enclosure.