FollowSkipark 360°, the world’s most complete indoor ski resort, will soon rise up from the forests outside of Stockholm. The resort will be a man-made ski hill with a vertical drop of 160 meters (525 ft) and will be the only facility of its kind to meet the requirements of the World Cup. In addition to the downhill run, the complex will contain a 3.5 km cross-country skiing tunnel, an arena for biathlons, ice hockey, bandy and figure skating, a snow park for snowboarding and a resort and spa. The fun doesn’t stop there though. Designed by C.F. Møller, the entire resort will be powered by geothermal, solar, wind and hydropower and when it is completed it could be the greenest ski resort in the world.
At a height of 135 meters, the man-made skill hill would be one of Sweden’s tallest buildings. The resort would be located in Balsta, about 45 minutes outside Stockholm, and close to a regional airport and highway so visitors could get to it easily. Boasting a striking fortress-like silhouette tapers to meet the forest floor below, Skipark will have spacious restaurants, shops, a spa, a hotel and conference facilities with panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, especially from the decks cut into the rooftop.
Inside, Skipark will have a multitude of activities for both recreational skiers and hard core competitors. The ski hill is 700 meters long and drops 160 meters with a total of 70,000 sq meters of area to play on. Visitors will be able to ski moguls, play hockey, cross country skate ski or even hit the kickers on their snowboards – almost every winter sport is represented. The impressive list of activities will allow the resort to play host to the World Cup, making it the only indoor facility of its kind to do so. The only thing that’s missing is real powder.
To ensure that the facility minimizes its impact on the environment, it will be totally self-sufficient in terms of renewable energy. Skipark 360° will utilize geothermal, solar, wind and hydro power to achieve net zero energy and become the greenest ski resort in the world. Construction is expected to begin in 2013 or 2014 and open two years later to host 550,000 visitors each year.
Source: inhabitat
