OS31 designs cross-shaped restaurant to float on a frozen Canadian river

British studio OS₃₁ has won an open ideas competition with a pop-up restaurant designed to sit on the surface of a frozen river in Winnipeg, Canada.

Inspired by the crossing of two rivers, the studio’s proposal is for an X-shaped structure built from lightweight metal scaffolding.

A sculptural white skin defines the building’s walls and connects the design to its winter landscape setting.

The white skin interior and metal framework exterior are expressed as separate geometric forms, one enclosed inside the other.

Two of the X’s arms will contain dining areas, the third a kitchen and the fourth will serve as an entrance to a bar area.

An open terrace connected to the bar will extend out over the ice like a jetty.

Occupying OS₃₁’s pop-up venue will be the RAW:almond restaurant, which will open to the public on 22 January 2015 as part of the Winnipeg winter festival.

Courtesy Architects Journal