The ICE HOTEL

 

 

This was a project that my friend and I did on the Culture and Environment in Architecture and we chose to document on the ICE HOTEL in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden.

It was the home to the First Ice  and Snow Hotel in the World. Since the Ice Hotel is rebuilt each year and the designs are changed each year, we chose to focus on the ICE HOTEL of 2007/2008. The hotel lasts for 4 months every year from December to April and then it melts and goes back to the River. It has been listed as one of the Seven Wonders of Sweden.

Location
Jukkasjarvi is a small village 200km north of the Arctic Circle in the Kiruna Municipality in Northern Sweden. There is a population of about 600 people in this village that is at an elevation of 321 meters. Cohkkirasjavri means “lake of assembly” in the Sami language. Finnish speaking residents were the first settlers in the village in the 17th Century. They changed the name to a more Finnish name, Jukkasjarvi, thereby changing its meaning to “Meeting Place”. Ever since the ICE HOTEL, the village has become a popular tourist attraction. Torne River in the village is the main source for the building of the ICE HOTEL.

The Beginning – How it all began
Jukkarsjavi is known for founding the world’s first Ice Hotel. It started during an art exhibition held by a French Artist, in spring 1989 a cylinder- shaped igloo in the area. When the town ran out of rooms, the visitors spent the night in the Igloo – Exhibition hall, sleeping in sleeping bags on top of reindeer skin; thus they were the first guests and inspirations for the concept and creation of the first “ICE HOTEL”.

Environment
The temperature must stay well below Zero Degrees (0˚ C) in order to build a safe and sound hotel. And in the Arctic things aren’t predictable as Mother Nature always has a say – she can either be your best friend or worst enemy.
During the time of construction of the Ice Hotel, up in the Arctic, working inside has one big advantage – There is light. Outside there is very little light. The sun rises around 10 in the morning but stays behind the hills for about 3 hours and then it goes down by 2pm.

Culture & Customs
St. Lucia Day is observed each year on December 13th prior to the opening of the hotel on December 16th. It is celebrated throughout Sweden; it is a celebration of St. Lucia who brings light to the darkest days of the arctic winter.

Ice Hotel’s Absolut Ice bar is officially opened then with the Lucia procession, made up of boys and girls from the area of Kiruna. Traditionally the procession is led by the chosen Lucia with the other boys and girls called star boys follow carrying candles and singing traditional songs. They are dressed in white robes and the  lead girl will wear a crown of candles.

Design Team
Architect - Ake Larsson is the Architect for the ICE HOTEL. He has been involved in the contribution and designing of the hotel since 1994. His skills involve him in been an experienced wood sculptor and furniture maker. 

Creative Director - Arne Bergh’s work is well known for his working with wood, in sculptor works for exhibitions and for work in the Vasa Museum in 1990. Arne has been working with the ICE HOTEL full time since 1996 and is currently the Creative Director.

Structure Chief - Mark Armstrong from the UK was educated in architecture and design in Oxford. He is the Structure Chief for ICE HOTEL. He too sculpts ice and snow.

Resources for Structure and Building of Ice Hotel
Torne River is the origin and artery of the ICE HOTEL. The river was born when glaciers carved a riverbed 10,000 years ago. The crystal- clear pure water from the River flows along a 600km path through Lapland out to the sea in the South-East. The ice and snow of Ice Hotel is borrowed from the River each year.

Every spring, during the month of March, the Ice harvest begins at the Torne River. 3,000 blocks of ice at a weight of 1½ tonnes are cut from the River. These are the building blocks for the Ice Hotel. Then they will be hauled to a giant warehouse house freezer to be stored over the summer till construction begins.

Construction Process
Each year as the winter begins a team of architects, designers, artists and snow builders from all over the world gather in Jukkasjarvi for the construction of the Ice Hotel. The entire hotel is built in 6 weeks each year from ground up.

Snow cannons, just like the ones in ski hills are used to create snow. The cannons force pure Torne River water under high pressure through tiny nozzles.

When the water hits the frigid air, it turns to snow. 60,000 tonnes of snow is formed over the 6 weeks to build the Ice Hotel. Like concrete, construction snow must be just right to harden properly. This is called “SNICE”, half snow, half ice. 

The hotel’s basic design is based on the Catenary Arch, a classic engineering form that dates back 4 centuries. It provides the ideal strength to an arch that supports only its own weight.

To build them; crews move the arch shaped metal forms into position. They tie them together tightly and a snow blower rented from the local airport hurls the snow onto them. This process is called “Casting”. Once the casting freezes, the forms are lowered and hauled out, leaving a maze of free-standing corridors and crews of workers smooth the rough cast walls by hand.

Sometimes depending on the weather, artificial reinforcements such as wooden supports are used. Then its covered with snow and large wire reinforcing mats are placed and weighed down on top with more snow. This ensures that the roof won’t collapse even if it stays warm.

They measure doors, cut them, and then scoop them out. Electricians run wiring for light, wall sockets and switches. Interior dividing walls are built by hurling tonnes of snow on plywood forms that are later removed. Then the crew erects ice pillars to support the weight of the roof and finally they build ice walls to cap it all off.

Interiors & Descriptions
The Ice Hotel has a whopping 80 guest rooms, a swanky lobby, a king size bar, luxury suites and even a church, all made of the purest ice in the world.

RECEPTION - Long, tall, elegant sculptures or columns grace the open space of the Reception, a dramatic but calming entrance to a world of beauty and fantasy.

MAIN HALL - Jesisca is a flower in bloom, welcoming and alluring in style and form. Smooth, flowing lines capture the organic essence of the chairs, each one representing two of the flower’s petals. It is a place for meeting, mingling and enjoying the essence.

ICE CHURCH - Linnea Borealis: Graced with the motive of the national flower of Sweden, 'Linnaea Borealis' pays tribute to Carl von Linné, and is a place for spiritual reflection and meditation.

ABSOLUT ICEBAR - Named after the well-known vodka of  Sweden, Absolut. It is a comfortable lounge in an exclusive environment, ABSOLUT ICEBAR surrounds you with bold and stylish designs as you relax and unwind.

 SUITES & ROOMS - Designers from around the world design the suites for Ice Hotel. A walk within will reveal the inspirations of time, ego and gold represented in different shapes and designs.