Sun's power and hot springs harnessed to freeze Russian ice rink all year round
Architect Margot Krasojevic has designed an ice rink facility on a Russian lake that will use the power of the sun and geothermal energy to keep the surface frozen all year round.
The ‘Liquid Skating Photovoltaic Ice Skating Rink’ will be located high in the mountains of the Kamchatka peninsula – a popular tourist hotspot due to its volcanic terrain, nature reserves and hot springs.
Krasojevic’s client, China Film House, wants to take advantage of this popularity by building a 2,500sq m (26,900sq ft) multi-purpose leisure scheme on the site, with an outdoor cinema, a natural geothermal spa and the outdoor ice rink on the lake.
Winter temperatures average 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-6 degrees Celsius), meaning the lake remains frozen over the winter months and can be used for hockey tournaments and as a skate park.
Krasojevic and her eponymous design studio were challenged with developing a system to keep the rink usable when the days begin to get warmer.
Their solution is self-sufficient and environmentally friendly, with no need for harmful refrigerants or the creation of Carbon dioxide.
Renewable energy will be generated by solar-capturing photovoltaic cells attached to a striated canopy above the rink. By absorbing much of the location's bright sunlight, they will prevent the ice rink from melting. Further electricity will be created by geothermal turbines located in the nearby hot springs. This power will be recycled through the grid and used to keep the lake at a frozen temperature.
The rink will be flooded from below the surface to keep it frozen and strengthen the ice, while a biodegradable LED net spanning the net will provide further support.
Capacitors will store the electrical energy for nighttime use, when there is a downshift in electrical consumption.
As well as keeping the rink in use all year round, the innovative energy system will also power a unique solar cinema. A projector in the canopy will display films on the frozen surfaces of the rink. When not used for cinematic screenings, it can be used to animate the venue for sports or wellness events.
Krasojevic’s design of the facility is intended to reflect “the fluid nature and ever-changing state of the immediate environment.” The ice rink is partly enclosed by a sequence of striated cedar wood sections, the forms of which mimic frozen water, or moments captured from a choreographed continuous ice skating movement – “like the blades the sections cut through and across the lake.”
Foldable seating units will be spread around the main frame of the rink, creating a series of flexible spaces.
The tender process has begun to find construction and engineering partners to construct the facility.
A second stage of the project is also being considered, which would adapt the rink to be powered completely by solar energy generated in the Mongolian desert, located to the west of the peninsula.
Describing her philosophy, Krasojevic said: “Sustainability and smart materials are an inherent part of the design process, dictating the terms of the architectural design criteria rather than referring to sustainable technology as a polite afterthought.”
Renewable energy is increasingly being used for its capacity to freeze. Last year saw the opening of Icehotel 365 in the Swedish village of Jukkasjärvi. Despite its walls, floors and ceiling being made exclusively from ice and snow, a refrigerating plant powered by solar energy maintains a temperature of minus five degrees Celsius in the warmer months.
Solar power geothermal energy Russia architecture design ice rink China Film House Margot Krasojevic
Permanent ice hotel chilled by solar power opens near Arctic Circle
Elon Musk unveils camouflaged solar roofs as 'beautiful' solution to creating sustainable energy
This eco-friendly Maldives resort uses solar panels as a design feature
Power of the midnight sun harnessed to create an ice hotel that doesn't melt
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
BodyHoliday plans 10-15 locations in the next 15 years
Floating wellbeing destination planned for London’s Royal Docks
Aman Group to open second Janu in Dubai with inaugural Janu Club
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
