Dowling Jones & Stone - http://www.dowlingjonesstone.com
London based CGI specialists, Dowling Jones & Stone, have launched plans for a proposed “freeze fair” on the Thames in anticipation of record-breaking cold temperatures. The 30,000 sq m space would utilise the dip in river temperatures using green energy to freeze the water and create the largest man-made ice space in the world.
As shown in the CGI, the ice would be strong enough to form the foundations of an alpine themed Christmas market, featuring two Austrian beer halls, a 70m observation wheel, as well as assorted fairground rides and a central ice-skating area. The green enterprise would use the energy of the Thames river flow to power turbines that supply the cooling machinery with enough electricity to lower the temperature by 3 degrees (enough to freeze the contained area), meaning the whole installation would be carbon neutral. The annual freeze fair could potentially be in place from November 2014, and would be accessible from four pedestrian bridges – two from the South Bank near the Tate Modern, and two from the North Bank near St. Paul’s – attracting approximately 15,000 daily visitors.
Lead CGI artist, Andy Butler, comments: "The Thames is the largest undeveloped space in the capital, and what we are proposing is a temporary yet innovative idea that would provide a unique space to attract tourists and Londoners alike. The concept is routed in the 16th Century, when the Thames would regularly freeze over, and fairs, games and sled racing were undertaken. We are simply taking this idea and supercharging it for the modern era.”
