Hospitality Lighting - Summer 2008 - (Page 16)

express checkout Cold Case On the banks of the River Torne about 125 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, sits Icehotel, a luxurious—albeit chilly—lodge that attracts adventurous travelers from all over the world. Built anew each winter from snow and blocks of ice taken from the river itself, Icehotel—comprising approximately 80 Art Suites and guestrooms, a reception area, the Main Hall, the Absolute Icebar and the Ice Church—completely melts down in the spring, leaving the residual water to run back to its natural source. Those guests who prefer to visit in the summer months, as well as those who mandate warmer accommodations throughout the year, have the option of staying in Icehotel’s permanent building, which hosts a variety of more traditional sleeping quarters, all at room temperature. While the design and layout of Icehotel changes from season to season (the venue invites artists to create the lavish Art Suites), the abiding structure maintains the integrity of its arctic surroundings with colors and materials that bring to mind the beauty and serenity of ice and snow. Lighting plays an integral role in sustaining this cool factor, while at the same time rendering the indoor spaces with a warm, inviting ambience that keeps patrons comfortable. To accomplish this goal, Icehotel called on Danish designer Birgit Østergaard to outfit the permanent structure with her signature style of illumination. Photos by Ben Nilsson/Big Ben Productions Østergaard first contracted to supply Icehotel with her unique lighting in 2001. Earlier this year, the designer installed more of her work in the hotel’s newly added guestrooms, reception and lounge areas. “My designs appeared to be almost custommade for the place,” she says. “[Icehotel] was fascinated by the shapes, materials and colors I was using,” Østergaard says. “They had been looking for fixtures for the [permanent] part of the hotel for a long time, searching for something to keep in line with their concept. I was honored to take part in the project, not only because of the reputation of the hotel, but also because my designs appeared to be almost custom-made for the place.” While Østergaard’s initial involvement in the hotel began in 2001, earlier this year the venue re-approached the designer to create more lighting for its expanded indoor reception, lounge spaces and guestrooms. After much thought, both sides agreed to use the icicle-shaped B1 lights that had been used in the original installation throughout the new areas, as well. “Simple as it may sound, I was inspired by nature’s own shapes and sizes, like icebergs floating with only a percentage of their whole mass visible to the eye,” Østergaard says. “Icicles hanging from the roof, simple and beautiful, are a wonder of nature itself.” (Left) Icehotel’s ice block quarters may be kept at a chilly 18˚ to 23˚F, but guestrooms in the venue’s permanent buildings are toasty warm and inviting thanks, in part, to Birgit Østergaard’s B1 icicle lights. The fixtures create a luxurious glow, while staying true to the hotel’s arctic theme. 16 HOSPITALITY LIGHTING | SUMMER 2008

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Hospitality Lighting - Summer 2008

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