Source : the age
A warm November in the Arctic Circle may have delayed the building of the ephemeral parts of Sweden’s Icehotel, but it is now completed, open and celebrating its 35th anniversary. The seasonal offerings took six weeks to build, using 454 tonnes of ice, 10 Olympic-sized swimming pools of “snis” – a mixture of snow and ice – and the imaginings of 30 or so artists.
The original inn which has spawned many other ice hotels and ice bars, Icehotel dates back to 1989, when, thanks to a local inspired by Japanese ice sculpting, the Arctic Circle town of Jukkasjarvi began hosting winter displays of art made from the frozen waters of the Torne River. This evolved into Icehotel when some travellers asked to stay in the igloo gallery housing the pieces.
Cool dreaming … a bed inside the Icehotel.
Since 2016, Icehotel has included “warm rooms” and other permanent, year-round amenities, including structures made of ice that are kept frozen.
But it’s the winter “Art Suites” that have made it famous.
As a country with relatively small mountains and little snow, Australia overachieves in alpine sports, with world record and Olympic medal holders among its skiers and snowboarders. Likewise, Australia’s rivers and lakes may not, as a rule, ice over, but Aussies punch above their country of origin’s weight when it comes to contributions to Icehotel. Over the years, Art Suites have regularly been crafted by Australian ice sculptors.
No Australians have contributed this year, but that’s part of the beauty and attraction of Icehotel for art lovers and practitioners. Every year, the roster of artists changes. They come from all over the world, selected via a design competition that attracts hundreds of hopefuls vying to put their stamp on Icehotel’s Art Suites.
And of course, every year, the art is different – it melts away as the warmer months approach.
In this year’s Icehotel 35, the 12 Art Suites include the “Whoops Wrong Room!!” Suite featuring a huge rhinoceros sculpture, while the Ahku Fahcat Suite is an exploration of Sami craftsmanship. The Samis are the indigenous people of an area of northern Scandinavia and Russia.
A rhinoceros sculpture in the “Whoops Wrong Room” Suite.
Icehotel 35 also introduces the Icebar In Orbit, where guests can sip on a drink beside a life-sized ice and snow astronaut, or make a quick exit via a slide carved from ice and snow.
There are also plenty of other things to do to keep the blood pumping at Icehotel.
Icebar in Orbit.
As well as trying your own hand at ice sculpting, there are dog sledding experiences, sauna rituals, multi-course locally focused meals and wilderness dining.
Since last year, Icehotel has partnered with Vidde Mobility, makers of electric snowmobiles, and thanks to this technology, guests can experience a snowmobile tour in silence – perfect for finding reverence when witnessing the Northern Lights.
See icehotel.com
