ROPE Pavilion by KNE Studio Is An Elegant Woven Warming Shelter In Canada

A naturally frozen skating trail on the Assiniboine River in Winnipeg, Canada needed a shelter from frigid temperatures, which prompted New York-based <a href="http://knestudio.net/index.php" target="_blank">KNE studio</a> to create this ROPE Pavilion. The pavilion is the winning entry in the 2012 <a href="http://www.warminghuts.com/" target="_blank">Warming Huts: an Art and Architecture Competition</a>, a contest which calls for creative redesigns of the warming huts which are placed every kilometer along the Assiniboine River trail for skaters to take refuge from the blistering chill. The contest has produced structures designed by such world-renowned architects as <strong><a href="http://inhabitat.com/make-it-right-unveils-sustainable-frank-gehry-designed-two-family-home-in-new-orleans/" target="_blank">Frank Gehry</a></strong>, Patricia Patkau and Antoine Predock.

The aptly named ROPE Pavilion is made out of manila rope and a birch wood frame.

The Assiniboine River is the world's largest naturally frozen skating trail

Because it gets so cold and windy on this trail, warming huts are placed every kilometer where people can take refuge from the blistering chill.

The dense rope skin works perfectly to block the winter winds while still allowing views and daylight into the structure. This choice of materials also adds automatic visual warmth to the hut in its very cold surroundings.

The unusual shape of the hut is a direct result of optimizing heat retention.

This gorgeous temporary structure may be small, but the level of design, attention, and love that's gone into it is huge and it shows.