1 Jan 2007

Besam doors to open the ICEHOTEL this season

The world-famous ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjärvi near Kiruna, Sweden, features a Besam UniSlide automatic door in its main entrance for the 2006-2007 season, which runs from December to mid-April.

“ICEHOTEL strive for uniqueness in areas such as architecture, design and art, and we want to build strong and long-term partnerships with knowledgeable companies that enrich the power of attraction for us as well as our partners, “ says ICEHOTEL founder and CEO Yngve Bergqvist. “Besam fills one of our gaps of knowledge -- to construct automatic doors that endure severe cold."

Each winter, huge blocks of ice are harvested from the nearby Torne River to build the ICEHOTEL, the largest facility of its kind in the world and one of the top visitor attractions in northern Europe. When the annual construction is finished, 99.8% of the building is made of ice and snow. This season, the remaining 0.02% includes a Besam entrance solution.

“This is one of the most high-profile and uniquely challenging installations that Besam has ever undertaken,” says Lars Paulsson, Marketing Director for Besam’s parent company, ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems.

“In our business it’s extremely important that we know our customers well and understand their specific needs,” Lars explains. “Because the ICEHOTEL is newly designed and built every winter, we created a solution that would give the designers and architects as much flexibility as possible.”

According to Ola Jönsson, Product Manager for Besam’s sliding door portfolio, the biggest challenge was the unusual environment.

 “The door’s operators are constantly exposed to a temperature between -5 to -10 degrees Celsius, so the project is a real testament to the durability of Besam products,” Ola says.  “Not only is the door functioning beautifully, but it looks spectacular as well.”