Hotel to rebuild annually

2003/11/02 Atxotegi Alegria, Uhaina - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Arkitektura
• Diseinua
• Ingeniaritza

There is no possibility of warming by couples, as you have to sleep in tightly closed sleeping bags. (Photographer: Yves Tessier)

The first ice hotel was built in the 1990s in the Swedish village of Jukkasjärvi. Jacques Desbois loved the idea and built two hotels of this kind in Québec every winter. The first opened two years ago and this year has opened another. Both have had great success.

Mr. Desbois, very wise in igloo matters, needed the help of the Swedes to build an ice hotel.

Very resistant hotel

The raw material of the hotel, as is known, is snow. A total of 12,000 tons of snow and 400 tons of ice have been needed to build Québec's first ice hotel. In early December they start producing snow per cannon in the hotel area, which is introduced in metal molds and with special shapes. These are the most important parts of the building.

They try to use very compact snow to complete the necessary shapes in the most appropriate way possible. Over time that snow becomes as hard as rock and becomes ice. Then the wall is removed from the molds carefully so that no piece is broken.

The entrance columns have a length of 5 meters (Photographer: Xavier Dachez).

Because of the large amounts of ice needed to build such a hotel, they also carry the wall from the city of Montreal. The ice in Montreal is oxygen-free. In this way they get a totally transparent wall. These pieces are used for furniture (beds, seats, etc. ), hotel pillars, sculptures and glass utensils.

The winters in Canada and Sweden are usually very cold, but some year may be more hot, which can pose a risk to these hotels. They only open in winter. With the arrival of spring everything melts and they have to wait until the winter of the following year to rebuild everything and open the hotel doors. Each year, therefore, they have to rebuild the hotel, allowing them to change the decorations and so on. The

first wall hotel in Québec was more than 5.4 meters high and an area of 3,000 m2. Under construction, at the end of 40% of the hotel, it rained slightly and the outside temperature reached 8 °. Although rarely, the beginning of winter was mild. However, nothing was undone thanks to the high density of snow.

Although these buildings can last until April, owners often decide to close the hotel in March for fear of mild temperatures arriving earlier.

As many services as other hotels

The hotel they have built in Quebec for three winters is a mixture between an igloo and a luxury hotel. The client passes through a leather curtain at the entrance and enters a universe surrounded by ice to know new sensations.

Each year more marriages are celebrated in this church. (Photographer: Yves Tessier).

XXI. This 20th century building features a luxury entrance and a large living room. It consists of fine columns and has a very beautiful ceiling. Next to the living room there is a beautiful bar. The glasses that serve the cocktels are also wall, they are called "polar bears".

This ice hotel also features a cinema room and a small church. Every winter celebrates about ten marriages. It also has a reception room called Nice Club, with capacity for 400 people, next to an exhibition hall.

Rooms without privacy

It has 20 rooms and 12 suites. The rooms have no door, as the wall walls do not allow it. A thin curtain keeps the privacy of its customers and keeps their soups and suitcases in a well-kept wardrobe. If you ever feel cold at night, forget the thick jersey you had in your suitcase...

The beds are made up of wall blocks that are covered with wood. A leather blanket is placed on the wood. Before falling asleep, customers have to get into the sheet of the leather cover, then get into the sleeping bag, remove all objects that can be extracted from the environment, climb the zipper, tie the velcro, put on the beret, close your eyes and dream... News

To heat the bottom better to drink some Vodka. (Photographer: Xavier Dachez).

Just as the sun's rays pass through the walls and roof of the hotel in the early morning, guests wake up from their beds and approach the dining room for breakfast before starting daily visits. It is a hotel and a museum.

How much does it cost to spend a night at such a hotel? A normal room costs 400 euros and if you want to sleep in a suite decorated to your liking, you will have to pay 5,000 euros.

95% of customers who have so far approached the hotel in Québec are foreigners, mostly Americans. You know, if you want to experience new sensations and are not afraid to stay like an ice cube, there you have the opportunity!

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