Absolut sculpts plan to bring Icebar to central London

Leading Swedish vodka brand Absolut is teaming up with the entrepreneurs behind the Icehotel in Sweden and start-up company Below Zero London to bring the UK’s first frozen ice bar to London.

A raft of designers and artists will be appointed to work on the project, which will feature an Absolut Icebar, and an adjoining Scandinavian-style lounge restaurant.

Designers will be tasked with creating a series of sculptures and installations for the bar, which will be rebuilt ‘from scratch’ twice a year with new designs, says a spokeswoman.

Arne Bergh and Ake Larsson, creators of the original Icehotel located in Northern Lapland, Sweden, will develop the overall interior concepts for the venue.

The 60-person bar will be located in London’s West End on Heddon Street and the interior – including walls, bar and vodka glasses – will be constructed entirely from ice imported from the Torne River in Northern Sweden.

The Icebar environment will be maintained at a constant -5ºC, with guests entering through an air-locked doorway to prevent cold air escaping. They will be provided with specially designed capes and gloves on arrival.

The adjacent 190-seat restaurant, Below Zero London, will be set at room temperature. The company is yet to shore up a design team to implement interiors, lighting and graphics.

Break the ice

• The idea of a bar made completely from ice came from the Icehotel, which first opened in 1989 in the Northern Swedish village of Jukkasjarvi

• In 1994 the Icehotel formed a partnership with Swedish vodka brand Absolut and opened the first Absolut Icebar there – there are now bars in Stockholm and Milan

• Ice sculpting requires particular techniques, including a laser to create Icebar logotypes and specially designed tools to carry out hand-crafted work

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