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How it all began
If it is possible to build a hotel of ice in a small
village 200km inside the Arctic Circle, which
strikes the whole world with amazement, then
anything is possible. The story of ICEHOTEL is
indeed a fairy tale come true. One night a group of
foreign guests, equipped with reindeer hides and
sleeping bags, decided it would be a good idea to
use the cylindrical shaped igloo as accommodation.
The following morning the brave group raved about
the unique sensation of sleeping in an igloo. Hence,
the concept of ICEHOTEL was born. A lot has happened
since. Today ICEHOTEL is world famous for its unique
concept, its fantastic works of art and its
extraordinary experiences. The fairy tale nature of
ICEHOTEL brings out the child in guests of all ages.
The company Jukkas (present day ICEHOTEL) has been a
tourist operator in the region since the 1970s. For
many years the company focus was on the summer
season and the magnificent outdoor experiences
offered by the land of the midnight sun. During the
dark winter the river was frozen and the people of
the small village of Jukkasjärvi went into
hibernation.
By the end of the 1980s it was decided to turn
things around. Instead of viewing the dark and cold
winter as a disadvantage, the unique elements of the
arctic were to be regarded an asset. Inspired by the
work of visiting Japanese ice artists, in 1990 the
French artist Jannot Derit was invited to have the
opening of his exhibition in a specially built igloo
on the frozen Torne River. The 60 square meter
building named Artic Hall attracted many curious
visitors to the area.
 The free flowing Torne River is the origin and
artery of ICEHOTEL. From the river, the ice of
ICEHOTEL is borrowed each year. And it is here, on
the river shores in the village of Jukkasjärvi that
our story begins.
In March, ice is harvested from the River Torne with
the help of tractors and special ice saws which were
developed here in Jukkasjärvi. The pure river water,
in combination with the fast-flowing current, gives
crystal-clear ice. The ice blocks, weighing almost 2
tons, are stored in our freeze-house for export and
processing. Much of the stored ice is used in
constructing next year's ICEHOTEL.
At the end of October, around thirty local artists
and builders start work, ahead of the arrival of the
first guests in mid-December. Snow canons and front
loaders help to form the snow over arched steel
sections, some as big as 5 meters in height and 6
meters across. Two days later, the sections are
moved and are ready to use somewhere else. The ice
pillars are then put in place to give extra strength
to the self-supporting snow arches.
By the beginning of December, the main building is
almost finished and the interior work begins. This
continues until the end of January. With an indoor
temperature of around five below zero, working
conditions are relatively comfortable compared to
the outdoor temperature, which can drop lower than
forty below zero. Working to late in the evening,
the sculptors cut and work the ice to create things
like interior decorations, windows, doors, pillars,
furniture, lamps and naturally - sculptures.
Specially invited Swedish and international guests
artists come every year to design the décor in
certain rooms.
The varied styles of the many artists, together with
the properties of the ice, create a unique
atmosphere: not unlike that in a museum, in fact -
filled with magic, mystique and surprises for the
visitors as they wander from room to room.
 Of ICEHOTEL itself, the sculptors save just a few
works of art from the preceding winter season in the
Art Center, and the rest of the hotel is left to
melt away. Nature's own short-term gift gives an opportunity to experiment with form, space, and
technique every year; and just like snow flakes, no
two ICE HOTELS are ever identical. The beauty, and
the parts we are not completely happy with, run back
into the River Torne and make way for next winter's
version of ICEHOTEL. From this river, the ideas of
the summer shall find expression in the creations of
the coming winter.
From the River came the Ice, and to the River it
shall return; All that will remain are Memories.
Photos courtesy ICEHOTEL
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