Sweater Lodge is art and architecture; it creates a warm spatial experience.
In 2006 Sweater Lodge represented Canada at the Venice Biennale of Architecture. It has now been restaged in an exhibit at the Museum of Vancouver. Sweater Lodge was designed by Pechet and Robb art and architecture, a Vancouver based interdisciplinary design studio.
Spotlights and glowing 2 litre pop bottles sparsely illuminate the suspended tent like structure. At 18 times the human scale the interior space of the sweater is disarming. The spatial experience makes you feel so small but safe at same time. It is a warm amniotic environment.
The enormous sweater is made of polar fleece from over 3,000 recycled 2 litre plastic pop bottles and is nearly 27m from cuff to cuff. The Sweater Lodge is a commentary on Vancouver’s identity in relationship to consumption, and our desire to engage with and preserve the great outdoors.
Photos on exhibit from the Flikr gallery and swatches of polar fleece to take home.
After wandering through the Sweater Lodge people are encouraged to take swatches of the bright orange polar fleece fabric home with them, make something special and upload pictures of their creations to a public gallery on Flickr. MOV staff prints the photos and add them to the exhibit. I found this wall of creative contributions to be one of the most charming parts of Sweater Lodge and was inspired to contribute.
My contribution to the gallery: "I am not a parsnip."
Like the majority of people in living in Vancouver, I was not born and raised here. My own contribution to the Flikr gallery reflects the adoption of identity that happens when one becomes a part of a new community.
Sweater Lodge will be at the Museum of Vancouver until May 1. Here are three cozy events all about Sweater Lodge.
March 3: The Creative Back Story
Come to the MOV and hear Sweater Lodge designers talk about the creative process of this enormous sweater from the conception of the idea to the Venice Biennale.
March 9: Langara College Fine Arts Lecture Series
Pechet and Robb art and architecture, the Vancouver interdisciplinary design studio that produced Sweater Lodge, will come to Langara College and talk about their recent projects. This is a rare opportunity to see Bill Pechet and Stephanie Robb lecture together.
April 7: Lullabies for Grown-Ups
Come to the MOV and enjoy an evening of music with Veda Hille in a cozy and unique performance space.
Photos By NATASHA IRVINE
Natasha Irvine 