"Fish Tales: Between Earth and Ice," Peregrine Design/Build
Where water and land meet along the rocky shores of Lake Champlain, the winds and currents wash up sharpened slabs of ice, a phenomenon this shanty by Peregrine Design/Build recreates with its jagged, glistening roof.
The ice shanty, which in its purest form consists of a ramshackle wood or corrugated metal box, is an austere typology meant to shelter wintertime fishers on Vermont's many frozen lakes. The huts typically provide four walls, a roof, and little else to protect occupants against onslaughts of wind and snow, to say nothing of sub-freezing temperatures, while they drill holes and drop lines through layers of thick ice.
This winter, the Shelburne Museum in Vermont called it time for an update to the age-old design. Their ARCTICtecture project, held in association with a current exhibition called 32 DEGREES: The Art of Winter, invited five local firms to each rethink the shanties that dot Lake Champlain. What they came up with is a wintry mix of sculptural, eccentric, and functional upgrades. Preview their ice-ready adaptations here, or visit them in-person on the lawn at the Shelburne Museum from now until April 11.
