Endless Ski Slope, 2016, mixed media, 220 × 220 × 70 cm
Project of an Endless Ski Slope — 2003
The intention is to create a monumental structure on the borderline of architecture and Land Art used for downhill skiing in places where there are no suitable conditions for this sport.
Location — flat landscape in southern areas where there is little or no occurrence of snow.
I propose to construct a sphere with the diameter of 50 to 100 meters, and to insert this monument into an adequately sized hemispherical pit excavated for the purpose of this project in such a way so that a half of the sphere is slightly submerged below the surface of the earth. Under the surface a shaft goes through the sphere driven by a powerful engine, on which the ski slope would spin. The speed of rotation will be controlled by a designated person (manager) and it will be derived from the needs of customers (skiers). The skiers would be able to enjoy the feeling of an endless downhill skiing. They could leave the ski slope any time simply by skiing down from it at any place. For this purpose the sphere will have a ring-shaped transition strip. This will ensure a smooth transition from the surface of the sphere into the icy trough at the hem of its base.
To avoid snow melting on the surface of the sphere due to the exposure of the structure to direct sunlight, there is a possibility of underground freezing. At each rotation of the sphere, the surface of the ski slope may undergo cooling in the underground phase by means of freezer units placed in the wall of the bed of the sphere. Thus the upper part exposed to higher temperatures will always accumulate coolness in the underground, solidifying the surface of the ski slope. Ice and snow on the surface could be manufactured and maintained using a technology similar to that used for maintenance of fields for winter sports and artificial ski slopes, as is the case, for example, in Dubai; Landgraaf in the Netherlands; Xscape Complex in Milton Keynes, England; or at the planned ski slopes in Copenhagen, Vienna and Stockholm.
An important aspect of such object is its aesthetic quality. A huge white hemisphere could look almost ghostly in flat landscape; the same applies to the shimmering dots representing skiers.
