JUUKA (Finland), June 16 — Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia is one of the most famous buildings in architectural history, and now a group of students are set to recreate it in ice.
Set to be the tallest ice dome in the world, the structure will stand at 37.5 metres tall and will be constructed in just three weeks.
The addition of a cross perched on the top of the dome will bring the sculpture’s total height to 42.5 metres.
The brainchild of Eindhoven University post-graduate students, Jordy Kern and Teun Verberne, alongside their tutor Arno Pronk, the project will see a 1:4 scale replica of Gaudi’s famous cathedral constructed in Juuka, Finland, where winter temperatures range from -15°C to - 30°C.
Construction will begin in December of this year and is slated for completion in January 2015.
The team will use reinforced ice packed with wooden fibres for the building, which is three times stronger than plain ice. Frozen ropes will also play a part in supporting the structure’s four towers.
Each of the towers will be formed by spraying water and snow onto inflated moulds which will be manipulated into a certain shape by a reticulated rope structures.
The project follows the success of the team’s ‘Pykrete Dome’ project in January of this year, which set the record for the world’s largest ice dome at a diameter of 30 metres.
Visitors will be able to explore the inside of the cathedral, which will be open until January 18.
Find out more about ‘Sagrada Familia in Ice’ here. — AFP-Relaxnews
