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♪
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Narrator: Deep inside the arctic circle...
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Yeah. No, no, no.
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...This team of elite engineers
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Is embarking on an epic endeavor.
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Yeah, it's a challenge.
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Let's go.
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Narrator: They're attempting to build a unique structure --
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One of the largest snow and ice hotels in the world.
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Tjasa: We work so hard.
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My arms are aching.
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There's no instruction manual for how to build an ice hotel.
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Ooh! Aha!
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Narrator: Constructed from more than 15,000 tons
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Of snow and ice,
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Spanning over 26,000 square feet,
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They are pushing to complete this ambitious build
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In an unheard-of six weeks.
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Roncoroni: The rooms are booked.
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No matter when we start,
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We know that we have to be done by that day.
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Narrator: To construct this colossus,
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The team must battle extreme cold...
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The temperature now is 20 below.
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Narrator: ...Failing equipment...
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Something is broken.
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(indistinct conversation)
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Narrator: ...And long, dark nights.
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Oh.
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There's a hole in the roof.
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♪
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This remarkable structure ranks
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In a league of ambitious new engineering wonders
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That are bigger, faster, taller,
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And more advanced than anything ever constructed before.
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This is the inside story of the extraordinary challenge
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Of building these giants.
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-- Captions by vitac -- www.Vitac.Com
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Captions paid for by discovery communications
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♪
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Northern sweden -- 120 miles inside the arctic circle.
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♪
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Here, on the banks of the mighty torne river,
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Lies the small, snowy outpost of jukkasjarvi.
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During the winter,
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Temperatures plummet to minus-20 degrees fahrenheit.
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♪
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Despite the extreme conditions,
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A team of engineers is assembling here
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To build an extraordinary megastructure --
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A remarkable hotel made entirely from ice
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That will enable travelers from across the world
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To experience the harsh beauty of the arctic winter.
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You can get a bit obsessed by the ice.
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Narrator: Creative director arne bergh wants a night here
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To be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
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♪
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The special things we have here with the nature of the ice
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And the snow -- that's what I like.
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The light and the darkness and the northern lights.
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♪
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Narrator: Arne and his team plan to design
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And build a brand-new luxury winter retreat like no other.
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Bergh: This is a hotel, but it's much more.
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All your senses are involved.
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When you enter the building, it's the smell of winter.
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It's an experience hotel.
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You go there for the adventure.
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♪
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Narrator: The idea for the ice hotel
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Was conceived accidentally back in 1990,
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When an exhibition inside an igloo
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Attracted a surprisingly large crowd to jukkasjarvi.
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Bergh: One night, there was people who had nowhere to sleep,
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So we fixed them sleeping bags and animal skins on the floor
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And they slept there.
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And one guy was coming out in the morning,
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He had slept great,
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And said this was like sleeping in a hotel,
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And that's how the idea was born.
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Narrator: This year, arne aims to construct the boldest
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And most ambitious ice hotel ever conceived.
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I want to say this year, this is the best ice hotel ever
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Because I know that's the challenge and the inspiration.
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♪
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Narrator: This is the icy giant
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Arne and his team must somehow build.
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20 interlocking arches of snow and ice up to 16 feet high
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Make up the hotel's walls and roof.
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♪
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Inside, an intricately carved reception hall
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Supported by columns of solid ice
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And elegantly lit by three 175-pound ice chandeliers.
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♪
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At the far end, a fully functional chapel
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All set for winter weddings.
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♪
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Five smaller corridors lead
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To 35 individually designed guest suites,
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Each with its very own ice-block bed.
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In total, the team will use over 15,000 tons of snow and ice
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To build this masterpiece of ice engineering.
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♪
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Constructing this giant in the depths
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Of a brutal arctic winter won't be easy.
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♪
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Building the ice hotel
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Involves a series of unique engineering challenges.
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First, arne's team must extract hundreds of blocks of river ice,
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Each weighing two tons, and store them in
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A temperature-controlled warehouse.
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♪
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Next, they'll pump river water through snow cannons
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To create over 700,000 cubic feet
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Of a dense artificial snow called snice.
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Workers then blast this snice onto special steel molds
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To form the hotel's walls and roof.
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They reinforce the largest arches with columns
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And walls of the pure river ice.
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Once the main structure is in place,
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Workers use more ice to hand-carve each individual suite
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And install custom-made lighting
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To make this palace of ice truly shine.
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♪
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It's never too early to get ready for the big winter build,
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With preparations starting in March.
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Enmalm: The project starts now in the spring,
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'cause that's when the ice at the thickest it can be.
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♪
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Narrator: After a long winter,
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The ice on the nearby torne river
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Is now over 30 inches thick and perfect for building with.
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♪
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Enmalm: This is where it's the thickest,
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So this is where we're going to start.
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Narrator: They need to harvest an astonishing 2,000 tons
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Of the purest ice blocks for the build.
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♪
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So, how do you hack ice out of a frozen river without falling in?
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♪
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This is the plan.
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First, they drive a tractor with a specially mounted chainsaw
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Out onto the frozen river.
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♪
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(chainsaw revving)
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Next, they plunge the chainsaw through the ice,
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Cutting a neat grid, freeing the floating ice blocks.
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♪
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A second tractor lifts ice from the river block by block,
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And two forklifts carry them back to land.
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But this operation is risky.
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If the ice is too thin or they cut too much,
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They could all end up in the lethal fast-moving water
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Beneath the ice.
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♪
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Henrik spett is one of the team members tasked
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With extracting the frozen river blocks.
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Quiet before the storm.
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Yeah. Yeah.
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It'll pick up around 2,000 tons, so that's quite a lot of ice.
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♪
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Narrator: Ten tons of heavy machinery
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Ventures out onto the ice.
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♪
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This is precarious work.
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When the tractor drives around,
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You can feel sometimes that it breaks the ice a bit.
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♪
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Narrator: The chainsaw's razor-sharp teeth spin
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At over 5,000 feet per minute.
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♪
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It slices through the ice like a hot knife through butter.
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♪
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Henrik must gently guide the powerful saw
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Without ruining the precious crop.
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♪
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Now they must fish the slippery two-ton blocks out of the water.
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First, they flip out smaller chunks of ice to make a hole.
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Then they submerge
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This specially designed hook to scoop up the blocks.
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♪
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One wrong move and the team could be taking an ice bath.
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Enmalm: Everyone knows the excite part.
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No one does anything else.
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♪
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First block -- up.
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♪
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Narrator: One block down, 999 to go.
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This is a monumental mission.
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♪
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Spett: The weathers can change pretty fast,
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Even though it's still March.
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Narrator: Just as they make the next cuts,
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Suddenly, air temperatures plunge
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To minus-20 degrees fahrenheit.
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(indistinct conversation)
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In such extreme cold, the fragile ice is vulnerable
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Once they pull it from the river.
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♪
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It can become unstable.
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Bergh: If it's too cold, there is tension.
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It's cracking on the surface
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Because it's warmer inside the ice than the air outside.
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♪
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Narrator: As the ice rises up from the 32-degree water
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Into the even colder minus-20-degree air,
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The sudden change in temperature can cause the ice
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To contract so quickly, it could explode.
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Enmalm: Just a few seconds, and a temperature change
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Between zero degrees and to minus-30, so it's a risk.
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Narrator: A risk this brave team can't afford.
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♪
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♪
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Narrator: In northern sweden, workers are attempting
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To harvest over 1,000 two-ton blocks of ice
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From the torne river...
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To build one of the world's biggest ice hotels...
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But air temperatures of minus-20 degrees fahrenheit
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Threaten to cause the ice blocks to explode
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As they haul them out of the water.
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♪
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Spett: We have to make sure
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That the ice blocks that we take up --
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Everything that we can use so nothing goes to waste.
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♪
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Narrator: They wait several hours
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For the temperature to rise.
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♪
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Temperature has risen a bit now from minus-30 to minus-18.
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♪
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Narrator: They race to harvest as many blocks as they can.
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Over the next two weeks,
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They fill the warehouse with 2,000 tons of ice.
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♪
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But now the team must wait eight months
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Until the arctic winter begins to bite
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To start work on the construction
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Of the hotel itself.
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♪
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The brief summer comes and goes.
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♪
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It's now November.
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♪
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It's finally cold enough for the team to start work.
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♪
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There are less than five weeks to go
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Until the icehotel is scheduled to open on December 14th.
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With all the rooms fully booked, arne's team is under pressure.
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Oh, I can feel it. It's, like, quite stressful.
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♪
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Narrator: Their first construction challenge
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Is to create thousands of tons of a dense snow they call snice
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To build the hotel's outer shell.
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♪
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To make snice, they manually adjust the pressure
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Of four powerful snow cannons to produce a material
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Up to six times denser than natural fallen snow.
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♪
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Construction leader jocke enmalm is responsible for building
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The hotel's outer structure.
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♪
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It's perfect.
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It's the composition of the snow.
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It's a little, little bit thick,
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But it's still very dry, and that's what we want.
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♪
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Narrator: But just how do they make a rock-solid structure
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Out of soft snow?
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♪
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First, the team must carefully position
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Custom-made steel molds,
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Locking them together to create a series of arch tunnels.
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Large molds make up the main hall,
274
00:14:35,870 --> 00:14:38,270
Small molds make up the corridors,
275
00:14:38,270 --> 00:14:43,540
And finally, midsize molds form the guest rooms.
276
00:14:43,550 --> 00:14:46,350
Next, workers use a powerful snow blower
277
00:14:46,350 --> 00:14:48,350
To spray the special snice mixture
278
00:14:48,350 --> 00:14:52,520
On top of the molds to form layers over three feet thick.
279
00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:55,320
♪
280
00:14:55,320 --> 00:14:58,460
Overnight, the freezing arctic temperatures
281
00:14:58,460 --> 00:15:01,330
Should cure and harden the icy shell.
282
00:15:01,330 --> 00:15:03,400
♪
283
00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:06,400
The next day, workers slide the molds out,
284
00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:11,940
Leaving an incredibly strong thick-walled structure behind.
285
00:15:11,940 --> 00:15:14,010
The team must repeat this process
286
00:15:14,010 --> 00:15:17,680
Until the entire hotel's outer shell is complete.
287
00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:23,620
♪
288
00:15:23,620 --> 00:15:26,490
Man: Let's go, yep.
289
00:15:26,490 --> 00:15:31,020
Narrator: The team races to set the first molds.
290
00:15:31,030 --> 00:15:35,560
The molds are shaped in the form of a structural arch.
291
00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:39,500
Just like an arch made of stone, its shape distributes weight
292
00:15:39,500 --> 00:15:44,700
Out to the sides, making it incredibly strong.
293
00:15:44,710 --> 00:15:48,680
A little bit more on the left side.
294
00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:52,180
They haul in two-ton ice blocks to form solid doorways
295
00:15:52,180 --> 00:15:54,550
Between the guest rooms and corridors.
296
00:15:58,050 --> 00:16:00,520
Finally, they secure steel plates
297
00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:04,860
To form a barrier around the molds.
298
00:16:04,860 --> 00:16:06,390
As night falls,
299
00:16:06,390 --> 00:16:09,960
It's time for jocke's team to bring out the big gun...
300
00:16:09,970 --> 00:16:12,600
♪
301
00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:17,500
...Their 25-ton, 700-horsepower snowblower tractor.
302
00:16:17,510 --> 00:16:19,810
♪
303
00:16:19,810 --> 00:16:22,710
The monstrous machine uses spiraled metal blades
304
00:16:22,710 --> 00:16:24,680
To churn up the snice...
305
00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:29,480
♪
306
00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:32,720
...Blasting it up through an articulating chute
307
00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:34,820
And onto the steel molds.
308
00:16:34,820 --> 00:16:37,520
♪
309
00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:49,340
♪
310
00:16:49,340 --> 00:16:51,840
Workers on top of the slippery arches
311
00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:54,970
Face the most dangerous challenge --
312
00:16:54,980 --> 00:16:59,280
They must spread the snice to an even thickness by hand.
313
00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:05,650
There's even a risk that the powerful snowblower could shoot
314
00:17:05,650 --> 00:17:07,690
More than just snow at them.
315
00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:27,970
♪
316
00:17:33,180 --> 00:17:36,920
It takes two hours to complete the first casting session.
317
00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:41,990
♪
318
00:17:41,990 --> 00:17:44,220
The team must leave the casting to harden
319
00:17:44,230 --> 00:17:47,060
In the cold winter air,
320
00:17:47,060 --> 00:17:50,800
But with only 29 days left until the grand opening,
321
00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:54,700
Mother nature can be a fickle partner.
322
00:17:54,700 --> 00:17:56,540
Oh.
323
00:17:56,540 --> 00:17:58,170
There's a hole in the roof.
324
00:17:58,170 --> 00:18:00,240
A big hole.
325
00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:03,780
♪
326
00:18:10,620 --> 00:18:16,590
♪
327
00:18:16,590 --> 00:18:20,090
Narrator: In arctic sweden, a team of engineers is racing
328
00:18:20,100 --> 00:18:24,460
To build a giant ice hotel.
329
00:18:24,470 --> 00:18:27,630
Having left the soft snow arches to harden overnight,
330
00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:32,240
The workers are ready to remove the first steel molds.
331
00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:33,940
♪
332
00:18:38,610 --> 00:18:41,910
They hook a chain to the molds...
333
00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:45,990
And gear up to pull them free.
334
00:18:45,990 --> 00:18:48,790
It's vital that the workers stay underneath the frame
335
00:18:48,790 --> 00:18:50,820
As they pull it out.
336
00:18:50,830 --> 00:18:53,760
A collapsing roof could be lethal.
337
00:18:58,070 --> 00:18:59,870
Man: Yeah.
338
00:18:59,870 --> 00:19:03,540
♪
339
00:19:10,850 --> 00:19:15,150
With the first row of molds out, jocke ventures inside
340
00:19:15,150 --> 00:19:18,350
To check whether the new snice walls have set firm.
341
00:19:23,660 --> 00:19:26,560
The first tunnel gets the all-clear.
342
00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:28,790
They move on to the next row.
343
00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:34,200
♪
344
00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:36,240
Just as they pull out the first mold,
345
00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:38,440
They discover a major problem.
346
00:19:45,350 --> 00:19:49,520
A section of the archway has broken loose, leaving a hole.
347
00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:51,350
It hasn't set properly.
348
00:20:02,460 --> 00:20:06,570
With just 26 days until the hotel is due to open,
349
00:20:06,570 --> 00:20:10,640
The arch must freeze solid before they can attempt a fix.
350
00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:17,280
♪
351
00:20:20,950 --> 00:20:26,820
The following day, temperatures continue to rise above freezing.
352
00:20:26,820 --> 00:20:29,290
It's now too warm to make more snice
353
00:20:29,290 --> 00:20:32,760
For the hotel's outer shell.
354
00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:35,290
Work onsite grinds to a halt.
355
00:20:35,300 --> 00:20:37,930
♪
356
00:20:37,930 --> 00:20:42,000
It's an unprecedented problem for arne.
357
00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,740
Bergh: We're looking at the weather prediction every day.
358
00:20:44,740 --> 00:20:47,710
We need below-zero temperature.
359
00:20:47,710 --> 00:20:49,580
So, this is our challenge --
360
00:20:49,580 --> 00:20:53,080
To have everything there by the 14th of December,
361
00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:54,980
We have to have a shining ice hotel
362
00:20:54,980 --> 00:20:56,580
For our guests arriving.
363
00:20:56,580 --> 00:21:05,520
♪
364
00:21:05,530 --> 00:21:07,490
Narrator: It takes five days,
365
00:21:07,500 --> 00:21:10,900
But finally, the temperature drops back down to freezing
366
00:21:10,900 --> 00:21:13,570
And work on the build can resume.
367
00:21:13,570 --> 00:21:16,400
The colder it gets, the happier we are.
368
00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:17,740
(laughs)
369
00:21:17,740 --> 00:21:21,110
Narrator: They quickly repair the hole in the roof,
370
00:21:21,110 --> 00:21:24,480
But arne's team is now 12 days behind schedule.
371
00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:27,210
♪
372
00:21:27,220 --> 00:21:29,150
To make up for lost time,
373
00:21:29,150 --> 00:21:31,580
They must now work around the clock
374
00:21:31,590 --> 00:21:35,350
To get the build of the hotel's outer shell back on track.
375
00:21:35,360 --> 00:21:38,060
♪
376
00:21:38,060 --> 00:21:41,190
With each casting, the hotel grows bigger.
377
00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:46,230
♪
378
00:21:46,230 --> 00:21:50,040
But jocke's team can't leave the taller 16-foot-high tunnels
379
00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:52,710
Of the main hall unsupported for long.
380
00:21:52,710 --> 00:21:54,570
♪
381
00:21:54,580 --> 00:21:57,540
Enmalm: The main hall is the biggest part of the hotel,
382
00:21:57,550 --> 00:21:59,280
The biggest room.
383
00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:02,210
There's a lot of weight in the ceiling.
384
00:22:02,220 --> 00:22:04,450
♪
385
00:22:04,450 --> 00:22:06,590
Narrator: Over the course of the winter,
386
00:22:06,590 --> 00:22:08,650
The roof can drop dramatically.
387
00:22:08,660 --> 00:22:10,620
♪
388
00:22:10,630 --> 00:22:14,090
It's all down to the nature of the building material.
389
00:22:14,100 --> 00:22:17,800
♪
390
00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:20,270
The snice that makes up the arches contains
391
00:22:20,270 --> 00:22:22,600
Millions of tiny pockets of air.
392
00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:25,270
♪
393
00:22:25,270 --> 00:22:28,170
In the larger arches, the sheer weight of material
394
00:22:28,180 --> 00:22:30,610
Will gradually force this air out.
395
00:22:30,610 --> 00:22:33,050
♪
396
00:22:33,050 --> 00:22:36,350
Over time, this makes the bigger arches contract
397
00:22:36,350 --> 00:22:40,820
And the ceilings sink dangerously.
398
00:22:40,820 --> 00:22:42,250
To counteract this,
399
00:22:42,260 --> 00:22:45,360
The team will stack blocks of the strongest ice,
400
00:22:45,360 --> 00:22:48,030
Harvested from the river nine months earlier,
401
00:22:48,030 --> 00:22:51,900
To form 14 columns that reinforce the ceiling.
402
00:22:51,900 --> 00:22:54,370
♪
403
00:22:54,370 --> 00:22:58,170
Huge ice walls at either end will provide extra support
404
00:22:58,170 --> 00:23:01,010
And also protect the hotel's guests
405
00:23:01,010 --> 00:23:03,180
From the harsh winter outside.
406
00:23:03,180 --> 00:23:08,980
♪
407
00:23:08,980 --> 00:23:12,050
Without a moment to lose, jocke and his team
408
00:23:12,050 --> 00:23:15,520
Level the ground to build the first ice columns.
409
00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:16,990
They are trying to put up the columns
410
00:23:16,990 --> 00:23:18,320
As quickly as possible.
411
00:23:18,330 --> 00:23:21,160
Narrator: They set a massive seven-foot-tall ice block
412
00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:24,500
At the base of each column.
413
00:23:24,500 --> 00:23:28,600
It alone weighs over 700 pounds.
414
00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:32,410
You must be careful when you handle that.
415
00:23:32,410 --> 00:23:35,140
Narrator: They use a special hydraulic pusher
416
00:23:35,140 --> 00:23:39,410
To stack smaller 110-pound blocks of ice on top.
417
00:23:40,850 --> 00:23:44,320
It delicately passes the heavy ice to the workers.
418
00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:46,550
♪
419
00:23:46,550 --> 00:23:48,920
It's crucial they keep the pillars level
420
00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:53,060
As they build them higher or they could become unstable.
421
00:23:53,060 --> 00:23:55,430
Enmalm: Everything needs to be perfectly aligned.
422
00:23:55,430 --> 00:23:56,500
Need to be straight.
423
00:23:56,500 --> 00:23:59,000
If we had a bend in the structure
424
00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:00,330
And the roof forces it down,
425
00:24:00,330 --> 00:24:02,940
Then it might swing out to the side.
426
00:24:02,940 --> 00:24:04,470
♪
427
00:24:04,470 --> 00:24:07,270
Narrator: With guests arriving in three weeks' time,
428
00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:11,110
A deadly toppling tower of ice isn't an option.
429
00:24:11,110 --> 00:24:16,550
♪
430
00:24:23,320 --> 00:24:31,960
♪
431
00:24:31,970 --> 00:24:35,330
Narrator: Deep in the arctic circle...
432
00:24:35,340 --> 00:24:38,440
The team building this giant ice hotel
433
00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:41,170
Is in a race to support its sinking ceiling
434
00:24:41,180 --> 00:24:43,140
With pillars of ice.
435
00:24:43,140 --> 00:24:45,340
♪
436
00:24:45,350 --> 00:24:49,880
As the teams stack the blocks, they pour on cups of cold water.
437
00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:52,150
♪
438
00:24:52,150 --> 00:24:54,990
The water freezes quickly in the arctic temperatures
439
00:24:54,990 --> 00:24:56,790
To act as a glue.
440
00:24:56,790 --> 00:25:01,560
♪
441
00:25:02,900 --> 00:25:04,560
The higher the pillars get,
442
00:25:04,570 --> 00:25:08,130
The closer the tractor pusher comes to the delicate ceiling.
443
00:25:19,180 --> 00:25:21,550
The second set of pillars rise up.
444
00:25:21,550 --> 00:25:24,020
♪
445
00:25:24,020 --> 00:25:26,390
But just as they near the top,
446
00:25:26,390 --> 00:25:28,890
They hit an unforeseen challenge.
447
00:25:28,890 --> 00:25:31,320
♪
448
00:25:33,130 --> 00:25:37,330
The cold weather causes the hydraulic pusher to seize.
449
00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:42,230
They have no option but to carefully haul
450
00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:44,740
Each 110-pound block off the shovel
451
00:25:44,740 --> 00:25:49,380
And into place by hand.
452
00:25:49,380 --> 00:25:52,140
They saw one ice block to form a wedge
453
00:25:52,150 --> 00:25:54,050
To place on top of the column,
454
00:25:54,050 --> 00:25:56,820
Squeezing it in tightly to support the ceiling.
455
00:25:56,820 --> 00:25:59,650
Enmalm: It freezes almost instantly,
456
00:25:59,650 --> 00:26:01,720
And it's basically one big block again.
457
00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:03,920
♪
458
00:26:03,930 --> 00:26:05,760
It takes the crew over a week
459
00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:09,500
To finish the columns and huge ice walls.
460
00:26:09,500 --> 00:26:11,760
♪
461
00:26:11,770 --> 00:26:14,400
The hotel's ceiling should now stand securely
462
00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:16,270
Through the winter season.
463
00:26:16,270 --> 00:26:23,810
♪
464
00:26:23,810 --> 00:26:25,640
It's now December.
465
00:26:25,650 --> 00:26:27,510
♪
466
00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:30,850
The ice hotel is due to open its doors to paying guests
467
00:26:30,850 --> 00:26:34,590
In just two weeks' time.
468
00:26:34,590 --> 00:26:38,060
Work on the hotel's outer shell is almost complete.
469
00:26:38,060 --> 00:26:43,100
♪
470
00:26:43,100 --> 00:26:45,000
Now it rests on the shoulders
471
00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:46,930
Of an international group of artists
472
00:26:46,930 --> 00:26:53,140
And designers to build each of the hotel's unique guest rooms
473
00:26:53,140 --> 00:26:55,770
And handcraft the public areas.
474
00:26:55,780 --> 00:26:59,450
♪
475
00:26:59,450 --> 00:27:02,920
Luca roncoroni leads this team.
476
00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:06,220
Always use helmet and high-visibility vest.
477
00:27:06,220 --> 00:27:10,390
Keep a good clearance from the -- from the machines.
478
00:27:10,390 --> 00:27:13,160
I'm responsible for the team, so I make sure
479
00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:17,800
They have everything they need to build the rooms.
480
00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:20,700
Narrator: He must make sure that all 33 ice designers
481
00:27:20,700 --> 00:27:24,470
Complete their mission by December 14th
482
00:27:24,470 --> 00:27:27,610
And not a day later.
483
00:27:27,610 --> 00:27:29,740
Roncoroni: The rooms are booked.
484
00:27:29,740 --> 00:27:31,540
We know that there's gonna be guests
485
00:27:31,550 --> 00:27:35,010
Coming from all over the world, so no matter when we start,
486
00:27:35,020 --> 00:27:37,080
We know that we have to be done by that day.
487
00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:39,250
♪
488
00:27:39,250 --> 00:27:41,320
Narrator: But just how will they transform
489
00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:45,890
These hardened icy archways into a beautiful boutique hotel?
490
00:27:45,890 --> 00:27:50,560
♪
491
00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:53,230
To build the intricate sculpted interiors,
492
00:27:53,230 --> 00:27:57,000
First luca's team must carefully transport tons of snow
493
00:27:57,000 --> 00:28:00,210
And ice to each suite...
494
00:28:00,210 --> 00:28:04,280
Then seal it inside with a final wall of snice.
495
00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:06,350
♪
496
00:28:06,350 --> 00:28:10,220
Next, using a mixture of hand tools and power tools,
497
00:28:10,220 --> 00:28:13,120
The designers carve intricate patterns
498
00:28:13,120 --> 00:28:15,220
And shape stunning sculptures
499
00:28:15,220 --> 00:28:17,420
From the crystal-clear river ice.
500
00:28:17,430 --> 00:28:19,760
♪
501
00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:22,660
Finally, in the main hall and chapel,
502
00:28:22,660 --> 00:28:26,200
Elite teams of artisans will turn several tons of ice
503
00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:31,340
Into towering shapes and statues to transform this cold,
504
00:28:31,340 --> 00:28:35,240
Empty space into a winter wonderland.
505
00:28:35,240 --> 00:28:39,110
♪
506
00:28:46,590 --> 00:28:48,550
12 days until opening.
507
00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,560
♪
508
00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:52,060
A number of rooms are ready
509
00:28:52,060 --> 00:28:55,090
For the first ice designers to craft their suites.
510
00:28:55,100 --> 00:28:58,260
♪
511
00:28:58,270 --> 00:29:01,270
In the production hall, luca is under pressure
512
00:29:01,270 --> 00:29:04,500
To deliver the pre-cut blocks of ice for each team.
513
00:29:04,510 --> 00:29:06,770
♪
514
00:29:06,770 --> 00:29:09,680
If you take an average of 12 tons of ice per suite,
515
00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:13,550
It's a huge amount of material going in.
516
00:29:13,550 --> 00:29:16,480
Bergh: Luca is fantastic.
517
00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:18,980
Almost all the time, he's awake, he's on the site,
518
00:29:18,990 --> 00:29:21,190
And he's, like, really supporting everyone
519
00:29:21,190 --> 00:29:23,790
And seeing that everything is working.
520
00:29:23,790 --> 00:29:25,760
We need 26 and 20.
521
00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:28,930
Narrator: Now with so many people and machines onsite,
522
00:29:28,930 --> 00:29:32,400
Everybody needs to stay extra alert.
523
00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:35,000
Roncoroni: We have, like, big machinery. We have snow cannons going on.
524
00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:39,240
So, yeah, like, sound and light coming in different direction.
525
00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:42,980
We all need to be aware of what everybody else is doing
526
00:29:42,980 --> 00:29:45,640
So that we don't get in the way of each other
527
00:29:45,650 --> 00:29:49,380
And that we avoid potentially dangerous situation.
528
00:29:49,380 --> 00:29:51,450
Narrator: But some of the challenges
529
00:29:51,450 --> 00:29:54,950
Aren't so easy to prepare for.
530
00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:57,620
I'm working with my mother. (chuckles)
531
00:29:57,630 --> 00:30:00,430
♪
532
00:30:07,070 --> 00:30:12,570
♪
533
00:30:19,610 --> 00:30:22,050
Narrator: At the jukkasjarvi icehotel,
534
00:30:22,050 --> 00:30:23,680
Building each unique suite
535
00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:28,020
Within a two-week time span is a major engineering feat.
536
00:30:28,020 --> 00:30:30,160
♪
537
00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:32,620
The challenge and the exciting thing about the icehotel
538
00:30:32,630 --> 00:30:34,230
Is that the rooms are so different,
539
00:30:34,230 --> 00:30:35,560
And every single room
540
00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:38,660
Requires a different set of techniques and skills.
541
00:30:38,670 --> 00:30:42,330
So we're doing anything from building to digging
542
00:30:42,340 --> 00:30:45,870
Or building snow with ice.
543
00:30:45,870 --> 00:30:48,140
Narrator: Swedish team tjasa and sam
544
00:30:48,140 --> 00:30:50,510
Are working hard to build their suite.
545
00:30:50,510 --> 00:30:52,540
♪
546
00:30:52,550 --> 00:30:55,080
It's called "wisdom of oak"
547
00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:59,690
And will feature two large trees made from ice.
548
00:30:59,690 --> 00:31:02,250
I'm working with my son.
549
00:31:02,260 --> 00:31:04,020
(laughs)
550
00:31:04,020 --> 00:31:06,460
This is our first project together,
551
00:31:06,460 --> 00:31:07,760
But I also forced him
552
00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:12,800
To work a whole christmas once when he was 11.
553
00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:16,170
I'm working with my mother. (chuckles)
554
00:31:16,170 --> 00:31:19,140
I'm a carpenter, so it's a big difference with this.
555
00:31:19,140 --> 00:31:23,280
You don't really know what's gonna work.
556
00:31:23,280 --> 00:31:26,550
Narrator: It takes three days to create the first ice tree.
557
00:31:26,550 --> 00:31:29,550
♪
558
00:31:29,550 --> 00:31:34,750
But now tjasa and sam face a complex challenge.
559
00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:39,460
The branches of the second tree, weighing over 700 pounds apiece,
560
00:31:39,460 --> 00:31:43,200
Must hang over where the guests will sleep.
561
00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:47,770
The key challenge is to support this big branches.
562
00:31:47,770 --> 00:31:50,270
Tjasa: The guests should sleep safely here...
563
00:31:50,270 --> 00:31:52,340
[chuckles] during the night.
564
00:31:52,340 --> 00:31:54,870
You have to make sure that there's no branches
565
00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:57,810
Falling down on the guests.
566
00:31:57,810 --> 00:32:00,350
♪
567
00:32:00,350 --> 00:32:03,650
Narrator: Sam plans to hide wooden joists out of sight
568
00:32:03,650 --> 00:32:05,480
To hold up the branches.
569
00:32:05,490 --> 00:32:08,850
It's the only way to make them safe.
570
00:32:08,860 --> 00:32:11,060
First, our idea was to just use ice,
571
00:32:11,060 --> 00:32:14,830
But we -- it was impossible.
572
00:32:14,830 --> 00:32:17,000
Narrator: With the supports in the wall,
573
00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:20,630
They can install the heavy branches.
574
00:32:20,630 --> 00:32:24,900
So, here, we have a shelf already made for the ice
575
00:32:24,910 --> 00:32:28,240
And a shelf over here made for the ice.
576
00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:33,880
I think this will be a working solution.
577
00:32:33,880 --> 00:32:36,180
♪
578
00:32:36,180 --> 00:32:39,080
Narrator: They use a special manual lifting platform
579
00:32:39,090 --> 00:32:42,690
To hoist the first branch up.
580
00:32:42,690 --> 00:32:45,260
So, maybe a little bit too high.
581
00:32:45,260 --> 00:32:47,030
I think a little bit more down.
582
00:32:47,030 --> 00:32:49,530
♪
583
00:32:49,530 --> 00:32:51,960
That's...
584
00:32:51,970 --> 00:32:53,930
You can see the problem.
585
00:32:53,930 --> 00:32:55,770
We're not even on the edge yet.
586
00:32:55,770 --> 00:32:57,440
It's a thing over there.
587
00:32:57,440 --> 00:33:03,880
♪
588
00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:04,980
Yeah.
589
00:33:04,980 --> 00:33:07,080
It's looking good.
590
00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:10,080
Narrator: The first branch slots into position.
591
00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:12,020
Now for the second.
592
00:33:12,020 --> 00:33:15,390
One, two, three.
593
00:33:15,390 --> 00:33:17,320
It doesn't fit.
594
00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:22,530
But the good thing about ice is you can chisel it down to size.
595
00:33:22,530 --> 00:33:24,060
Yes.
596
00:33:24,060 --> 00:33:27,600
Perfect.
597
00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:30,640
Both ice branches may be in place,
598
00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:34,540
But there's still a huge amount of work to do.
599
00:33:34,540 --> 00:33:37,780
I think the two-week limit is a little bit like, okay,
600
00:33:37,780 --> 00:33:39,080
It's got to be done,
601
00:33:39,080 --> 00:33:44,050
And for many people, it will be very little time.
602
00:33:44,050 --> 00:33:48,650
♪
603
00:33:48,660 --> 00:33:52,090
Narrator: As work continues in the suites...
604
00:33:52,090 --> 00:33:53,730
Intricate sculptures
605
00:33:53,730 --> 00:33:56,900
Begin to take shape in the main hall and chapel.
606
00:33:56,900 --> 00:34:01,600
♪
607
00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:05,770
As the race to finish the hotel enters its final stages,
608
00:34:05,770 --> 00:34:10,210
The build team faces a new challenge --
609
00:34:10,210 --> 00:34:12,310
All of the stunning suites and sculptures
610
00:34:12,310 --> 00:34:17,220
Will be for nothing if they're not lit up.
611
00:34:17,220 --> 00:34:20,350
Lighting is definitely the make-or-break deal.
612
00:34:20,350 --> 00:34:23,420
It's very important.
613
00:34:23,420 --> 00:34:26,120
If you just have ice standing,
614
00:34:26,130 --> 00:34:28,630
It will look gray or transparent.
615
00:34:28,630 --> 00:34:30,460
It will look very dull,
616
00:34:30,460 --> 00:34:34,470
But using a little bit of light, it will look magical.
617
00:34:34,470 --> 00:34:37,340
♪
618
00:34:37,340 --> 00:34:39,470
Narrator: In charge of illuminating the ice
619
00:34:39,470 --> 00:34:40,640
Is chief electrician
620
00:34:40,640 --> 00:34:43,140
And lighting designer olaf lange.
621
00:34:43,140 --> 00:34:45,810
♪
622
00:34:45,810 --> 00:34:49,210
Olaf and his team have just a few days to wire
623
00:34:49,220 --> 00:34:51,720
And light 35 rooms.
624
00:34:51,720 --> 00:34:55,720
♪
625
00:34:55,720 --> 00:34:59,060
Remember, that's where the magic happens.
626
00:34:59,060 --> 00:35:01,590
Narrator: The pressure is on.
627
00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:06,160
♪
628
00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:17,410
♪
629
00:35:17,410 --> 00:35:21,010
Narrator: Deep in the arctic circle...
630
00:35:21,010 --> 00:35:22,910
One of the world's biggest ice hotels
631
00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:27,290
Is scheduled to open in just a few days' time.
632
00:35:27,290 --> 00:35:31,090
I work 15 to 17 hours a day, and it's hard work.
633
00:35:31,090 --> 00:35:34,160
It's really a demanding last few days.
634
00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:37,560
♪
635
00:35:37,560 --> 00:35:39,330
Narrator: While teams race to complete
636
00:35:39,330 --> 00:35:41,800
The exquisite interior rooms...
637
00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:43,770
(speaking swedish)
638
00:35:43,770 --> 00:35:46,440
Narrator: ...Olaf lange's crew is under pressure to wire
639
00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:48,210
And light them up,
640
00:35:48,210 --> 00:35:52,080
A job that would traditionally take several weeks.
641
00:35:52,080 --> 00:35:54,150
The idea is that you would have the guests
642
00:35:54,150 --> 00:35:56,950
Coming into each suite and just [gasps]
643
00:35:56,950 --> 00:35:58,420
Basically dropping their jaw.
644
00:35:58,420 --> 00:36:00,990
(chuckles) then we've done our job good.
645
00:36:00,990 --> 00:36:01,990
♪
646
00:36:01,990 --> 00:36:03,960
Narrator: This is how they'll do it.
647
00:36:03,960 --> 00:36:07,390
♪
648
00:36:07,390 --> 00:36:09,530
They wire up nine power outlets
649
00:36:09,530 --> 00:36:11,660
Buried around the hotel's perimeter.
650
00:36:11,670 --> 00:36:13,870
♪
651
00:36:13,870 --> 00:36:17,700
Next, they'll punch specially shielded high-voltage cables
652
00:36:17,700 --> 00:36:20,610
Through the thick ice walls...
653
00:36:20,610 --> 00:36:24,680
Connect them to 15 junction boxes...
654
00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:29,380
Then branch upwards to reach the ice hotel's roof.
655
00:36:29,380 --> 00:36:33,590
Here, they'll rig a complex electrified grid,
656
00:36:33,590 --> 00:36:36,760
Feeding all 35 guest rooms
657
00:36:36,760 --> 00:36:40,590
And the hotel's main hall and chapel with wires
658
00:36:40,590 --> 00:36:44,600
To power hundreds of individual l.E.D.S.
659
00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:48,530
Finally, they'll hoist four giant ice chandeliers,
660
00:36:48,540 --> 00:36:52,140
Each weighing 175 pounds,
661
00:36:52,140 --> 00:36:56,070
And hang them from the fragile snow-and-ice ceiling --
662
00:36:56,080 --> 00:37:00,810
An entire hotel wired and lit in just seven days.
663
00:37:08,790 --> 00:37:10,290
♪
664
00:37:10,290 --> 00:37:13,290
As olaf drives the cables through the hotel's walls
665
00:37:13,290 --> 00:37:15,260
And roof from the outside...
666
00:37:15,260 --> 00:37:17,560
♪
667
00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:23,000
...Inside, electricians install hundreds of individual l.E.D.S.
668
00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:25,070
♪
669
00:37:25,070 --> 00:37:31,210
These shine through sculptures and icy lampshades.
670
00:37:31,210 --> 00:37:35,050
They carefully conceal each wire in the walls with snice.
671
00:37:35,050 --> 00:37:36,850
♪
672
00:37:36,850 --> 00:37:39,680
(laughs)
673
00:37:39,690 --> 00:37:43,420
Now olaf faces his greatest challenge.
674
00:37:43,420 --> 00:37:46,390
He must mount the most important lights of all --
675
00:37:46,390 --> 00:37:50,230
The 175-pound ice chandeliers.
676
00:37:50,230 --> 00:37:52,660
There must be a chandelier in the icehotel.
677
00:37:52,670 --> 00:37:54,730
Otherwise, it's not the icehotel.
678
00:37:54,740 --> 00:37:58,700
♪
679
00:37:58,710 --> 00:38:02,670
Narrator: Olaf must erect a special winch up on the roof.
680
00:38:02,680 --> 00:38:07,110
Lange: This is the winch to raise and hang the chandelier.
681
00:38:07,110 --> 00:38:09,680
So, we use it to lift it from the pillow
682
00:38:09,680 --> 00:38:13,490
And then another lock to keep it in place.
683
00:38:13,490 --> 00:38:15,390
Narrator: These support boards will help spread
684
00:38:15,390 --> 00:38:19,860
The 220-pound weight of the winch and chandelier.
685
00:38:19,860 --> 00:38:23,160
Time feels very much longer when you're up here in the cold
686
00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:25,830
Waiting for something to happen.
687
00:38:25,830 --> 00:38:29,570
Narrator: Finally, the moment of truth.
688
00:38:29,570 --> 00:38:32,040
Now we raise it up.
689
00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:36,940
♪
690
00:39:00,070 --> 00:39:03,070
It's hanging. It's shining.
691
00:39:03,070 --> 00:39:04,540
It'd never feel quite finished
692
00:39:04,540 --> 00:39:06,740
Unless we have the chandelier in place.
693
00:39:06,740 --> 00:39:13,850
♪
694
00:39:20,820 --> 00:39:25,090
Narrator: With the clock counting down to opening...
695
00:39:25,090 --> 00:39:27,890
Crews battle to finish the hotel.
696
00:39:27,890 --> 00:39:31,060
♪
697
00:39:31,060 --> 00:39:34,400
Yeah, it's so many that need their stuff now in the rooms.
698
00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:40,310
In the suites, giant sculptures emerge from the ice.
699
00:39:40,310 --> 00:39:42,340
There is definitely a buzz in the air.
700
00:39:42,340 --> 00:39:48,480
♪
701
00:39:48,480 --> 00:39:54,190
So, now it's just a few hours left to the guests will arrive
702
00:39:54,190 --> 00:39:57,690
To see the whole creation.
703
00:39:57,690 --> 00:39:59,890
You work so hard.
704
00:39:59,890 --> 00:40:01,490
My arms are aching. (chuckles)
705
00:40:01,500 --> 00:40:02,990
♪
706
00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:07,200
Narrator: Workers race to clear corridors...
707
00:40:07,200 --> 00:40:10,300
And put the finishing touches to the ice beds.
708
00:40:10,300 --> 00:40:14,270
♪
709
00:40:26,390 --> 00:40:30,890
It's taken more than 4,000 hours of intricate labor
710
00:40:30,890 --> 00:40:33,730
And ingenious sub-zero engineering...
711
00:40:33,730 --> 00:40:36,090
♪
712
00:40:36,100 --> 00:40:39,660
...But one of the world's largest snow-and-ice hotels
713
00:40:39,670 --> 00:40:41,730
Is finally complete.
714
00:40:41,740 --> 00:40:45,400
♪
715
00:40:45,410 --> 00:40:48,540
For mother-and-son design team tjasa and sam,
716
00:40:48,540 --> 00:40:51,510
Completing their suite is a huge relief.
717
00:40:51,510 --> 00:40:54,880
I hope that the guests will enjoy it.
718
00:40:54,880 --> 00:40:57,880
Tjasa: I'm super proud and also grateful
719
00:40:57,880 --> 00:41:00,620
That we were able to do this room together.
720
00:41:00,620 --> 00:41:02,750
♪
721
00:41:02,760 --> 00:41:06,830
Narrator: Their suite is one of 35 unique guest rooms
722
00:41:06,830 --> 00:41:08,190
Carefully crafted
723
00:41:08,200 --> 00:41:13,100
From over 120,000 gallons of frozen water,
724
00:41:13,100 --> 00:41:16,670
Providing guests with a one-of-a-kind experience
725
00:41:16,670 --> 00:41:18,870
That they'll never forget.
726
00:41:18,870 --> 00:41:20,710
♪
727
00:41:20,710 --> 00:41:23,680
So, we want to welcome you all to see the icehotel.
728
00:41:23,680 --> 00:41:25,580
Thank you very much. Welcome.
729
00:41:25,580 --> 00:41:28,210
(cheers and applause)
730
00:41:28,220 --> 00:41:32,920
♪
731
00:41:47,100 --> 00:41:49,470
It's a relief and a great moment.
732
00:41:49,470 --> 00:41:52,070
I think we have the best team ever.
733
00:41:52,070 --> 00:41:54,470
Narrator: Guests from around the world
734
00:41:54,470 --> 00:41:59,610
Will now enjoy a spectacular arctic escape all winter long.
735
00:41:59,610 --> 00:42:01,450
Bergh: I'd like our guests to, you know,
736
00:42:01,450 --> 00:42:03,880
Experience the contrast of staying in the icehotel,
737
00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:05,050
Staying in minus-five,
738
00:42:05,050 --> 00:42:07,420
Being out on an adventure with snowmobiles,
739
00:42:07,420 --> 00:42:09,850
And then going by a fire.
740
00:42:09,860 --> 00:42:12,560
That's what I like, and I hope that everyone else does.
741
00:42:12,560 --> 00:42:18,800
♪
53558
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