Quonset Hut

Browse Return to Previous Page       Related Subjects All Subjects Architecture

by Chris Chiel, Julie Decker and Chris Chiei

Princeton Architectural Press

Due/Published November 2005, 176 pages, cloth

ISBN 1568985193

When World War II came along, the American military found itself in need of a prefabricated, lightweight shelter tha could be easily shipped and quickly assembled. The quonset hut, that sliced tube of corrugated metal, was the answer. Over a hundred thousand were produced as part of the war effort, and, in its aftermath, even more were built and existing huts adapted to house the postwar population boom. Of course, it couldn't last: the American desire for permanence meant decay and neglect for many of these rough-and-ready shelters and quickie warehouses. But in the midst of its almost tragic tale of extinction, the quonset hut has emerged as an unexpected icon of Americana and an oasis of architectural imagination. Travel the backroads of America and you will find the quonset's distinctive shape enclosing everything from houses of worships to houses of pancakes. Quonset Hut tells the story of this unique architectural phenomena, from its birth during WW II as a mass-production shelter to its new status as an icon of American can-do ingenuity, perseverance, and individuality.