Curved inspiration in ice
“The Flying Buttress” by AnnaKatrin Kraus & Hans Aescht.
We are often asked if living in a Monolithic Dome is like living in a cave. It’s hard for some people to imagine a bright and beautiful interior that’s curved. Even more difficult is imagining the possibilities a dome structure provides. Usually people ask questions about hanging pictures or how well furniture fits against the dome wall. Sometimes, however, designers break through the square world and show us how it’s done. In Sweden, a temporary ice hotel is a masterpiece of curved architecture.
“Live your time” by Jose Carlos Cabello Millan & Javier Alvaro Colomino Matassa.
“Don’t say don’t cry” by Petri Tuominen & Urs Koller.
It’s amazing. That’s all I can say. An art exhibit as architecture in ice. Nearly every room is curved with vaulted ceilings, sculpted columns, beautiful statues, and more. Various artists work every year to build these rooms from solid ice. This is the 26th year for the hotel.
Okay, so we may not want to carve elephants into the walls of a Monolithic Dome (or maybe you do), but the hotel gives us inspiration of what we can do with curved architecture. A dome home can be just as light and imaginative as the hotel.
The Main Hall design, “Goahti”, by Erik Fankki & Arne Bergh.
“Hibernate” by Wouter Biegelaar & Viktor Tsarski.
As for the Ice Hotel. It’s in Sweden and hosts weddings, events, and tourists from around the world. They offer snowmobile rides, dog sledding, horseback riding, or just a night under the northern lights. It looks amazing.
At least until it melts in the spring.
“Rhythm of the Arctic” by Shingo Saito & Netsuke Saito.
“Elephant in the Room” by AnnaSofia Mååg.
“New Luc.” by Marjolein Vonk & Maurizio Perron.
“The Power of Love” by Sebastian Scheller & Kristina Möckel.
“Cairn Forest” by Annie Hanauer and Matt Chan.
“Counting Sheep” by Luca Roncoroni.
“Momos” by Lotta Lampa & Julia Gamborg Nielsen.
“Don’t say don’t cry” by Petri Tuominen & Urs Koller.
“X, Y & Z” by Anna Baumgarte & Liubov Moskvina.
“Counting Sheep” by Luca Roncoroni.
“The Labyrinth Saga” by Clara Lindencrona & Kristin Borg.
“Cesare’s Wake” by Petros Dermatas and Ellie Souti.
“Rhythm of the Arctic” by Shingo Saito & Natsuki Saito.
“Eye Suite” by Nicolas Triboulot & Cedric Alizard.
“Fractus” by Anja Kilian & Wolfgang A Lüchow.
The Ice Church design is called “Connect” by Edith Maria Van der Wetering & Wilfred Stijger.
The IceBar Jukkasjärvi design is called “Tribute” by Elin Julin, Marinus Vroom and Jens Thoms Ivarsson.
“Love Capsule” by Luc Voisin & Mathieu Brison.
“Show Me What You Got” by Tjåsa Gusfors & David Andrén.