Quonsets, Alaska, and World War II
Quonset huts, although meant to be temporary structures, were shipped all over the world and never dismantled in some locations. As a result, they were incorporated into the long-term built environment. Alaska, due to its surprisingly significant strategi
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ibrary of Congress Cataloging-inPublication Data Quonset hut : metal living for a modern age / Julie Decker and Chris Chiei, editors. p. cm. “The Anchorage Museum of History and Art in association with the Anchorage Museum Association and the Alaska Design Forum”—CIP t.p. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-56898-519-3 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Quonset huts. 2. Buildings, Prefabricated. 3. Architectural metal-work. 4. Temporary housing. 5. Dwellings—Alaska—History—20th century. I. Decker, Julie. II. Chiei, Chris. III. Anchorage Museum of History and Art. IV. Anchorage Museum Association. V. Alaska Design Forum. NA8480.Q66 2005 720'.48—dc22 2004024738
Quonset Hut Metal Living for a Modern Age
Julie Decker and Chris Chiei, editors
The Anchorage Museum of History and Art in association with the Anchorage Museum Association and the Alaska Design Forum, Alaska Princeton Architectural Press, New York
Preface Julie Decker x Acknowledgments xii
Introduction
The Hut That Shaped a Nation Julie Decker and Chris Chiei xv
Chapter 1
How the Hut Came to Be Chris Chiei 1
Chapter 2
Quonsets, Alaska, and World War II Steven Haycox 31
Chapter 3
War, Design, and Weapons of Mass Construction Brian Carter 47
Chapter 4
After the War: Quonset Huts and Their Integration into Daily American Life Tom Vanderbilt
Chapter 5
63
The Huts That Wouldn’t Go Away: Alaska Adopts the Hut Chris Chiei 105
Chapter 6
Quonsets Today: Concluding Thoughts Julie Decker and Chris Chiei 133 Appendix: Hut Types Notes 150 Image Credits 156 Index 161 Contributors 165
148
Preface
Julie Decker Quonset Hut: Metal Living for a Modern Age is a project that began half a decade ago when architect Chris Chiei took note of the presence of Quonset huts throughout Alaska—more than half a century after the huts were sent around the world as temporary shelters for World-War-II soldiers, forming a major part of the infrastructure of war. Until now, the impact of Quonset huts in post–World War II life has not been documented in a comprehensive way. Quonset huts are referenced in a variety of publications, and everyone seems to be able to conjure up an image of a semicircle when they hear the word “Quonset,” but its story has not yet been told. While the subject of Quonset huts can be serious––wartime and postwar housing shortages are not lighthearted topics––it is also one that can claim a certain levity. Quonset huts have entered into many love-hate relationships with their dwellers who both embraced and resisted the simple geometry of the form. Quonset huts have staked their claim on the built environment throughout the world––and the unbuilt world in the case of such remote places as Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the South Pacific. Just as Alaskans claim duct tape and bunny boots as their own, they also claim the Quonset hut, since Alaskans, throughout their relatively short history, have recognized the temporary and durable nature of the hut, tolerated its industrial nature, and chuckled at their unexpected permanence––a proud, though ag
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