The Pavilion is a unique structure located near the west entrance of the Pinawa Suspension Bridge which crosses the historic Pinawa Channel. It's construction evolved over a period of two years beginning in 2000. It was officially opened on July 11, 2002. It is a magnificent structure that only exists because of the dedication of numerous volunteers from the community of Pinawa.

During the construction of the Suspension Bridge a fundraising event was carried out. This was called the Buy-A-Board program. All the boards that make up the Bridge were offered to potential sponsors. For a donation of $65.00 a sponsor was given a brass plaque that was inscribed with the sponsor's name. Many sponsors chose to have plaques inscribed with the names of loved ones. It was a very successful program and a significant amount of money was raised. After purchasing the plaques, the remaining funds were used to assist in the construction of the Pavilion.

The Pavilion was to be used to house the plaques. It was to be a special place where visitors could come and enjoy the beauty of the Pinawa Channel. Those visitors who did not wish to cross the Bridge could relax in the Pavilion and view the plaques. It had to be a special place. And that is exactly what it came to be.

The design of the Pavilion is unique. It is an octagonal structure constructed of steel and wood. What makes it unique is its roof. It is called a reciprocal frame roof design. The roof details were designed by Graham Brown of Out of Nowhere, a company located in Scotland. A roof of this type can be constructed using a minimum of three beams. The Pavilion has eight beams. Additional information is provided in the "Design" section of this site. The remainder of the structure and the foundation was designed by a volunteer, Jeff Harding, who is a civil engineer living in Pinawa. He also had to ensure that the roof met the local building code and spent a great deal of time constructing the structure.

The construction of a reciprocal frame roof structure is not an easy task. The roof geometry is quite complex as each beam supports and in turn is supported by the other beams in the structure. Each beam requires a notch that allows it to comfortably rest upon the next beam. The notch design is dependent upon a number of factors and is specific for each structure. The reciprocal frame roof construction requires investing a lot of time and effort but the end result is certainly worth it as you will see.

Check out the photo gallery.

If you have any questions regarding the reciprocal frame roof structure please contact us. If you have information about similar existing structures send us some photos and information and we will include it in our pages. Thank you.