Location
1 Forks Market Rd, Winnipeg, MB R3C 4L9, Canada
Client
Warming Huts: An Art + Architecture Competition On Ice, Manitoba Association of Architects
Sector
Parks & Playgrounds
Team
SMP Group Design Associates, LLC
Bubble Beach was selected as one of the winners of the Warming Huts V. 2017 Competition – a call for warming hut and art installation designs for the Red River Mutual River trail on the Assiniboine and Red Rivers in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Modeled after an inverse snow globe, Bubble Beach is a lively and warm retreat on cold winter days. The transparent geodesic dome with colorful panels creates a “bubble” of warmth set on a wood pedestal base. Once inside, the dome provides visitors respite from the chill of winter through the lens of the multi-colored, geometric dome shell. Relaxing deck chairs, a leaning palm tree, and a sand-like ground layer sprinkled with festive flamingos add vibrancy, playfulness, and encourage children and adults alike to linger and bask in the glow of “summer.” From the outside, Bubble Beach serves as a beacon of brightness and a pop of color against the monochromatic tones of winter, a welcome recess for hikers, bikers, skaters, and skiers.