As a material science engineering
major, I was really interested in going to the Ice Bar while in London. Three
of us went on a Wednesday evening to the Ice Bar down off of Regent St. Just
getting there was an adventure. The actual Ice Hotel is in a very fancy part of
the Oxford Circus area. There was a string quartet playing when we walked down
the alley and we saw many people dressed in business formal attire. We had
definitely turned the corner into an alleyway of class without even knowing it
was back there originally. I have walked down Regent St. many times over the
past 5 weeks and have never noticed the small area until now. We arrived a bit
late, but the bouncer let us in. It was so remarkable to see. Everything, and I
mean everything, was made of ice. The bar was set at -9 °C and the walls, bar,
and benches were frozen solid. The employees gave us large parkas with attached
mittens to keep us warm. At first, the bar seemed very refreshing, but then it
became a tad unbearable at the end. Our noses were almost chilled and my
fingers were feeling numb. Each session is only 40 minutes long but we only
stayed in for an estimated 25 minutes. We also received a free cocktail upon
entry. All the drinks were served in solid cube glasses! It was amazing to see
how many people came out to see the attraction and how they brought it
together. Pictures outside of the bar in the waiting room displayed screenshots
of the Ice Bar being completed. My favorite part had to be an ice carving of
the world inside a cube of ice. It’s unreal to see how creative people can be
when they put their mind to it. It was also fascinating as a material science
major to see how they kept the bar at optimal temperatures and how the ice
could remain so solid within the walls surrounded by body heat.
Adam's Reflections
THE ICE BAR! The legend and the myth that contains ice everything. Ice cups, ice bar (obviously), ice walls, ice seats, ice sculptures, the whole nine yards. I am here to tell you it’s not just a myth, it’s a real place. Along with a few of my classmates, I made my way to the Ice Bar without making a reservation and it actually worked out better this way. We arrived at the bar around 8:15pm, which was 15 minutes into the current 45 minute session. So we either had to wait for the next session, or go in late. We made a group choice to go in late. Once we stepped to the preparation area we were greeted by a man with a parka ready for us. This was pretty cool because it was all one piece with a hood and gloves attached, may have been a little thing but I loved the hood. Once we made it inside it was automatically noticeable that the HVAC system was the main reason this was all possible. It was blowing constantly, and I am sure it was hitting all sides of the wall to make sure the walls stay up. The walls were interesting because they had cool markings inside of the ice walls. This is something I had never seen before. Overall it was an experience that I am glad I had because it was all new to me. I recommend it. And it worked out because by the end of the 30 minutes we were finished with our complimentary drinks and started to get cold for sure.
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