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[joshdw4]

I wanted to make an ice fortress without having to mine it, then build each block above surface. My idea was to create a grid of floors one level above.
oo+oo+oo+oo+oo
oo+oo+oo+oo+oo
oo+oo+oo+oo+oo
oo+oo+oo+oo+oo
+++++++++++++

+ floor

Then , I was going to pump water under the floors, let the exposed water between floors freeze, then remove the floors.

However, as soon as I dug a channel under protection of a roof, it froze. Apparently, Inside Light Above Ground means it will freeze. Any ideas to get a big block of ice? (well, without having to mine out a subterranean pool, then expose it.. I don't want an underground ice fort).

[Agent Fransis]

Dig out a big cistern and fill it with water, leaving a buffer of at least one layer of rock between it and the surface. When done, channel out the top layer and the water below will freeze.

[AlienChickenPie]

You could try using magma to keep the water liquid until it reaches its destination.
However, you should consider mining your fort out of preexisting ice. If you're willing to put some work in it, you will end up with some pretty impressive examples of rock ice cut architecture.

[Soadreqm]

There is currently no way of making an aboveground area subterrean again, and aboveground water freezes when it gets cold. The only way I can think of is picking a map that is only frozen a part of the year, and turning off temperature when the block is frozen.

Or create the block underground, and send your miners to lower the ground level of the whole map.

[joshdw4]

You could try using magma to keep the water liquid until it reaches its destination.
However, you should consider mining your fort out of preexisting ice. If you're willing to put some work in it, you will end up with some pretty impressive examples of rock ice cut architecture.

HAH, using magma is VERY tempting. A tower with each level capable of filling with magma or water. Fill level (n-1) with magma then (n) with water. Dump the magma from level (n-1) to (n-2) causing the water on (n) to freeze. Fill (n-1) with water and repeat. I wonder if it would work. Does warmth keep water from freezing if seperated by a wall? Because putting the plumbing for the magma and water next to each other would keep the works from freezing. hmmm.

[Untelligent]

Yeah, if you have magma and water seperated by a single wall, the water will stay warm.

[AlienChickenPie]

If warmth works like that, your method should do the trick. This shouldn't be hard to test on a small scale.
As for the construction technique, what you described sounds great. You don't have to pump up the magma every single time, and you end up with a solid block of ice you can easily carve into any shape you want.
There's one thing about it, though- it will have constructed floors on every level. Once you mine out the rooms, will the floor be blocks or solid ice?

[Doppel]

I have made a natural above ground ice fortress before and all you really need to do is built a mold out of stairs and pour water in it via buckets. Watch out for enemies like impos though.