ice hotels, four of them

the short of it

a snow building beside the fjord at Kirkenes, standing next to cabins that stay up all year

what holds itself up

This far north the winter cold is the structure: packed snow holds its shape because the outside air keeps it frozen. Thick snow walls sit still at around freezing whatever the wind does outside. The permanent cabins alongside carry the plumbing, heating and everything snow cannot.

what has to be kept going

Where the season is not cold enough on its own, refrigeration does the holding, and it runs continuously. Snow surfaces are shaped, dressed and repaired as they move. Guests sleep in thermal bags and wash in the heated buildings, so bedding, transfers and warm space are organised around every night.

the short of it

glass igloos and snow structures on a Lapland hillside, rebuilt for each winter season

what holds itself up

The site faces away from the village lights, so the dark sky above it is a property of the location rather than something installed. Glass domes hold their own heat with the cold pressing evenly on every side. Snow around the bases packs itself in as winter goes on.

what has to be kept going

A dome only works as a window if the glass stays clear, so snow and frost are removed from it through the night. Heating runs constantly against an outside temperature far below freezing. The snow parts of the village are built again at the start of every season.