Continuing down the line of inquiry we have begun over the past two winters, we will create a thin shell ice structure spontaneously on the lake. Using techniques we have developed for this kind of construction, the structure will consist of several curved shells of sheer mesh stiffened with thin coats of ice. Using techniques employed by Gaudi for discerning the catenary curve of an arch and later perfected by Heinz Isler, the grandfather of modern thin shell structures, we will drape light biodegradable mesh fabric between upright stakes to create graceful curves. These will get sprayed with layer upon layer of lake mist. We will bring a generator out to the lake, and use a pressure boosting pump to achieve a fine mist. Once the shells have “set up”, we can then remove them from the stakes, and flip them over to create load bearing arches. The scale of this structure will only be limited by the weather (if it is not very cold, it takes a long time for the ice to set up) and the amount of time we can spend on the ice. Once the structure is completed, we will be very cold and it will be necessary to warm ourselves. In this case, we will make a clear lens out of ice, and use it to focus light on a little pile of tinder until it begins to smoke and then burst into flames. The lens will be left suspended on the piece by a bit of twine frozen into it so that others may try it out. We will also leave behind a mold (biodegradable) and instructions (on rice paper) that can be used to create more ice lenses. The structure will have reflectors mounted onto its cardinal points for easy visibility by late night hot doggers doing donuts on the ice.

This proposal was accepted for the Ice Shanty project in Minneapolis Minnsota, but sadly the weekend we had scheduled to construct it the lakes were not frozen enough, and in fact the entire winter was far from as frozen as it should have been and many ice structures needed to be removed from the ice prematurely.