Ephemeral Art & Designs

Design by Kauppi & Kauppi for Icehotel & Icehotel 365

Working with snow and ice under northern lights

Creating Designs for ICEHOTEL is unlike any other creative process - it is about embracing impermanence of materials, working with nature, and crafting beauty that is destined to melt away. Over the last decade we’ve had the privilege and honor of contributing to several editions of this iconic hotel in Jukkasjärvi, where the Arctic landscape becomes both canvas and collaborator.

The last three times we revisited and designed spaces we chose a recurring theme: nature as a source of life, memory, and resilience. In one suite, we planted a magnolia tree made entirely of ice - an ancient species re-imagined as a temporary monument. Surrounding it, patterns were milled into translucent walls, turning the space into a frozen botanical garden. Every line, every surface was shaped by both technology and touch - crafted to dissolve with grace as winter turned to spring.

The work with ICEHOTEL has offered us the rare opportunity to explore scale and silence, detail and decay. When we were invited to design the Ceremony Hall for ICEHOTEL’s 30th anniversary, we returned to the theme of life cycles. The result was a space centered around the Ginkgo tree - one of Earth’s oldest species and a symbol of hope and longevity. In the ceiling, thirty ice stars glittered in tribute to three decades of artistic contributions, reminding guests to pause, reflect, and celebrate the present moment. Each project has been like meditation, transformation, and the fragile power of design. To create something monumental, knowing it will vanish, is a humbling and beautiful challenge. In the end, everything returns to the Torne River - but the memories, the moments, and the stories remain.