A Sino-Dutch team has created a 31 metres tall ice structure team realized that the architectural ice structure, the “Flamenco Ice Tower”, in the ice capital of the world, Harbin. The ice tower is located at the Maple Village Outlet Company. The team improved the 2015 record of 21 meters to 31 meters in 2018.
The design of the Flamenco Ice Tower is based on the shape of traditional Chinese towers and the flamenco dress. The thin shell structure of 31 meters is made with an average thickness of 25 cm of fiber-reinforced ice sprayed on a huge inflatable. It is possible to build large thin shell structures by reinforcing ice by adding natural fibers such as wood fibers.
These fibers make the ice much stronger and create a reliable building material. This sustainable, fully recyclable building material can be a solution for temporary constructions in cold areas, events or even Mars missions. HIT and TU/e intend to cooperate in the realization of ice structures for the Olympic Winter Games that will be held in China in 2022.
Using fiber reinforced ice brings a lot of benefits. Not only is the ice to 3 times stronger but it also becomes way though compared to normal ice. This makes it possible to create larger spans and work with thinner shells. Also the fibers will speed up the process of applying every layer. Cellulose also provides insulation.
After the inflatbale model was taken out, the real beauty of the interior part of the tower reveals. Like in the classic cathedral, when sky light come across the small windows of dome, the certain senses of sacred shows up. It is unbelievable when you stand on the ice stairs and look into the top.