SOLAR POWER SAVES ARCTIC FUN

Plans for a permanent sustainable addition to the hotel site were revealed by Sweden’s PinPin Studio. Topped by a green roof and powered by solar during the summer months, this addition will make it possible to sustain the sub-zero experience the ICEHOTEL is famous for.

“This ground-breaking initiative lets our guests decide whether they want to combine ICEHOTEL with dog sledding and northern lights, or hiking under the midnight sun. It just lets us meet the desires of our clients in a way whole new way,” says ICEHOTEL founder Yngve Bergqvist.

Constructed each year from natural ice and snow from the Thorne River, one of Europe’s last wild rivers, the ICEHOTEL is fashioned by artists into architectural form and dotted with ice sculptures. Located 200km north of the Arctic Circle in Jukkasjärvi, the hotel is an ephemeral collection from designers of a variety of disciplines – making each year unique in its expression.

PinPin’s design concepts for the new addition to the site show the permanent structure, measuring 1200sqm, will include a bar, art gallery, and at least 20 suites. In winter, when the ICEHOTEL is reimagined for another season, the permanent addition will connect with the hotel.

Instead of melting back into the river as the ICEHOTEL will when the weather warms, the new building, insulated by its green roof, will continue to run on solar energy through the summer. The Arctic Circle’s constant sunlight will provide sufficient power for the structure to be run through the night.

The new project is expected to open in December 2016.

Images 1-4: conceptual renderings from PinPin. Image 5: Dragon Nest by Bazarsad Bayarsaikhan, photo Christopher Hauser.