Icelandic Wool Centre
After the crisis of 2009 Iceland is returning to its roots, finding its own identity. There has been a resurgence of creativity, born out of crisis. The terrain vague (a site in an in-between state, between past and present) is situated between the industrial harbour and the predominantly residential zone. This site of indeterminacy opens up the possibility for a catalyst of change. A location to celebrate and enable the link between the survival of Reykjavik and the unique Icelandic sheep.
Despite sheep out-numbering humans in Iceland, the wool industry is just one main company, Istex. This means designers are fully separated from their product process and yet visits to Istex for bales of yarn are in high demand. This project aims to reunite sheep with crafter and designer.
The development of a circular knitting machine has driven the project, the relationship between the cold steel of the needles to the tactile warmth of the wool. The building as metaphorical and literal machine, in contrast to the softness of Icelandic craft. As the Icelandic wool trade continues to grow and residents turn to the preservation of craft and their national identity. So the studios are knitted and extruded along the platforms. These knitted structures are cast in epoxy resin and layered to form a rigid structure. Openings are knitted into these and fixed in place by frames.
Period of Project: Final year MArch thesis – 2013
Location: Reykjavik
