The work of 42 artists from 11 different countries has given rise to suites and bar – all completely ice – dell’Icehotel of the XXV edition of Jukkasjarvi, Sweden. Fall asleep in a typographical pun, dance with the clowns in the suite ”Dancers in the dark” or dive into a surreal underwater world at the bottom of the sea.
Those are some of the creations that await the guests in the newly opened Icehotel 365. Icehotel 365 is now open, a year-round ice experience with 20 suites, an ice bar that serves champagne and drinks, as well as an ice gallery – all created out of snow and ice by select artists from around the globe. Around 30,000 liters of water from Torne River has transformed into snow and several tons of ice have been harvested from the river to create both parts of Icehotel.
On December 16 the 27th Icehotel will be completed on the riverbank and the guests can enjoy and be inspired by a total of 55 rooms, whereof 26 are Art Suites and 9 are Deluxe Suites. The guests can already sleep in Art and Deluxe Suites made from ice and snow, savor the delicious food and through tailored activities experience Europe’s last wilderness.
Highlights
Plunge into Torne River and sauna like a local as a part of the Jukkasjärvi sauna ritual. Experience more art than ever at Icehotel and create your own ice sculpture – an absolute must when you visit Icehotel! Arctic wilderness survival – a half-day beginners course that teach you how to build a shelter and make fire with flint amongst other things. It is fun to see that the visitors want to familiarize themselves with our culture.
That is why we aside from the guided tour at Icehotel are offering a village walk; a tour through Jukkasjärvi, which has a long history as a meeting place for people from far and near, tells Anders Karkea, Activity Manager at Icehotel. This winter the Michelin trained chef at Icehotel, Alexander Meier, is serving a menu that focus on local produce with a continental twist. Fir sprouts, cloudberries and sea-buckthorn are some of the flavors that the visitors will experience on their dinner plates. The sommelier and Restaurant Manager Sofie Nordefors has chosen suitable and tasty drinks to complement the menu.
A Heart For Art
To let the ice express ephemeral art is the heart of Icehotel. This year the hotel with its 35 unique Art and Deluxe Suites, ice chapel, ice gallery and ice bar will offer more art than ever in the history of Icehotel. What’s fascinating is that the sun which melted the art in the past, is essential for making the year-round art experience possible. The art in the permanent part of Icehotel will also change during the year and melt back into Torne River again, says Arne Bergh, Creative Director at Icehotel.
Over forty artists, designers and architects from nine different countries have created the art in the part of the hotel that will be open year-round and also opened first. Some of them are Icehotel veterans; for example the Norwegian-Italian architect Luca Roncoroni who this year has created an elegant apartment inspired by the Victorian era and for those who worry about freezing during the night, a (hot?) element is placed by the bed. Tjåsa Gusfors and Patrick Dallard are also they back this year and invite you to dance in the suite “Dancers in the dark”.
Deluxe Suites With Private Bathroom And Sauna
The overnight guests in the permanent part of the hotel can enjoy a good nights sleep amongst art and sub-zero degrees. There are two kinds of suites in Icehotel 365: Deluxe Suites and Art Suites. Every suite has its unique art, but the Deluxe Suites got a private relax with sauna, shower or bathtub and all amenities for their convenience adjacent to the room – and as a contrast to the somewhat cooler bedroom the relax is heated.
ICEHOTEL On Nature’s Terms
Walls, floors and ceilings are covered with ice and snow and the temperature is minus five degrees Celsius, year-round, in the new building. The refrigerating plant that makes sure Icehotel 365 is cold during the summer is powered by energy from solar panels and since Jukkasjärvi is situated 200 km north of the Arctic Circle, the sun is shining a 100 consecutive days during the summer months.
The nature and environment are not only a huge source for inspiration for Icehotel, but also a necessity to create the hotel year after year. Previously we said goodbye to our guests come spring, but thanks to help from the sun we now can invite them year-round, says Yngve Bergqvist, founder and initiator of the project. Every year around 50,000 guests, most of them during winter, visit Icehotel.
About ICEHOTEL
This is the world’s first ICEHOTEL, situated in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden approximately 200 km north of the Arctic Circle. ICEHOTEL was founded in 1989 and is an art exhibition and hotel made of natural ice and snow from one of Europe’s last wild rivers. The artists and artwork vary from year to year, each rendition of the hotel presenting an ephemeral collection. The 2016 edition will be the 27th hotel and hold 55 rooms. When parts of ICEHOTEL melts back into the Torne River in the spring, ICEHOTEL 365 will continue to offer visitors an ice experience year-round. Source and images Courtesy of ICEHOTEL.
- Artist: Benny Ekman, José Carlos Cabello Millán, Emma Curdén, Theodor Fahlén, Gabriella Bulin, Tomaz Czajkowski, Eryk Marks, Shingo Saito, Natsuki Saito, Markus Lemke, Rolf Nylinder, Ulrika Tallving, Urs Koller, Edith Maria Van de Wetering, Wilfred Stijger, Wolfgang-A. Lüchow, Sebastian Andreas Scheller, Anja Kilian, Fernando Inçaurgarat, Nadia Inçaurgarat, Sofia Sol Inçaurgarat, Francisco Cortés Zamudio, Hans Abrahamsson, Louice, Abrahamsson, Charli Kasselbäck, John Bark, Lena Kriström, Nina Hedman, Lotta Lampa, Julia Gamborg Nielsen, Luc Voisin, Mathieu Brison, Javier Opazo, Cristian Winckler, Wouter Biegelaar, Victor Tsarski, Mikael “Nille” Nilsson, David Andrén, Johan Andrén, Tjåsa Gusfors.
- Phothograhs: Asaf Kliger, Paulina Holmgren, Viktor Tsarski, Kristian Mattiasson, Christopher Hauser, Courtesy of ICEHOTEL