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KEMI SNOWCASTLE 2012 Once again the SnowCastle of Kemi is being built, this winter the seventeenth time in a row, right in the centre of the City of Kemi. The first SnowCastle in 1996, was a gift from the UNICEF together with the City of Kemi to all the children in the whole wide world. The very first idea for building the SnowCastle in Kemi arose in the minds of the City’s decision makers from the fact that even though snow is a very common aspect for us Finns, for the majority of the children in the world it is ever quite a strange, or even an unknown element, and yet, in itself, utterly interesting: how snow looks like, tastes like, how it feels, are factors to fascinate the young and old alike. The first SnowCastle of 1996 with its 1100 metre long walls made the Guinness Record Book as the world’s first SnowCastle with the longest snow-walls ever.
From the SnowCastle’s first year onwards we have constructed a restaurant, a chapel and an estrade within the snowy walls of the Castle. When building the third SnowCastle, the constructers took the challenge of experimenting in building two-story snow-structures – and they succeeded! The following year the builders adventured into ever greater achievements: the SnowCastle of 1999 consisted of three stories, and the structures arose all the way up to the height of 14, 5 metres. Also, in the same year of 1999, visitors had an extra surprise, and with it a chance to stay overnight in the SnowCastle: the very first SnowHotel was constructed within the walls of the SnowCastle.
Every January, from these already historic years onwards, we construct a SnowHotel, a SnowRestaurant, a SnowChapel and the Children’s World within white snowy walls. The SnowCastle is open every year from the end of January to the beginning days of April. Each year 80-100 000 clients visit the SnowCastle.
In the summertime, at the Inner Port, the part of the City of Kemi where the SnowCastle is located during the winter, there are lovely cafes, various bars with authentic maritime atmosphere, cosy restaurants with good food made of local produce, as well as the lushly green Meripuisto-park to enjoy a walk around. All this is situated right at the Gulf of Bothnia of the Baltic Sea. This area, in addition, functioned as the port for the Russian Tsar in the early 1800, long before Finland’s independence, and the historic atmosphere with its buildings along the quayside can ever be enjoyed.
Building the SnowCastle
In December, as soon as the weather is appropriate, the making of the snow and the constructing of the SnowCastle begins. For constructing the SnowCastle we use piped snow; piped snow is made from water in appropriate conditions, and it keeps its consistence better in the varying winter-weather-conditions than natural snow. When making the snow the temperature has to be at least -7 Celsius. In normal conditions it takes about four to five weeks every year to build the SnowCastle.
This winter, we began the making of the snow and the construction of the SnowCastle 2012, later than ever before, on the 7th of January 2012 – almost a month later than the building of the SnowCastle 2011 began! Still, the opening night will be on the 28th of January 2012 for this season. This is possible only because of the high knowledge and efficient craftsmanship of the building team in Kemi with their already decades long experience in constructing the SnowCastle. From the 28th of January onwards the SnowCastle will be open daily all the way until the 9th of April.
We will be using 21 000 m3 of snow for constructing the SnowCastle 2012, this corresponding to the amount of 2 100 lorry-truck-loads. The SnowCastle area will be 5 000 m2, this corresponding the area of about one and a half football-fields. We will also construct half a kilometre of tall snowy walls to surround the Castle. All of the covered areas, the Restaurant, the Hotel and the Chapel within the SnowCastle will take up to 1 100 m2 of the Castle yard. For constructing the ice-tables in the SnowRestaurant as well as for sculpting the art-work within the SnowCastle we will need close to 200 m3 of ice. The ice we normally lift from the Gulf of Bothnia right at the Port where the SnowCastle is located. Every year, the SnowCastle construction employs about 60 highly skilful workers.
In constructing the SnowCastle we use various kinds of mould-techniques: vaulted-roof-moulds, excess-pressure-moulds as well as arched-moulds. The technique of using vaulted-roof-moulds in the construction of the Castle is an ancient and well-known method dating back to the times of Antic. When we have produced enough piped snow from the water, the snow will then be centrifuged, (blown forcefully), unto the moulds. After the snow has hardened, which in ideal conditions happens within a few hours – the moulds will then be removed. There are no support systems in any of the constructions of the SnowCastle – everything is made of pure snow! The temperature within all of the covered areas of the SnowCastle remains at about -5 Celsius, regardless of how cold it gets outside. This is due to the fact that snow contains the capacity of isolation.
Planning Committee
The planning committee of the SnowCastle consists of local talent. Rauno Ruonansuu from Kemi is the architect and the designer of the SnowCastle. The local firm, IP-Heikkilä Ltd, is in charge of the construction of the Castle. The firm of Jorma Kauppinen designs the lighting and electricity. The firm of T.Viitala Ky is in charge of the execution and function of electrical facilities in all areas in the Castle. All of the aforementioned local talent has worked for the Castle during the previous years, and thus each is best in their respective field. Along the years the technique of constructing the Castle has improved speeding up the building process. For the SnowCastle 2009 we experimented with wireless electricity; the pioneering results were highly successful adding to the neatness and attractive appearance of the Castle.
SnowCastle’s Changing Theme for Each Year
Every year the SnowCastle is designed and built according to a different plan as well as according to a different theme. In 2006 we took the idea of a specific theme to support the designing of the SnowCastle; in 2006 the theme was Fire, 2007 The Sea, 2008 Travel, 2009 Design, and 2010, as the SnowCastle celebrated its 15th anniversary, the theme was National Romanticism.The theme for the year 2011 was Comics. This year’s theme is sports. Each year we try to select a theme that is actual and many-sided. Year 2012 is a noteworthy year for sports, in addition to which Finland also celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Helsinki Olympics.
The theme will be prevalent specifically in the ice and snow sculpting – all around the SnowCastle visitors will be seeing various images of well known as well as lesser known sports and sports’ figures. And all this art-work will be sculpted in ice or snow!
The well-experienced firm Frostiart Ltd. from previous years is, once again, in charge of the ice- and snow sculpting around the Castle. Throughout the year the Frostiart Ltd, in addition for its work for the SnowCastle, designs and constructs Ice-saunas, Ice-bars as well as various kinds of Snow- and Ice-events all around Europe. The two group-rooms in the SnowHotel will be specifically designed and carved and sculpted by the students of the Art Department of the University of Lapland.
Snowy Services at the SnowCastle
Within the SnowHotel we have 18 double rooms, two group-rooms for five persons each, and a suite for Honeymoon couples, or, other visitors desiring to sleep in the suite. In the Hotel we can accommodate 48 guests per night. Before entering the room for sleeping, the SnowHotel guests are welcome to spend the evening relaxing, enjoying refreshments at the Café-Bar within the cosy CastleLounge. The atmosphere within the SnowHotel rooms is rather unique with its arctic austerity, with its snowy white walls, with the temperature of about -5 Celsius. And yet you will enjoy a wonderful night’s sleep breathing in fresh air, while the thick walls, at the same time, will provide you with an absolute quiet for the night. When preparing to go to sleep in the rooms, the guests will be well instructed in the ways of sleeping in the SnowHotel. First when going to sleep each guest will be given a warm sleeping-bag (with a fleece bag) designed especially for arctic conditions. The bed is covered with a lambskin for extra warmth. Toilets are situated in the CastleLounge, and there is no TV in the room! When waking up, the next morning, a delicious Continental Breakfast will be served in the CastleLounge, and after that, transportation will be provided to a nearby Hotel for sauna and/or shower.
There are three different cabinets with altogether 150 seats in the SnowRestaurant. The tables in the SnowRestaurant are made of ice, yet covered with a transparent plexus for the convenience of serving warm food on the tables. And believe you me: you will be enjoying a warm meal, wrapped in a foil and served on a wooden tray! Benches and seats are made of wood with a reindeer- or lambskin covering, yet we strongly advise you to dress warmly in quilted winter overalls, with caps and mittens, as the temperature within the snowy structures remains at about -5 Celsius at all times. In the SnowRestaurant you can enjoy a delicious three-course dinner of your choice, made of fresh local produce. (Reservations must be made in advance, a day before!) There are refreshments, hot and cold drinks and beverages to be enjoyed at the SnowRestaurant also. Some evenings there may be a pre-arranged musical performance or disco-dancing in the SnowRestaurant as well.
The ecumenical SnowChapel offers peaceful moments for even the most stressed-out visitor with its quietly serene and artful, beautifully sculpted atmosphere. Over the years, plenty of couples from around the world have had their wedding-ceremony in the SnowChapel, and this year there are reservations for ever more couples. In co-operation with the Church of Kemi at the snowy altar, we also have christenings to newborns in addition to weddings. On Sunday afternoons the SnowChapel offers a Sunday Service, often attended by locals from the City of Kemi. The service, in co-operation with the Church of Kemi is open for all visitors in the Castle.
Lastly and perhaps most importantly: children will have plenty to do, enjoy and experiment within the walls of the SnowCastle! There will be performances by clowns, magicians and musicians, known for children throughout Finland, and perhaps the world, during the week-ends. In addition to week-end programs, in honour of the theme this year, we will arrange various sport events: Children’s SnowCastle skiing day, and among others, the very first Finland’s champion in throwing the snowball in the Castle -competition. In the Children’s World, also during the week-days, children will have plenty of chances to romp and play about. A great joy, in particular, is always the long snow-tube-slide on which any a child, or any a person with the playful mind, can experience the thrill of snow, and arctic spell while coming down fast!
More information:
Kemin Matkailu Ltd./SnowCastle, Castle Manager Mrs Marika Tomminen, tel. +358-16-258 878 or +358-45-635 5853, marika@visitkemi.fi
Image bank: www.visitkemi.fi
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