St. Paul Winter Ice Carnival
From CollabLandWiki
* HISTORY
- In North America, Montreal was the first city to design and create an Ice Palace. However when a smallpox epidemic broke out in Montreal in 1885, St. Paul leaders reacted quickly to create a palace here in predicting to attract tourism to St. Paul.
- During the first two weeks of Febuary in 1886 St. Paul business leaders produced the first Saint Paul Winter Carnival.
* LOCATION
* DESIGNER
- The carnival and castles were primarily a group project designed by Ellerbe Associates, lead by principal designer Karl Ermanis.
- Karl Ermanis is an architect with over 28 years of experience in the profession. Projects he has designed have covered a wide range of size, complexity, and client requirements. He has an extensive background in masterplanning, concept development and architectural design of resort, hospitality, mixed-use and housing projects.
* DESIGN PROGRAMMATIC GOALS
- To foster a sense of community, pride, belonging and connectedness by celebrating Saint Paul's unique history and emerging heritage through fun and educational experiences.
- The inspiration for the design expresses the essence of the mythology and legend of the carnival and the ice castle.
- Every year a new concept is based off of this legend and with this comes a new design for the ice castle.
- The ice castle demonstrates the climatic traditions of Minnesota and the Twin Cities heritage.
- The bottom level of the castle provides an area for vistors to experience the castle first hand through a series of spaces.
* STRENGTHS/WEEKNESSES
- The Saint Paul Winter Carnival has an estimated $3.5 to $5 million in economic activity in the City of Saint Paul.
- Inventing spaces and inventing uses, based primarily on the mythology of the carnival.
- Finding an insurer willing to provide a $1 million errors and omissions liability policy.
- Harnessing energies of 700 volunteers from local construction trade unions.
- Difficulties of working with ice has proved a constant challenge to even experienced workers.
- Preventing melting.
* SUCCESS/FAILURE
- The Saint Paul Winter Carnival attracts approximately 350,000 visitors a year.
- To date, the St. Paul Winter Carnival has built 36 Ice Palaces, all of different shapes and sizes.
- Built in the Cleveland Circle in St. Paul, the 2004 Ice Palace hosted the NHL All Star Game.
* EXTERNAL LINKS
Magazine Article Source
Carole J. Palmer. "Magical Ice Palace Celebrates St. Paul's 100th Winter Carnival." Architecture April 1986: 14.
