The Cellar - 12/24/2002: Ice building

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12/24/2002: Ice building

http://cellar.org/2002/icebuilding.jpg

What do you mean, I haven't posted an image today?

Getting in under the wire. This looks fairly benign until you realize that the entire building was carved out of ice. It was one of 2003 carved ice works exhibited at the 29th Harbin ice lantern art exhibition, which is in Northeast China.

Gee. And I thought the guy that carved the angels out of ice at Christkindlmarkt was impressive ...

That castle is full of battle-hardened Ukranian children waiting to lay waste to the country side. Beware!

When I saw that building I almost knew that it was somewhere besides the US (architechture aside). No one would want to take the liability of allowing people to construct a multi-story building (even a facade) out of something as heavy yet potentially unstable as ice. Someone would get hurt, and someone would get sued. If not now, when the building eventually melted or fell. 
Just my $.02 worth. 
I'm not saying that it *should* be that way, I am just saying that I would have been surprised if I had found out that it was in the US.

Quote:

Originally posted by andcal
When I saw that building I almost knew that it was somewhere besides the US (architechture aside). No one would want to take the liability of allowing people to construct a multi-story building (even a facade) out of something as heavy yet potentially unstable as ice. Someone would get hurt, and someone would get sued. If not now, when the building eventually melted or fell. 
Just my $.02 worth. 
I'm not saying that it *should* be that way, I am just saying that I would have been surprised if I had found out that it was in the US.

Pfff.

We build an even bigger one up here in St. Paul every decade or so.

Here's a picture of the last big one, from 1992. There's talk of building another big one next year.

http://www.rustarchitects.com/Assets/92castle.jpg

and here's a couple of shots of the construction...

http://www.rustarchitects.com/Assets/ice7.jpg

http://www.rustarchitects.com/Assets/ice8.jpg

And here's a nice picture of it complete, at night.

http://www.rustarchitects.com/Assets/92castlenight.jpg

What beautiful pictures those are!
Here's a link to the Winterlude Festival in Ottawa Canada, my home city. Each year they build an ice hotel, but what draws the crowds, is the international ice sculpturing contest. You can click on "view sculptures" to see the actual process.
BTW..the Cellar is a great place, glad I found it last week.

http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/wint.../masters_e.asp :D

Quote:

We build an even bigger one up here in St. Paul every decade or so.

You guys hve the weather for it. LOL
It looks like a professional construction crew and equipment. Is it designed by an architect ? Is there a design competition?Are the blocks cut or molded to size? Should I shut up? ;)

aside- Wecome Irishqueen! Great link.

I love the picture of the incomplete ice castle from above surrounded by red scaffoldings.