Jennifer Fulmer and Robert Mechielsen team up to design a suite for the ICEHOTEL
Jennifer and Robert
The suites are 3.5h*7*4.5 meters , or 23’ x 15’ with a height of 11’. The only materials allowed in the design are ice and snow, even the bed is to be designed and built out of ice.
The bed and the entry of the suite will be covered with reindeer hides. Obviously parkas and other warm clothing are necessary. The Ice Hotel also houses an Absolute Vodka Ice Bar in which even the glasses are made of ice.
The designers are to be part of the construction team, detailing the suite mid-December in Sweden.
Robert and Jennifer were both inspired by the work of Andy Goldworthy. Through different sources they both became very exited about his use of natural elements to frame nature in a way that is new, intriguing and beautiful.
In their design, overlapping sheets of translucent ice are backlit and layered around a keyhole viewing wall. The illusion of centrifugal motion was their goal as they created a vortex shape. Spotlights will transmit light-beams through the polished ice shapes into the vortex design.
They designed a partition wall in the suite consisting of two twisting double helix forms that will be created out of stacked blocks of ice (cut into pieces 10h*25*100) which reach up to the ceiling. The partition will partially hide the bed, a key hole at eye level will reveal the vortex-shaped sculptural ice wall beyond.
This composition is fully clear and visible when passing by the keyhole in the helix wall and looking through. If the elements of this design were thought of as planets within a solar system, then upon entering this room and looking through the keyhole is when the planets align to exert their full influence on existence.
The circle is their key shape which repeats itself through each element in the suite. Thus there is a rebirth of this circular force, a vortex of rebirth through form. As the snow circles and curves in on itself and the shape is renewed from one end of the room to the other the vortex feel is created.
By Andy Goldworthy
By Andy Goldworthy
Design Inspiration by Lee Bentecou
"To explore the first design ideas we created a paper model, lit up to explore the light effects. Then we sketched out how the ' line up' of the different design elements would work" said Robert.
Section through the Suite, w. Entry at the left
The model
Double Helix Entry Wall Sketch Vortex Back walll
Design by Tjasa Gusfors
The ICEHOTEL Photos Courtesy ICEHOTEL
Photos Courtesy ICEHOTEL
One of its most appealing qualities, is how beautiful the ice reacts to light. In the Arctic Circle, winter days have little sun, so our guests will be bathed in dimmed sky tones and muted ice pastels.
Photos Courtesy ICEHOTEL
In the frozen, tightly compacted snow is the basic structure of the Icehotel. The roofs of the rooms are formed in curvilinear fashion, similar to an igloo, yet with a square floor base.
Carved Ice
Wall of Ice Blocks
The concept of building with ice is very appealing to both artists. They both embrace sustainable architecture in their work, mainly with SCIP building technology. Jennifer has a background in Film and Theater set design. Robert has his wits in composition and structure.
The Icehotel provides the Designers with pre-frozen, pre-cut dimensional ice blocks and whatever amounts of snow they require.
So, how do we build the main, lit-up, centrical end wall?
The solution was found in the Roman 'Keystone' invention that made the structural arch possible.
Sequence of 'how to build' images
The ice blocks arriving at the site
Stacked Ice
The Suite is Complete!
Great Job Jennifer and Robert!!!
For more info check WWW.ICEHOTEL.COM