Sweden's Icehotel features Alberta artists' carved scenes of Canadian wilderness.

Alberta artists spent three weeks carving a 100-foot 'Cathedral Grove' main hall at Sweden's Icehotel, shaping trees and embedding birdsong; the installation will remain until the hotel melts in April.

Artists from central Alberta traveled to Jukkasjärvi in Lapland to carve the main hall of Sweden's Icehotel, working in temperatures around −25 C. Their design, titled "Cathedral Grove," re-creates aspens, poplars and urban canopy forms across a roughly 100-foot-long snowy hall. The project took about three weeks and follows the pair's earlier Icehotel rooms and two decades of snow-sculpting work across Canada. Guests will move through the carved trees beneath dappled light and embedded soundscapes while the hotel stands for the winter season. Key details: - The installation was created by Alberta artists, including Brian McArthur and his partner, and was chosen for Icehotel 36. - The concept, called "Cathedral Grove," uses carved tree forms to evoke a sanctuary and urban forest canopy across the main hall. - Carving work lasted about three weeks and included chainsaws, chisels, sanders and a specially made eight-foot drawing pole. - The team used snice (a mix of snow and ice) to repair and rework surfaces during carving. - Speakers were embedded to play local birdsong, and an ice chandelier was installed before opening. - The Icehotel is rebuilt each winter and the carved hall will remain accessible to guests until the structure melts in April. Summary: The project brings a large-scale, ephemeral forest scene into the Icehotel's main hall, combining sculpted snow and embedded sound to shape visitors' arrivals. The installation will be on display for the hotel's season and is scheduled to last until the hotel melts in April.