Peekaboo!
– Mats, he always goes the full mile. So as I say, I come up with the idea and he carries it out, says Pia Klockljung with a laugh.
I am by the lake in Burträsk talking to Pia and Mats Klockljung about why they decided to build an ice tower. It is not actually called an igloo, they are made from snow and here we are using ice. Around them are Burträsk residents of all ages, aged 4 and up. They have gathered to help complete the project.
Ice tower in Burträsk. Mats Klockljung shows the group how to build the ice tower.
Alva, 4.
Emma Morén joined in with building the tower.
Mats Klockljung and Anabel Wallgren Hellgren are behind the project.
The Klockljung family moved from Stockholm to Glommersträsk as early as 2007. Pia tells me that she saw something on facebook in 2014 about someone building an igloo in Canada. That made her think that perhaps Mats and her should try it themselves.
– So we started and Mats said: “don't overdo it” but it became a massive semicircle. And it was really cold, sometimes 25 degrees below freezing, when he was out building it. After three days the temperature stayed above zero. First everything just flowed straight through and then the ice melted, says Pia.
Ice tower in Burträsk. Mats Klockljung shows the group how to build the ice tower.
Ice tower in Burträsk. Alva, 4 year's old.
Pia Klockljung and Emma Morén.
Burträsk residents of all ages gathered to watch.
Tyra, 5, liked to both freeze the ice blocks and build the ice tower.
Now when the couple lives in Burträsk, Pia decided that they should start building an ice tower again but in a smaller scale. The difference this time is that they have support from the community. Pia and Mats live in an apartment overlooking the ice tower so they have been able to see when people are dropping off their ice blocks in milk cartons.
The couple say that they have used a special technique to build the ice tower in which they mix snow and water in order to create a strong and stable structure, a type of “mortar” to make the blocks stick together.
Ice tower in Burträsk.
Ice tower construction in Burträsk.
Fom left to right: Tommy Andersson, his daughters Alva, 4, Tyra, 5, and Emma Morén.
Mats Klockljung hard at work.
Gun Fredriksson, 4.
During my visit to the ice tower Mats is happy to show the children how it is built and it is clear that this encourages learning over multiple generations.
The ice tower has given Burträsk something visually appealing and colourful to watch at a time when so much is white. It has also provided a common goal to unite children, families and friends.
– We think it's a really fun initiative. Many want to help out. If you cannot join in with the building you can help by freezing some blocks. It is a nice and simple way of making local people come together. The children thought it was really fun to mix caramel colour and freeze the blocks on the balcony, says Burträsk resident Tommy Andersson.
Ice tower in Burträsk. Tommy Andersson and his daughter Alva.
Ice tower in Burträsk.
Mats Klockljung uses a wooden spoon when putting the ice blocks together.
Tyra Andersson got a good view of the ice tower from a nearby tree.
The initiators sometimes call it Burträsk Tower.
– I’m happy with how it turned out. The idea was a little bit like the light globes on Guldtorget and the plan was also that children would be able to go in and look at it. We will probably repeat this next winter and if there are more of us then it can perhaps be a bit bigger. We’ll see, says Pia.
“The children thought it was really fun to mix caramel colour and freeze the blocks on the balcony”, says Burträsk resident Tommy Andersson. Here with his daughter Tyra.
Tyra Andersson takes the opportunity to climb a tree during the ice tower construction.
”We think it's a really fun intiative”, says Tommy Andersson. Here with his daughters Alva and Tyra.
Tyra Andersson next to the colourful ice tower.
Emma Morén talks to Mats Klockljung about the ice tower.