The most wonderful time of year is upon us once more, and it is at this time of year the Hamilton team stop to take a look at the incredible work we’ve been proud to be a part of this year. Our sculptors work on countless projects with brands, companies and events all over the globe, but it goes without saying that our work for Hyde Park’s infamous Winter Wonderland is the ice-ing on the cake for us!
The Magical Ice Kingdom is undoubtedly one of the biggest and most elaborate projects we work on each year. After restrictions prevented the festive event from going ahead last year, we were thrilled that we had the opportunity to work on more magical creations in 2021.
Each year a whopping 2.5 million visitors descend upon London’s Hyde Park during its six-week run, and our team is tasked with creating a fun, new and exciting theme to bring festive joy to all. We begin planning for Winter Wonderland in January- straight after the last one finishes! For the next few months, we work closely alongside the client to perfect and polish our ideas for the theme, the sculptures, and the magical experience we aim to create for each guest.
We began sculpting for the 2021 edition of Winter Wonderland in August, ready for the opening in November, although there are so many sculptures that installation starts in October. Our team of 6 sculptors have worked around the clock this year, crafting the majority of ice sculptures ready to be transported to the site. Once there, a team of 30 people worked tirelessly for three weeks to create everything from the 12-tonne terrifying dragon that took over five days to sculpt to the mammoth ice castle itself. In total, our team used a whopping 500 tonnes of ice this year to create everything you see in the Magical Ice Kingdom.
This year’s story follows a Warrior Princess on a quest through a magical ice land to free a unicorn trapped by the Ice Queen. As guests enter the Magical Ice Kingdom, their journey with the warrior princess begins as they meet a magical wizard in his cottage hidden in the snowy forest. The warrior princess tries to seek warmth and shelter from the cold world created by the Ice Queen but finds an ally in the Wizard. From here, the Wizard and Warrior Princess continue their journey, meeting dwarves mining in the caves who gift her a sword.
Guests follow the Warrior Princess as she enlists the help of a huntsman in the local Dragon Inn as she prepares to defeat the glowing green-eyed Dragon guarding the Ice Queen’s castle. After slaying the beast, the Warrior Princess and her companions are able to free the unicorn from a giant, sleeping ogre in the dungeons and escape the terrifying Ice Queen!
We are incredibly proud of this year’s Magical Ice Kingdom, which allows adults and children alike to be whisked into a mythical world full of wonder, excitement- and a lot of ice! After a year locked inside, we were thrilled to create a world that helps people escape the ordinary as they explore secret passageways, encounter exciting and terrifying characters before taking their rightful place on the ice thrones in the enchanted Ice Palace!
Hamilton’s work with Winter Wonderland is truly a labour of love, and we have been thrilled to see the wonder on guests faces as they arrive and the incredible response on social media. We have been incredibly proud to have the chance to work on the Magical Ice Kingdom and create an immersive story told through the art of ice. Winter Wonderland is open to visitors until the 3rd of January, so book your tickets now and don’t forget your hat and gloves!