By using ice as his medium, the Seattle artist's aim was to create a metaphor for the melting of tensions in the Middle East.

The ice sculpture, set up on Sunday, melted completely within a few days.

Chihuly cut 24 blocks out of 64 tons of ice that he took from an ice field in Fairbanks, Alaska.

The artist, helped by 12 colleagues plus 20 Israelis, worked through Saturday night arranging the blocks in two almost-neat rows. They are illuminated by colored lights, creating a picturesque scene in front of the golden blocks of the walls.

The $300,000 project was funded mostly by the artist, with contributions from the Seattle-based Boeing Co.