Every year, when Torne River turns to ice a new ICEHOTEL is created in the small village of Jukkasjärvi in the north of Sweden. The ice of the river transforms to design and architecture at ICEHOTEL, an art project and the world’s first, and largest hotel built of snow and ice.

Where the midnight sun blazes for 100 days and nights during summer and doesn’t rise above the horizon during two weeks in winter, you find the small village of Jukkasjärvi. Here, 200 kilometer north of the Arctic Circle, the nature is untouched with about 6000 lakes and six grand rivers. One of the rivers is the Torne River, that every year supply ICEHOTEL with ice enough ice to build an entire hotel. The truth is that ten seconds water flow in Torne River is equivalent of 4000 tons of ice, ice enough to build four ice hotels. 

When winter is at its darkest and coldest hour, artists from all over the world arrive to the village of Jukkasjärvi. They come to take part in the shaping of the art exhibition in snow, ice and light that constitutes ICEHOTEL. The makers Well, it changes from year to year but graphic designers, architects, industrial engineers, artists – the list goes on. The principal aim for the creative team at ICEHOTEL is to seek out truly original ideas for new suites and art work for each reincarnation of the hotel. Every year ICEHOTEL goes out with an open call for new ideas.

Since the hotel provides instructors and tools for the actual sculpting, there are no prerequisites for applying–all that matters is your idea, and that you’re able to join the symposium to create the suite in person. A panel of artists and ice experts evaluates the applications based on originality of ideas and with the overall composition of exhibition – looking for breadth and interesting contrasts between different contributors’ concepts ideas. Between 1520 applications are accepted and invited to come to Jukkasjärvi in November to build their design. Assisting in their creations, a team of experienced artists acts as support throughout the construction process. In addition to the art suite designers, a number of experienced ice artists with documented skill and technical knowledge are given the honorary assignments to design the public areas of the hotel, including the main hall, the church, luxury suites and the bar. The final touch is the light design as most of the art work is transparent, light adds an important dimension to the end result.

A team of light designers work closely with the creators of each room in the hotel to ensure the lightning interprets and enhances the art work the best way possible.

When the hotel melts in the gazing spring sun, the ice turns into water and returns to the Torne River again. 

Every year, the hotel is built using 4,000t of natural ice, in a period around 48,000hr. The amount of snow required to build the hotel is enough to make 700 million snowballs. Each frozen chandelier is carved from 1,000 handcut ice crystals. The ice sculptures inside the custom suites include a 3m tall ice elephant, a peacock, a room full of flying sheep, and a 1970‘s love capsule. But all of these are irretrievably destined to go back to Mother Nature when the winter is gone…