[New] All Embracing

With the frozen forests and icy iguanas of last year’s Icehotel long melted away, a team of 24 artists from across the globe have been busy carving up new creations for the 33rd edition of the Swedish site’s winter showcase. Constructed over six intense weeks, Icehotel 33 has brought together the artistic nous of 13 teams from around the world to create a three-dimensional sleeping experience that sees supersized mushrooms and Japanese gardens sprouting from the walls, ceiling and underfoot. “Yet another Icehotel is completed and yet another unique experience has been carved for our guests,” says Creative Director Luca Roncoroni. “Every year I’m amazed at what this team can achieve; talented international artists, flanked by a team of iceprofessionals, producing true magic.”

The star of the show for 2023 however is

Embrace, a new ceremony hall crafted from blocks of ice that are kept cold in a sub-zero warehouse in nearby Jukkasjärvi, having been harvested from the Torne River in the Spring. Designed by Bulgarian architect Viktor Tsarski in collaboration with Dutch designer and visualisation specialist Wouter Biegelaar, the celebratory cavern explores the potential of ice as a constructive material, with a vaulted ceiling that frames an intricately cut altar below. The altar itself resembles a stylised flower, which will slowly open up to the snowy surroundings as the winter season progresses. “Embrace celebrates life, love and positivity,” explain Tsarski and Biegelaar. “In a post-Covid world filled with war and hate, our aim was to create a peaceful place. No religion, orientation or race. Just love and embracing all that is good.”