Although I couldn’t find a time limit for the freezing to take place, it would probably not take long using the techniques listed below that I found at Wikipedia.
Artificial ice rink
In any climate, an arena ice surface can be installed in a properly built space. This consists of a bed of sand, or occasionally a slab of concrete, through (or on top of) which pipes run. The pipes carry a chilled fluid (usually either a salt brine or water with antifreeze) which can lower the temperature of the slab so that water placed atop it will freeze. This methodology is known as ‘artificial ice’ to differentiate from ice rinks made by simply freezing water in a cold climate, indoors or outdoors, although both types are of frozen water. A more proper technical term is ‘mechanically frozen’ ice.
Construction
Modern rinks have a specific procedure for preparing the surface:
- With the pipes cold, a thin layer of water is sprayed on the sand or concrete to seal and level it (or in the case of concrete, to keep it from being marked).
- This thin layer is painted white or pale blue, for better contrast; markings necessary for hockey or curling are also placed, along with logos or other decorations.
- Another thin layer of water is sprayed on top of this.
- The ice is built up to a thickness of 2–3 centimetres (approx. 1.2 inches) by repeated flows of water onto the surface.