Recreating the Surreal Ice Sculptures of Heinz Isler

​Ice structures have an undeniably serene and magical quality. From igloos and sculptures to fictional ice castles like Superman's Fortress of Solitude or Frozen's snowflake palace, these wintery creations have captivated people all around the world.

But building novel structures out of ice isn't just an artistic pursuit, it's also an opportunity for scientists to test the unique properties of frozen materials. Take, for example, the work of the Swiss structural engineer Heinz Isler (1926-2009), who specialized in designing sweeping shell structures, like the Wyss garden dome in Zuchwil, Switzerland pictured below.

Isler developed his expertise in this rounded style of architecture by experimenting with ice structures. He would build the skeleton of a piece by hanging nets, balloons, strings, and cloth from trees, and then dousing the fabric with water. The creations strengthened as they froze over, and sometimes the original supports could be removed. Indeed, Isler discovered that an ice coating of only one millimeter was more than enough to make sturdy, self-supporting structures.

Inspired by Isler's work, a group of MIT researchers has established an annual workshop called Forces Frozen, which seeks to further investigate the intriguing architectural properties of ice. This week, MIT released a video documentary of the latest workshop, which was led by architect and structuring engineer Caitlin Mueller and structural design postdoc Corentin Fivet.

Forces Frozen 2015 workshop. Credit: MIT/YouTube

"We had students with an engineering background and other students with no engineering background at all," Fivet said in the video. "Because of that we had very different projects and very different models."

"I think this is a really fun opportunity to combine physics and mechanics, really," added Mueller, emphasizing the artistic element of the workshop.

The diverse final exhibition of these illuminated outdoor structures are worth checking out on the Forces Frozen Tumblr. If you're looking to build something a little more ambitious than a snowman this year, take a cue from MIT and Isler before spring arrives.