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From its modest
one room start the Icehotel now includes a hotel reception, a main hall,
an ice-art exhibition, the Absolut Ice-bar, Icehotel Cinema, the glorious
Ice Chapel and 47 rooms. During the winter season of 1999/2000 the Icehotel
received 8,600 overnight guests and 30,500 visitors.
At the end of October,
resident artists and builders get busy before the arrival of the first
guests in mid December. The moment the thermometer hits 3 degrees below
freezing the conditions are right for the snow cannons and the building
of the Icehotel commences.
Frozen construction
Snow cannons and front loaders help to mould the snow over vaulted steel
forms, some forms as large as 50 meters high and 6 metres wide. Snow cannons
spray 30,000 tons of snow onto large metal moulds to make the dome shaped
igloo roofs. Once the snow has hardened the moulds are removed and used
to make further snow sections. Ice columns are put in place to give extra
support to the free-standing snow vaults.
 
In late November, ice is removed from the Torne River aided by tractors,
special ice saws and ice tools developed in Jukkasjarvi ready for the hand
picked national and international guest artists and sculptors to design
the interiors of some rooms from the crystal clear ice produced by the fast
moving river water. Meander from room to room and experience the diverse
styles of the artists.
In from the cold
Through December's continual darkness, as the main structure nears completion,
refinement of the interior continues into late January. Working in a constant
minus seven degrees indoor temperature is relatively comfortable compared
to the outside temperature of -40 degrees. Late into the evening, the
sculptors saw and chisel the ice blocks to create, amongst other things:
architectural details, windows, doors, columns, desks, beds, chairs, tables,
lamps and sculptures.
Each year there
is an opportunity to experiment with form, space and technique - like
snowflakes no two Icehotels are the same.
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