Polestar Opens All-White Car Showroom Fully Built Out Of Snow

Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland, is the hometown of Santa Claus.

But for those whose beliefs are immersed in ice-cold realism, it’s the home of snow. Lots of it.

Embracing the landscape’s abundance of snow as a resource, Polestar has set up shop in the Finnish city, six miles south of the Arctic Circle, with a showroom completely constructed from this natural material.

The Polestar Snow Space is surrounded by beloved buildings designed by famed architect Alvar Aalto, like the Rovaniemi Library and Rovaniemi City Hall—icons emblematic of the city’s rebirth following the 1944 Lapland War. 

Frozen Innovations, a Finnish firm specializing in making large-scale snow and ice structures, went out of its sub-zero comfort zone to build the complete showroom, which also invites customers to test-drive vehicles on a nearby track.

The snow that forms this outpost is harvested from the neighboring Ounsvaara ski resort. According to Polestar’s head of marketing and PR Martin Österberg (via Wallpaper*), the structure contains 3,000 cubic meters (nearly 106,000 cubic feet) of the frozen material.

Local sculptors added intricacy to the giant ice block by carving replicas of vehicle parts into the venue’s walls.

Incidentally, snow has a minimalist appeal that ties in with Polestar’s design ethos and palette, serving as a clean backdrop for the automaker’s white cars. It also comes as no surprise that the material is sustainable.

The Polestar Snow Space follows the time-honored saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” says the company.

“When in Rovaniemi, do as the Rovaniemians do,” it reiterates. “Be minimalistic. Be conscious of the delicate environment you’re surrounded by. And use snow.”

The showroom is a very cool (literally) representation of Polestar’s resolve to explore uncharted waters, even the frozen kind. Polestar, of which Volvo owns a little over 48%, has been regarded as a strong Tesla rival. The Swedish carmaker plans to launch one new electric vehicle annually. By the end of this year, it hopes to occupy more than 30 markets with its EVs.

With snow being a delicate material, Österberg has been asked what happens if the showroom’s walls get a dent. He jokes that such flaws can easily be fixed by picking up a ball of snow from the ground and filling up the gaps.

Though, this will be a temporary concern, if it even is one. The Polestar Snow Space will stand for seven weeks before being taken down on February 26, ahead of the 15th Rovaniemi Arctic Design Week in March. Upon the structure’s disassembly, its snow will be returned to the ski resort that lent the resource.

[via Muse by Clio and Wallpaper*, video and images via Polestar]