Ice hotels are popping up in some of the world’s coldest destinations, but a new hotel in Norway takes the frozen appeal to a whole new level.
The Krystall hotel looks like a giant snowflake, and not only that --it floats on water.
Designed by Koen Olthuis of the architecture firm Dutch Docklands, the appropriately named Krystall will have 86 rooms, conference rooms, area for a spa and wellness, and is “completely self supporting and self-sustainable,” according to the firm’s website.
“Because it is floating we do not have any impact on that location. We call it a scarless development,” Olthuis told FoxNews.com via email. “If you take it away after hundred years or so, it will not leave any physical footprint. That is the only way to bring developments to such a precious and beautiful marine environment in Norway or Maldives.”
The project is estimated at over $100 million. Unlike a traditional luxury hotel, the roof on the rooms will all be glass, allowing for a unique vantage point of the natural surroundings.
The city of Trosmo Norway was chosen because of its proximity to an international airport—plus its ideally situated in a spot that’s open to growing eco-tourism market.
And if you’re worried about floating away in your sleep, don’t be. The firm specializes only in floating architecture and Olthuis says the sophisticated design is merely a larger version of a system used in many floating houses in Norway.
“The hotel will be built in pieces in dry docks and assembled on location. The floating basis is very big and because of that also very stable so you will not notice any movement,” Olthuis says. “ The shape provides most of the stability but additional technology with dampers, springs and cables is used to take away any acceleration.”
Construction on the The Krystall hotel is scheduled to start mid 2015 with a projected opening date of December 2016.
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