Ice Hotel (MegaStructures - National Geographic

The Icehotel in Jukkasjorvi, Sweden (85 miles or 136 kilometers) north of the Arctic Circle) is created each winter, melts each May, and is rebuilt when snow falls again. Constructed of 30,000 tons of snow and 1,200 tons of crystal ice, the shimmering hotel features more than 85 rooms, an ice theater, an ice bar, and, of course, an ice wedding chapel. The deluxe rooms are decorated with ice sculptures (no two alike) and guests sleep in thermal sleeping bags atop reindeer skins on beds made from snow and ice.

The documentary reveals how using snow canons,chain-saws, and other devices, a team of architects, builders and sculptors are in a race against time and bitter arctic weather. They are trying to build a hotel only from snow and ice and do it in less than 6 weeks.

About the documentary series MegaStructures by National Geographic

Megastructures are all around us; skyscrapers in big cities, subway trains years ahead of their time. Get an inside look at the planning and engineering behind creating some of the greatest buildings and machines ever made. ‘MegaStructures’ takes you inside the superstructures and all the inner workings that muscle together to make the structures function as a whole.

Watch other episodes of MegaStructures here

Watch the full documentary here