bundle up and behold the first image of ICEHOTEL 2017 in sweden

first images of art at the ICEHOTEL 2017-2018 have been revealed, featuring suites sculpted as a frozen jungle, a gigantic mountain gorilla, and a frozen cloudscape. ICEHOTEL was founded in 1989 and is reborn in a new guise every winter.

opening on december 15, 2017 on the riverbank in jukkasjärvi, sweden, the 28th edition of the hotel comprises 35 uniquely designed art-and-deluxe suites, an ice bar, ice chapel and ice gallery. everything, including the artwork, can only be experienced during the winter before it all melts away and trickles back to the nearby torne river — a perfect cycle.

‘queen of the north’ art suite | design emilie steele and sebastian dell’uva
(main image) ‘danger thin ice’ art suite | design by franziska agrawal
all images by asaf kliger © ICEHOTEL

36 artists hailing from every corner of the world have contributed to suite spaces, a main hall, and a special ice ceremony hall. among the seasonal rooms, guests at ICEHOTEL can climb down in an underground mine with elements of crystal clear ice, find themselves immersed in a jungle of monstera-plants, and discover a habitat drawn from refugees’ journey across the mediterranean sea.

‘cumulus’ art suite | design by annakatrin kraus and hans aescht

ICEHOTEL #28 first began to take shape in march of last year, when thousands of huge ice blocks were harvested from torne river. 500 tons of crystal clear natural ice has also been used to create the art, ice glasses and ice bars this year. 1,000 hand-polished ice crystals were used to create the chandeliers that hang in the main hall, and surfaces are decorated with 200 hand-sculpted flowers of ice and snow.

‘daily travellers’ art suite | design by alem teklu and anne karin krogevoll