Music from the Red River itself will be heard at The Forks this winter.

Norwegian ice musician Terje Isungset will be performing inside one of this year’s Warming Huts, called Pavilion Sub-Zero.

According to Peter Hargraves of Sputnik Architecture, Isungset will build instruments out of ice from the Red River.

“Some of them are percussion, some of them, you know, you blow into them, but they’re very sort of interesting,” said Hargraves today at The Forks, after the winners of this year’s Warming Huts competition were revealed.

A record 221 artists and architecture groups from around the world submitted designs to this year’s competition. Among this year’s three winning huts is a design by Jennie O’Keefe and Chris Pancoe of Winnipeg, called Huttie. The judges don’t know who or where a submission is from until after winners are selected.

Hargraves said it’s only the second time a design out of Winnipeg has been chosen.

Other winning submissions include Hoverbox by Simon Kassner and Wilko Hoffman at NAICE Architecture in Berlin, Germany and, Weathermen by Haemee Jan and Jaeyual Lee from JAEMEE Studio in Jersey City, USA.

Pavilion Sub-Zero is being built at The Forks Historic Port in addition to the winning huts. It is specially designed for Isungset’s performance by Sputnik and the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Architecture, and includes a stage, seating, screens, lighting, and an ice bar.

As well, an installation called Arctic Topiaries designed by Winnipeg Art Gallery Inuit Art Centre architect, Michael Maltzan Architecture, will go up on the Red River Mutual Trail, along with Huttie, Hoverbox, and Weathermen. Favourite huts from years past will also be constructed.

For the first time, the Warming Huts are being supported by presenting sponsor Artis Reit. The Manitoba Association of Architects is again a sponsor. Collaborators this year will include the Winnipeg New Music Festival and Festival Du Voyageur.

This is the tenth year for the Warming Huts at The Forks. Construction of huts is to begin in January, and, weather permitting, they’ll open to the public the last week of that month.