Ice architecture is so hot right now. Its the dead of winter, and the River Torne in northern Sweden is producing some of the world’s finest architecture- and kid-friendly ice. The latest work of frozen art to emerge from the quiet white of the Scandinavian frost is PinPin Studio’s snow maze and playground for the winter festival in Kiruna, Sweden.
Made in collaboration with a number of partners, including the famous ICEHOTEL, the playground features a hedge-scale maze, two slides, a huge snow lantern, four egg-shaped seats, and benches made out of ice. The designers envisioned the installation as a lost city in the middle of a snow and ice jungle, bringing active imaginations together with active lifestyles.
The maze’s ten-foot-high walls are made of packed snow and ice from the Torne River, which is known for its very clear ice, harvested each year by the ICEHOTEL. Because of this clarity, light is visible through the ice walls on all four sides of the maze. These clear ice sections add to the confusion of trying to get through the maze.
Two large snow hills flank the park so visitors can look out over the park and sneak a peak at the maze, if they are cheaters. The top of the hill is also the start of an ice slide with two parallel tracks. The park is free of charge, and open for visitors until the sun melts it in April.
