Founded in 1989, the ICEHOTEL® in Jukkasjärvi, Swedish Lapland, has become known for its spectacular artwork and designs, with new rooms and sculptures being carved out of thousands of blocks of the local ice each year by designers and artists from across the globe.
This year the ICEHOTEL® judges have whittled down 126 applications to just 15 teams of artists and given them the chance to bring their designs to life for the 30th birthday of this incredible hotel. As well the chance to create the art suites. three teams have received a special invitation to create new designs for the main hall and ceremony hall. A team has also been chosen to create an Icebar to go in the year-round ICEHOTEL 365. The team responsible for creating the Icebar is creating an incredible fairground to celebrate 30 years of frozen fun in Jukkasjärvi's most famous hotel.
"White Santorini", art suite created by Haeme Han and Jaeyual Lee
Elsewhere art suites for this years ICEHOTEL® include a room based on a traditional West End London Theatre and a frozen version of Santorini's famous buildings and steps. Of course, these are just a few of the designs that will delight guests staying during winter 2019/20.
"Torneland", Icebar created by Luc Voisin and Mathieu Brison
Unsurprisingly given the special anniversary being marked this winter, many of this year’s designs have focused on celebrating the ICEHOTEL® and its relationship with the Torne River. For example, Natsuki Munakata and Shingo Saito have designed ‘Kaleidoscope’. They explain:
“The Torne River’s ice is strong like a stone and shines like a jewel. To bring out the beauty of the ice, this suite is inspired by the cutting technic and pattern by Edo-Kiriko, a traditional Japanese glass craft technic.”
"Kaleidoscope", art suite created by Natsuki Munakata and Shingo Saito
Artist Francisco Cortés Zamudio has also taken inspiration from the Torne River with his design ‘Echo’s – of the Torne River’, with his piece created to “…transport visitors to a moment beyond time, in which the Torne River under my feet sang and murmured the sound and form of this room.”
"Echo's - Of the Torne River", art suite created by Francisco Cortés Zamudio
Meanwhile, Nicolas Triboulot and Jean-Marie Guitera have created the awe-inspiring ‘Golden Ice’ suite which aims to demonstrate the priceless nature of water to mankind thanks to its richness and its life giving properties, with the use of gold symbolizing it as something precious and worth looking after.
"Golden Ice", art suite created by Nicolas Triboulot and Jean-Marie Guitera
Elsewhere artists Marjolein Vonk and Maurizio Perron have put a humorous spin on their creation entitled ‘The Day After’. This fun suite plays on the idea of the ICEHOTEL’s 30th birthday by including the world-famous chandelier of hotel crashed onto the floor below with a giant champagne cork stuck in the ceiling.
"The Day After", art suite created by Marjolein Vonk and Maurizio Perron
In celebration of its 30th year, this winter the ICEHOTEL® will feature a viewing platform made of ice and snow outside of the hotel for guests to admire the surrounding landscape and in particular the Torne River, where all the ice for the hotel comes from. Creative director Luca Roncoroni explains:
“This is our way to honour where we come from. Without Torne, we wouldn’t be celebrating 30 years of fantastic art work and unforgettable memories.”
"Warm Up", art suite created by Tomasz Czajkowski and Aleksandra Pasek
With the first snow expected to fall in mid-November, it won’t be long until the construction of ICEHOTEL® number 30 begins along with the countdown to the doors officially opening on December 13th 2019!
Click here to find out more about our holidays to the ICEHOTEL®
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