Power of the midnight sun harnessed to create an ice hotel that doesn't melt
The creators of Sweden’s famous melting Icehotel have revealed plans for a new ice venture which will have one key difference: guests will be able to stay all year round.
Architect and sustainable construction design expert Hans Eek, who is a partner on the hotel, bar and art gallery project, said: “We will use the physics of Isaac Newton. In the same way we normally make energy efficient housing that keeps the cold out, for this project we’ll use it in reverse to keep the cold in.”
The existing Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi – 200km north of the Arctic Circle – has been attracting guests for 26 years. Every winter ice from the Torne River is sculpted into the architecture and interiors of the building before disappearing in spring.
The new 1,200sq m (12,900sq ft) structure will be one third of the size of the Icehotel and form an extension to the temporary building during the winter months. It will feature a curved roof covered in greenery that provides a vantage point of the surroundings and space for tobogganing.
The midnight sun in Jukkasjärvi glows for 100 days and nights without setting. Swedish energy company Solkompaniet will capitalise on this by installing a system that allows the building to run solely on solar power during the summer. This will keep the building cool and prevent the ice from melting.
Some elements of the design will change guise on a yearly basis, as with the original Icehotel. Arne Bergh, the artist and creative senior advisor on the project, said: “Ice has an interesting effect on creativity. As it’s not permanent it makes you dare to try ideas that you wouldn’t otherwise. It’s very liberating. The idea of a project that marries this transient tradition with a semi-permanent, year-round element is very exciting.”
The development has been given a projected opening date of December 2016, providing investment can be sourced for the project.
Ice is becoming ever-more popular as a building material. It was recently announced that an international team of architecture students led by the Eindhoven University of Technology will build a 50m (164ft) ice bridge as the centrepiece of a winter exhibition of architecture in Finland in 2016. The structure is based on a design by Leonardo da Vinci and will be the longest open span bridge ever built from ice.





James Corner Field Operations creates Highline for London

Esbjerg’s landmark maritime center, designed by WERK Arkitekter and Snøhetta, opens to the public

SEVEN to open world’s first indoor Discovery Adventures centres in Saudi Arabia

Fun and fear drive new Universal attraction concepts for Texas and Las Vegas

Voelker Gray Design creates 10-acre hot springs wellness haven for Atlanta

AIDarchitecten create healing spa for Antwerp's Botanic Sanctuary

Hollaway Studio's Seahive would bring blue health to South-East England

SEVEN to invest US$13bn in developing entertainment destinations across Saudi Arabia

World Spa’s expansive 50,000sq ft urban bathhouse and wellness club opens in Brooklyn

Floating Salmon Eye visitor attraction by Kvorning Design highlights sustainable aquaculture

White Arkitekter's Wood Hotel in Skellefteå Swedish Lapland is climate positive and made from local timber

Nohlab's 'Everything' installation among Noor Riyadh festival highlights

Bob Iger's return to Disney sparks major restructuring focused on creativity and storytelling

Therme Group plans US$200m urban wellbeing resort in South Korea

Digital art installation in Nanjing helps the public keep an eye on exoplanets

First glimpses revealed of flagship Blue Zones Centre in Miami

Warner Bros. and Infinite Reality launch metaverse experiences for live sports fans

Storyland Studios' Nigeria's film city project will break ground in Q1 2023

Canyon Ranch preps for major expansion with new destinations in Austin, Fort Worth and Houston

WilkinsonEyre-designed Battersea Power Station development opens as leisure district following £9bn redevelopment

Healthy cities conference to discuss diversity and inclusivity in urban planning and design

Foster and Partners reveal design for sustainable marine life centre on the Red Sea

Anaheim's US$4bn ocV!BE project approved by planners

Construction marches ahead for Saudi giga-projects Amaala and The Red Sea

HBG Design behind Michigan’s six-storey Aquadome inspired by the sun’s path across the sky

Seventh International Museum Construction Congress to be held in Norway this year

The 'world's most anticipated museum' to finally open this year

Nike's Serena Williams Building, designed by Skylab, follows the concept of flow

Saudi Arabia's Neom mega-development to include 100-mile long 'horizontal skyscraper city'
