An icy throne

Remember the multi-coloured ice wall that appeared on the Studley Quad last winter? Or did you perhaps see the “snowman war” that was covered by CTV News? Dal student Hadrian Laing upped his game again over Study Break with a full-blown Game of Thrones-style ice throne.

“I wanted to make something that was more engaging,” he said, adding that it was hard for people to take photos with last year’s wall.

So why was Hadrian out on the Studley quad at 8 a.m. in -10 C weather adding ice blocks to the throne?
 
“I’m trying to create a little bit of a tradition to see winter in a new way and make it a little bit more fun,” said the fourth-year Dal student and Halifax native.

The throne was constructed from 69 blocks of ice along with huge icicles to create a regal seat based on the iron throne in the television series Game of Thrones.

The blocks were made from fallen rain water and the “cement” that holds the blocks together is made from slush — or as the builders call it, Canadian mortar.

“It’s a silly way to turn something that we normally loathe and complain about into a building tool,” said Hadrian.

Over the course of the day, about 20 students helped build the throne. Everyone participated in ways that they felt comfortable, which included tasks from lugging blocks and driving loads to making stew and coffee for the throne builders.

“It was a lot of fun,” said Hadrian. “Everyone had a blast.”

While he is planning to apply to Architecture as a post-graduate degree, building the ice throne and last year’s wall is really about celebrating winter.
 
“It was about bringing colour to the quad,” he said, “February is such a dreary month, so it’s one thing to make February a little more fun.”