Sweden’s iconic ICEHOTEL has announced plans for a permanent solar-powered addition that will offer a sub-zero ice experience year round. 

Made of ice and snow, the Swedish Lapland’s annual hotel and art exhibition is traditionally a temporary event that melts back into the local Torne River once the weather turns warm. However, Gothenburg-based PinPin Studio has unveiled a new and permanent sustainable addition, which will be topped with a green roof and powered entirely by solar during the summer months.

Located in Jukkasjärvi, 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, the traditional ICEHOTEL is constructed every year by artists who transform ice and snow from the Torne River into art sculptures and architecture. The designers at PinPin Studio, responsible for some of our favorite themed ICEHOTEL suites, developed renderings for the new sustainable addition. The permanent 1,200-square-meter structure will include a bar, art gallery, and at least 20 suites.

During the summer months, the building will feature a green roof and run solely on solar energy collected from Arctic Circle’s midnight sun. The near constant sunlight will allow the structure to generate power throughout the night. In the winter, the building will be joined with the traditional ICEHOTEL pop-up, which is about three times the size of the permanent addition. “This ground-breaking initiative lets our guests decide whether they want to combine ICEHOTEL with dog sledding and northern lights, or hiking under the midnight sun. It just lets us meet the desires of our clients in a way whole new way,” says ICEHOTEL founder Yngve Bergqvist. The new project is expected to open in December 2016.

Mai Linh