Reception
Sofi Ruotsalainen and Mikael Nille Nilsson, Sweden.
Taking centre stage in ‘Focus’, the ICEHOTEL Reception, is of course, the desk. It is here contained, pinned even, by four monumental square pillars of ice that lean unnervingly, as if caught by the snow ceiling a moment before collapse. This dramatic, kinetic gesture serves to bring our focus toward the desk of monolithic ice beneath. Rusticated by deliberate chisel marks in contrast to the columns that enclose it, the whole forms a 3-dimensional abstraction of ICEHOTEL’s familiar trademark.
Sofi Ruotsalainen and Mikael Nille Nilsson are prolific contributors to the ICEHOTEL Art & Design Group and will therefore be mentioned a number of times in this catalogue; at the risk of repeating ourselves… They thrash out ideas for their design concepts, together. Sofi generates sketches based on these brainstorming sessions and Nille's extensive technical experience with ice, along with his engineering background, ensures that what is proposed is actually feasible.