In this fantastic capture we see a snow-covered ski lift at the top of Åreskutan in central Sweden. Åreskutan is a 1,420 metres (4,660 ft)-high mountain at Åre in Jämtland, Sweden. It is one of the better-known mountains in Sweden and the mountain massif features the largest ski resort area in the country. In 2007, Åre was the host for the 2007 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.
The photo was also a finalist for the Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Year in 2011.
Did you know the Sweden Solar System is the largest permanent scale model of the Solar System in the world? The Sun, represented by the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, is the largest hemispherical building in the world. The inner planets can also be found in Stockholm but the outer planets are situated northward in other cities along the Baltic Sea. The system was started by Nils Brenning and Gösta Gahm and is on the scale of 1:20 million.
Let’s start our journey at our Sun and work our way outwards.
The Globe Arena in Stockholm is the largest spherical building in the world, and it represents the Sun in the SSS. This picture shows the Globe lit by an animation, which included a sequence showing flares on the solar surface, during the inauguration of the International Year of Astronomy 2009. [source]
The model of Mercury is heated to symbolize its closeness to the Sun. Craters are depicted, and on the support structure various symbols are seen, like for the orbital drift in accordance with Einstein’s theory of relativity. [source]
Seen above was the original model of Venus located at Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, Stockholm. Unfortunately the model was stolen in 2011. A new model of Venus, replacing the one stolen, is temporarily placed at the Institution for Space and Plasma Physics at the Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, Stockholm. [source]
The models of our planet Earth and the Moon are located outside the entrance of the space theatre Cosmonova at the Natural History Museum (in the ticket hall). [source]
Mars is connected to a plate in steel symbolizing the Earth. Chemical symbols for common compounds on Mars can be found on the sphere. [source]
Jupiter was previously represented by an arrangement of flowers outside Sky City at Arlanda Airport. Plans for a new 3D model at another location are advancing. [source]
The planet Saturn will eventually crown a school planetarium in Uppsala. However, a first step was taken in 2010 when an artistic model of the moon Titan was inaugurated in central Uppsala at the Celsius House, where the 18th century astronomer Anders Celsius worked. In addition, several Saturn moons have been given form by pupils in school classes in the area. [source]
A symbolic and playful outdoor model of Uranus was inaugurated in Oct 2012 in Lövstabruk south of Gävle. The model was built in steel by Forsmark Mechanical Workshop at the Forsmark nuclear plant located close to Lövstabruk, and where the element Uranium plays an important role. The unusual tilt of Uranus’ axis is marked. [source]
A sculpture of an asteroid discovered by A. Brandeker in 2000 with a telescope at the Stockholm Observatory, now ”Kunskapsskolan”, was unveiled in 2010. The object was named “Saltis”, after the nickname of Saltsjöbaden. [source]
Pluto and Charon are supported by two tomb-like pillars reminding of the mythological meaning of Pluto (Hades), the god of the underworld. One can also be reminded of the meteorite impact that took place here 90 million years ago, when all life became extinct over a large area, and from which the Dellen lake system formed. Pluto is not classified as a planet anymore. It is a dwarf planet. [source]
A sculpture of an asteroid discovered by A. Brandeker in 2000 with a telescope at the Stockholm Observatory, now ”Kunskapsskolan”, was unveiled in 2010. The object was named “Saltis”, after the nickname of Saltsjöbaden. [source]
Comet Halley was inaugurated at the science centre Balthazar in Skövde on December 2009. Halley is represented by three outdoor models inspired by drawings made by school children. [source]
Ixion is one of the largest minor planets discovered by a team including Swedish scientists. The model is shown in the science centre Technicus in Söderhamn. [source]
The model of the dwarf planet Sedna, created by Arto Koskitalo, was inaugurated in 2005 at the science centre ”Teknikens Hus” located in Luleå in northern Sweden, not far from the arctic circle. In arctic mythology, Sedna represented the ”goddess of the frozen sees” from where she supplied the Eskimos with seals and whales. Sedna is comparable to Pluto in size, and belongs to a distant swarm of minor planets called the Kuiper Belt. [source]
The distant interface between the solar wind and the surrounding galactic gas, the terminal shock, has been manifested in Kiruna. A future sculpture is envisioned to express this phenomenon reminiscent of aurorae frequently seen in northern Sweden. [source]
Meet Olivia, a rolly polly dwarf Hippo and newest addition to the Parken Zoo family in Eskilstuna, Sweden. Olivia was born 2 August 2014, weighing just under 6 kg (13 lbs). A small 5-picture album of the newborn was recently shared on Parken Zoo’s Facebook page.
The species is more formally known as the pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis or Hexaprotodon liberiensis) and is native to the forests and swamps of West Africa. The pygmy is one of only two extant species in the Hippopotamidae family, the other being its much larger cousin the common hippopotamus. [source]
A rare nocturnal forest creature, the World Conservation Union estimates that there are fewer than 3,000 pygmy hippos remaining in the wild. Pygmy hippos are typically half as tall as the common hippopotamus and weigh less than 1/4 of their larger cousins. Adult pygmy hippos stand about 75–83 cm (2.46–2.72 ft) high at the shoulder, are 150–177 cm (4.92–5.81 ft) in length and weigh 180–275 kg (397–606 lb). [source]
From 1887 – 1913 this incredible Telephone Tower served as one of the main telephone junctions in Stockholm, Sweden. About 5000 telephone lines were connected here. Even after the tower was decommissioned in 1913 the tower remained as landmark until 1953 when it was torn down as the result of a fire.
In this amazing series of photos courtesy of Tekniska Museet, we get a glimpse at how the world was connected over a century ago.
[via Tekniska Museet on Flickr]
On the edge of the Arctic Circle, where the River Lule meets the Gulf of Bothnia, lies Facebook’s newest data center in Luleå, Sweden. Launched earlier this week, the center is now handling live traffic from around the world.
Facebook claims Luleå is likely to be one of the most efficient and sustainable data centers in the world. All the equipment inside is powered by locally generated hydro-electric energy. It is 100% renewable and they have been able to reduce the number of backup generators required at the site by more than 70%.
In addition to harnessing the power of water, they are using the frosty Nordic air to cool the thousands of servers that store photos, videos, comments, and Likes. Any excess heat produced is used to keep the offices warm.
Nearly all the technology in the facility, from the servers to the power distribution systems, is based on Open Compute Project designs. The Facebook-founded initiative encourages the development of “vanity-free” hardware designs that are highly efficient and leave out unnecessary bits of metal and plastic. These designs are then shared with the broader community, so anyone can use or improve them.
In early tests, Facebook’s Luleå data centre is averaging a PUE (power usage efficiency) in the region of 1.07
[via Luleå Data Center on Facebook: Announcement, Photo album]
Located in central Stockholm is the headquarters of Bahnhof, a Swedish Internet Service Provider and host with one of the coolest data centers on the planet. It gained notoriety a few years back as the former home of Wikileaks.
Named Pionen White Mountains, it is located 30 meters (100 ft) under the granite rocks of the Vita Berg Park in Stockholm. The location was a former nuclear bunker and command center during the Cold War.
It took more than two years to blast out the 141,000 cubic feet of extra space that Bahnhof needed to fit its backup generators and server racks into the caves. The total space comprises roughly 1,200 square meters (12,900 square feet) and there were several design challenges that Albert France-Lanord Architects had to address.
The biggest challenge was working with a space which at first didn’t offer one square angle: the rock. Also, the main room is not a traditional space limited by surfaces but defined by the emptiness inside a mass. The choice of lightning was also challenging. Albert France-Lanord tried to bring as much variation as possible, otherwise it would be easy to lose the feeling of time in such an enclosed space.
Bahnhof CEO Jon Karlung, who worked briefly as a film archivist before getting into the data-center business, says that he immediately thought of putting plants in the underground caves to capture the computers-meet-plants vibe of the film Silent Running.
To learn more about Bahnhof’s services, security and intense focus on privacy, be sure to check out their official website: www.bahnhof.net
[Sources: Bahnhof, Wired, Architecture News Plus]
In this vivid capture, we see the entrance to Rådhuset metro station. Rådhuset (Court House) is a rapid transit station in Kungsholmen in central Stockholm, part of the Stockholm metro. The station is located on the blue line between T-Centralen and Fridhemsplan and was opened on 31 August 1975. The underground station is named after Rådhuset (The Court House) right above the surface. Above you will also find City Hall and the Stockholm Police Headquarters. Like other stations on the Stockholm metro, it uses organic architecture, which leaves the bedrock exposed and unsculptured, appearing to be based on natural cave systems. [Source]
At 110 kilometers (68.3 miles) in length, the Stockholm Subway System is said to be the world’s longest art exhibit. Travelling by metro is like travelling through an exciting story that extends from the artistic pioneers of the 1950s to the art experiments of today. Over 90 of the 100 subway stations in Stockholm have been decorated with sculptures, mosaics, paintings, installations, engravings and reliefs by over 150 artists. Be sure to check out the Sifter’s featured article on the Art of the Stockholm Metro.
Photo details
Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: Tokina AT-X Pro 11-16/2,8 DX
Tripod: Manfrotto 055XPROB + 498RC2 Head
3 Raw shot on focal 11mm / iso100
Developed using camera RAW and Photomatix Pro 4.1,
Retouch on Photoshop CS5 and used “Topaz InFocus 4”,
and the effect layer of “Topaz Adjust 4 “.
Every winter, artists from around the world gather in Jukkasjärvi, northern Sweden, for an art project that has become known as ICEHOTEL. It is the world’s first and largest hotel built of snow and ice. Jukkasjärvi is a small village in northern Sweden with a population of 900 residents and about 1000 dogs.
Each winter, some 50 000 visitors from all over the world come to see ICEHOTEL to experience the tranquility, the northern lights and all of the activities offered in a wilderness 200 km from the Arctic Circle. The development covers 5,500 square metres (59,200 sq. ft) and is constructed from 2,000 tonnes of Torne River ice and 30,000 tonnes of snice, a mixture of snow and ice that strengthens the structure. Some 100 people are involved in the construction of ICEHOTEL, half of which are artists especially invited to design particular areas of the hotel.
Building the hotel is a year-round process. In March and April, 4,000 tonnes of ice is harvested from the Torne River and kept in cold storage over the summer. Construction takes place in November and December and the entire ICEHOTEL is then open between December and mid-April, when the structure begins to slowly melt and return to the Torne River.
Below you will find highlights from this season’s designs and creations from artists around the world. Additional information about the hotel and how it began can also be found throughout the gallery.
During the 1980s the company Jukkas, now ICEHOTEL, conducted tourism activities during the summer months and became, as an innovator and leader in its niche, the first tourism operator in Europe to offer organized whitewater rafting. Business was quiet during the winter months, however, and no one thought it could be otherwise. “Who would want to travel here to the cold, snow and darkness?” locals reasoned. But Yngve Bergqvist, founder of ICEHOTEL, had a different idea.
Inspired by Japanese ice sculpture, he invited artists from Norrbotten to participate in a workshop in 1989. Two sculptors from Hokkaido, Japan, were instructors and the first ice sculptures were created on the shore of the Torne River in Jukkasjärvi. An igloo, built using a mould-forming technique, was the first specially designed ice-and-snow structure to be erected here. The 60-square-metre igloo was named ARTic Hall, and many curious visitors came to Jukkasjärvi to see art exhibited in the igloo. The following year, the technique was refined and the new version of ARTic Hall covered 250 square metres. The construction technique was patented in both Sweden and Norway.
Next, Yngve Bergqvist and his associates held evening church services, showed films, opened a bar and even tried sleeping in subzero temperatures inside the igloo. Needless to say, the igloo attracted considerable attention. Sweden’s king first visited the igloo in March 1992. Since then, he and the royal family have guested ICEHOTEL several times.
The first party of overnight guests to stay at ICEHOTEL was a Swedish Armed Forces survival group. The first conference group came from Vesatel, an international space satellite company. Lars Byström and 15 guests slept in sleeping bags on reindeer hides. The indoor temperature was minus five Celsius, and they awoke thrilled and exhilarated. ICEHOTEL was born.
Turning in for the night involves slipping into thermal underwear, pulling a woolly hat over your ears, and then climbing into a sleeping bag atop reindeer hides and a mattress covering a block of ice. After your morning wake-up call (a cup of hot lingonberry juice), it’s time for a sauna, followed by breakfast from a well-stocked buffet and a day of activity.
Most guests sleep one night ’on ice’ and a few nights in the warm accommodation also on premise. Among other activities, ICEHOTEL arranges guided Northern Lights tours by snowmobile or bus, dog-sledding and reindeer-sledding excursions, horseback riding to watch moose, ice sculpting, and Raidú – an encounter with the Sami culture.
ICEHOTEL is open to the public as an art exhibition. Those who wish can join on a guided tour of the Main Hall, Art Suites and Ice Rooms. ICEHOTEL 2012/2013 will have 65 guest rooms and will be open from 7 December. They close in mid-April, when ICEHOTEL slowly begins to melt and becomes the world’s most modern ruin.
The ice chapel that is right next to ICEHOTEL is opened every year on December 25th, whereby it is formally handed over to the Swedish Church. Couples from all over the world come to Jukkasjärvi to vow each other eternal fidelity. Children from far and near are baptized here. Already married couples can renew their vows in the chapel. Every year there are about 140 weddings and 20 baptisms at the ice church.
In this incredible photograph by haqbar on Reddit, we see a rider preparing to snowmobile across a section of the Norway-Sweden border. The 1,200 pixel tall image is reminiscent of the popular ‘wait for it‘ pic. The photo above was taken in February and the location is about an hour drive from Trysil, Norway.
As for the Norway-Sweden border, it is a 1,630 km long (1,010 miles) land border and the longest for either country. Most of the border follows the drainage divide in the Scandinavian Mountains. The northernmost border point is Treriksröset (Swedish) or Treriksrøysa (Norwegian), which is also a border to Finland [Source].
This forms what is known as a tripoint, where three countries meet. I even did a post on famous tripoints around the world back in May 🙂
Located in the unspoilt nature of northern Sweden, the idea behind Treehotel is to offer a high-standard accommodation in a harmonious setting. Together with some of Scandinavia’s leading architects, five uniquely designed treerooms were created in Harads, approximately fifty kilometres outside the city of Lulea, Sweden.
The treerooms are located 4-6 meter above ground, all with spectacular views of the Lule river. A very important part of the concept is to make a minimal ecological footprint. Therefore, the hotel is built around the ecological values in which substantial resources have been devoted to finding
sustainable construction and energy solutions. For example, each room has combustion toilets and water-efficient sinks.
Guests enjoy all meals at Britta’s guesthouse served by the hosts Kent and Britta in a genuine Swedish setting from the 1930’s-1950’s. For guests that desire privacy, meals can be delivered to their room.
The year-round hotel offers a wide-range of outdoor activities that vary depending on season. During Summer/Fall you can hike, fish, kayak and horseback ride; and during Winter/Spring you can snowshoe, ice fish, dogsled etc. Being situated in Sweden’s north, this also lets guests experience the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) in all its glory.
Listed rates on the website show an average of 3990 Swedish Kronor which is about $600 a night for two people. Single occupancy lowers the cost by about $150/night and the mirrorcube treeroom is the most expensive at $650 per night for two people. Information on each treeroom can be found below.
For complete information please visit the official site at: http://www.treehotel.se
The Mirrorcube is an exciting hide-out among the trees, camouflaged by mirrored walls that reflect their surroundings. The dimensions are 4x4x4 metres. The base consists of an aluminum frame around the tree trunk and the walls are covered with reflective glass.
To prevent birds from flying into the mirrored walls, they have been clad with infrared film. The colour is invisible to humans, but visible to the birds.
The interior is made from plywood with a birch surface. The six windows provide a stunning panoramic view. The Mirrorcube offers excellent accommodation for two people with a double bed, bathroom, lounge, and rooftop terrace. A 12-meter-long bridge leads up to the treeroom.
While working on the Bird’s Nest, which is largely in harmony with its surroundings, the idea of creating an entirely different environment was born. And what could be more different than an UFO?
The room is cast in durable composite material – all to create the lightest, yet strong and sustainable design possible. The interior gives the room a modern and comfortable feel over two floors. The UFO is built for four people, two adults and two children, with separate bedrooms, bathroom and living area. 30m² is all you need for a comfortable escape to childhood dreams.
The Bird’s nest is built on the contrasts between the outside and inside. The treeroom’s exterior is nothing but a gigantic bird’s nest. It gives a camouflage so you quickly disappear and become part of the surroundings.
The interior, on the other hand, is familiar and exclusive. It’s a spacious environment where a family with two children can comfortably spread out. The walls are clad with wood panels and the windows almost disappear in the exterior’s network of branches. The room is 17m² and has separate bedrooms, bathroom, and living area. You enter the Bird’s Nest with the help of a retractable staircase.
This treeroom’s location was based on the idea of creating a platform high up on a sharp hillside overlooking the Lule River valley. You can reach the hut from here via a horizontal bridge among the trees. At the front of the bridge is a large wooden deck.
The bridge is a long and interesting structure among the trees. The Cabin hangs slightly off-set, under the deck, partly to visually reduce the size and partly to give the tree room its own custom look.
The Cabin is like a capsule, a foreign body in the trees. The room is 24m² and accommodates two people, with a double bed, bathroom and terrace.
The Blue Cone is based on simplicity and accessibility, both in terms of material and design. The room is a traditional wooden structure with three foundations in the ground to give a sense of height and lightness, but also stability.
You access the room via a bridge from the nearby mountain. The bridge is well suited for people with disabilities. The exterior consists of laminated birch wood, the interior of timber. The treeroom is 22m² and has four beds, separate sleeping loft, bathroom and living room.
Bathing in a steam sauna is much more than just bathing. A visit to the sauna is as close as it gets to a sacred and respectful encounter with the four basic elements; fertile earth, burning fire, fresh air and clean, drinkable water.
A sauna in the woods is both natural and sensible. The Tree Sauna accommodates up to 8 people. You also have access to a hot tub as well as the custom-designed relaxation area. Treehotel provides all sauna guests with shampoo, conditioner, soap, towels and slippers.
