While the hand-numbing practice of ice-related artistry has already delighted with both full-sized buildings (some straight out of a fairytale) and insanely intricate miniatures, this enormous ice-chiseled bank (↑) in Harbin, China, just might be the coolest (sorry) creation yet. Built for this year's annual International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival—which lasts for three months and has featured some jaw dropping snow sculptures, ice architecture, and even "siberian tiger watching"—this early entry to the festival was modeled after a branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the nation's biggest bank.
There's no exact measurements to be found for the monstrous castle yet, but with its grand, swooping front entrance and meticulous design, it's safe to say the entry won't go unnoticed when the festival officially kicks off on Jan. 5. Indeed, along with its LED bulb-lit competitors (↓)—which seem to be built on a slightly smaller scale—this year's batch of entries required a whopping 1,937,504 square feet of ice, 1,614,586 square feet of snow, and at least 10,000 workers worth of manpower. Quartz has the details, right this way.
· An enormous ice castle worthy of China's biggest bank [Quartz]
· All Ice Sculpture posts [Curbed National]