FLOATING 5* SNOWFLAKE HOTEL

Aerial View of Hotel.

Dutch Docklands take luxury one step further with extraordinary plans to build a floating snowflake hotel beneath the natural wonders of the Northern Lights.

Imagine staring up in awe at an enchanting natural light display from your own deluxe hotel bed. The innovative Krystall hotel will be set in a perfect viewing spot for the Northern Lights, located near Tromso in Norway. Its remarkable glass roof feature will allow you to watch the spectacular Aurora display from the comfort of your own room, with an unspoilt crystal clear view.

Hotel beneath the Aurora Borealis.

The experts of floating architecture have centred the hotel’s admirable design on an ice crystal. Koen Olthuis, one of the founders of Dutch Docklands, told CNN that “the only way to bring a hotel to such a precious and beautiful marine environment” is to blend the hotel into its environment. The Krystall will certainly do so with its magnificent snowflake structure overlooking the Arctic Circle and the coast’s snow topped trees, creating the ultimate Winter Wonderland.

Guests will have to travel by boat to reach the snowflake hotel, creating the sensation of entering an ice building that is literally floating above the ocean. Within the 6-pointed ice crystal, you will find 86 elegant guest rooms, conference rooms, an indulgent spa and wellness facilities. With finer details still yet to be revealed, Olthuis gave CNN a small glimpse of the future hotel’s ambiance and interior design. He divulged that visitors will “float through hallways lined with cool, futuristic blue shapes, recline by a fireplace faced in transparent bricks resembling ice blocks and sleep in rooms tricked out in minimalist, winter-themed designs”. The ideal lavish winter retreat.

The architecture firm describe their developments as ‘scarless’ due to the minimal impact that floating structures have on the environment. An environmental study is also being carried out before final decisions are made about the construction. The design team want the beautiful location to appear untouched and the five star hotel to dazzle as part of the natural world.

Dutch Docklands emphasise the importance of ‘sustainability’ and the need for new effective methods that interact in a durable way with our surroundings – in particularly with ‘water’. The floating snowflake construction will be placed in a stable statuary position, as though you are on the ground. Olthuis exclaims that building on water is not only sustainable, but that it also addresses the climate change conditions, bringing “new space for expansion, safety against floods and flexibility to adjust developments without demolition whenever needed”.

The pioneering architects are also in the process of designing similar luxury floating hotels, such as the Greenstar Hotel in the Maldives. The Dutch Docklands aim is to develop these floating structures on a much more grand and opulent scale to attract the wealthy.

Greenstar Hotel in the Maldives

Should the Krystall keep to its schedule, it should be the first floating hotel to function in Europe. Construction is expected to begin mid-2015, with plans to open in December 2016. This floating hotel definitely sounds like it will be worth the wait, achieving the epitome of luxury. There have been a few gags about whether it will receive a ‘frosty reception’ or ‘melt hearts’. But by combining 5 star luxury with impressive natural luxury, it seems as though this creation could be one of the most unique and incredible hotels worldwide.

Posted by Jade Scott

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