Lighting the Lavvu

Each year the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, hosts a competition to search for the designs that will go on to become the hotel’s next season’s suites, each room becoming an art installation made entirely from ice and snow from the Torne River. As the seasons change, the rooms melt and return to nature.

G.A’s Jessica Morrison and Brodie Kane collaborated to produce an entry for this year’s ICEHOTEL#30 inspired by the traditional settlements of the native Sami people.

The River Torne is so wide at Jukkasjarvi that it appears like a lake. The settlement is located at this strategic point for fishing and trade. Meaning ‘Lake of Assembly’, this was the location of the original Sami marketplace.

Referencing the traditional Sami tents found in this important location, the guestroom forms a tripod-like space around the bed. The ‘Lavvu’ is a temporary dwelling for the Sami people – simple to erect and stable in high winds. The Sami could follow their herd, staying in these distinctive functional spaces.

Carved from ice, the ‘timber’ structure stretches to the ceiling. The bed is ribbed ice – as if formed from twigs and is dramatically lit to showcase the clarity and rare beauty of ice. The contrast between the textured ‘snice’ and glass-like ice add cast light and shadow on the minimal space and give guests the experience of a reimagined Sami night’s sleep.