Asaf Kliger/Ice Hotel
Sweden's famous Ice Hotel - the one that started the ice hotel trend - will soon start keeping one of its wings frozen all year round. And oddly enough, it'll get help from the sun to make it possible.
In a blog post, Yngve Bergqvist, the owner of the hotel, announced that construction would begin on a part of the hotel containing 20 hand-carved"art rooms" that contain ice sculptures and 2 to 3 beds each. This wing will stay open year-round, while in the winter, the hotel will reconstruct 15 suites - the ones they usually have during the winter.
Asaf Kliger, courtesy of the Ice Hotel
To keep thew new wing cool during spring and summer months, the hotel will use solar panels that harness 75 kWh of electricity between April to August. That'll be enough to provide power for the restaurant, guest rooms, and offices. The electricity will also power "chilling tubes" embedded in the ceiling that will keep the temperature at a constant 23 degrees Fahrenheit.
During these months, the sun is almost constant, making it easy for the hotel to gather enough solar power to keep things running.
The roof of the new wing will be covered in Arctic mountain flowers and grass, aiding with insulation.
The hotel started construction on the wing on September 15, and in mid-October, artists and architects will start designing suites, bars, and galleries in the space.
If you're interested in seeing what the art installations are like, we have plenty of photos here.