AURORA

An interactive timber pavilion shaped like a giant kaleidoscope. Its rotating acrylic panels filter sunlight into shifting patterns of color and shadow, inviting visitors to co-create their own aurora across the snow.

Concept

Aurora draws inspiration from the winter night sky over Winnipeg — where the faint shimmer of the northern lights symbolizes warmth, luck, and collective wonder. The installation reimagines a kaleidoscope at an inhabitable scale, transforming the frozen river into a field of color and reflection. Its hexagonal, horn-shaped form opens toward the horizon, inviting people to step into a dreamlike chamber of shifting light and shadow — a moment where nature and human touch meet.

Interaction

Visitors can rotate the colored acrylic panels from both inside and outside, adjusting the direction and intensity of the filtered light. As the sun moves, snow and colored glass dance together, creating ever-changing reflections on the ground and interior walls. Every movement becomes a gentle act of play — as if turning a giant kaleidoscope, each participant brings a new pattern of light to life, together shaping their own aurora under the winter sky.

Material & Construction

The pavilion is primarily constructed from locally sourced timber framing, detailed with steel hinges that support manually rotatable colored acrylic panels. The structure measures approximately 2.5m × 2.5m × 3m, providing shelter from wind while allowing light to pass through translucent surfaces. Durable painted coatings protect the panels from frost and UV exposure. The entire system is designed for ease of on-site assembly, disassembly, and reuse, echoing the sustainable and playful spirit of Warming Huts.

Teammates:  Ming Chen, Xiaochi Chen